Lighting a fire in the wet.

[DanielJRioux]

To light a fire while it is raining the first thing you must do is to find a fairly dry area to light your fire in. The lee side of a large rock or tree, a cave, or any place non flamable and out of the weather with a good supply of fresh air.

Once you find a spot to light you fire either dig a shallow hole or build a fire ring to keep the fire from speading.

This is a survival fire and should not be built too big because it will burn more fuel. Keep it small to keep you warm and if you want it as a signal fire put wet branches or grass on it to cause a lot of smoke.

Gather small dry twigs, grass, moss or anything else that is dry and flamable. I learned this trick in WA so the next step might not apply to you. Find a pine tree with a bubble or layer of sap on the trunk, scrape it off with your knife. What, out in the woods without a knife? Use a rock, branch or anything else to scrape off the pitch.

Place the sap in your fire pit and put a few dry very small tigs over it and then light the pitch. Slowly place the twigs and then small sticks and then larger fuel to keep the fire going. You are now safe and warm, now it is time to gather your dinner fix'ns.
[signature]

[fish4fish]

That is some great info daniel, i have a question though and it is probably a dumb one though, is pitch really flamiable? i had no idea, i guess it is because of my pyrotechnic deprived childhood, lol
[signature]

[DanielJRioux]

Yes, pitch is flammable and it will burn for a while, which is good when it is wet.
[signature]

[DrownedDesertRat]

My question is: how do you start the fire if you don't have matches or a lighter?
[signature]

[southernman]

1. magnifying glass (plastic ones suck) or eyeglasses

2. flint and steel, real flint if you have to, of buy a magnesium firestick, throw away the cheap aluminum striker that comes with it, and use your pocketknife - serious shower of sparks

3. steel wool and batteries - makes an intense fire, dont use a scouting pad with soap in it, use fine steel wool, 9 volt lantern battery works best, i think its possible using two d cells held together

4. bow and spindle (rubbing two sticks together) - the toughest, ive done it twice for summer camp classes, if ya got the right wood and know what you're doing - you can make this happen in like 2 minutes

[url "http://users.hunterlink.net.au/~madms/fires.html"]http://users.hunterlink.net.au/~madms/fires.html[/url]


the american indians used to wrap an ember from a fire in fine barks and grasses, ending up with a softball with a fire in the middle, taking it with them when travelling, till nightime when it was time to start the fire up again

sm
[signature]

[DrownedDesertRat]

[reply]1. magnifying glass (plastic ones suck) or eyeglasses
[/reply]Wouldn't this one be tough if things are wet and/or it's raining?
[signature]

[southernman]

sure its tough, but thats when you whip out your knife and hollow out dry chunks of wood from logs, use any paper you might have, search for overhangs where dry stuff may be

hopefully youve taken some firestarting material with you on your hike or camp

the main thing is when it comes down to make the fire, that you take your time, get your tinder, kindling, squaw wood, and have it all right there next to you, and plenty of it . . you cant be running around looking for stuff when you've got a half a fire going!

sm
[signature]