There are a few things you need for all fires. On is that you need a good place to build your fire. There should be little wind, and lots of wood nearby. Make sure nothing could catch fire around. Rock is a good foundation for your fire, but don’t use rocks with many holes, as they could explode! If wind is a problem, shield the fire with your jacket.
Another thing you must know is what to make your fire out of. You need to start small! Start off with tinder. This is super-duper dry and fine material; this can be wood, cloth, paper, resin (found inside spruce and pine tree). Next up is kindling. This is mainly small sticks and twigs. You can find this on the undersides of trees. Make this as dry as possible.
There are many types of fires you can build, and they all have different purposes, so here they are:
- Star: get a good fire going, then place logs around the fire in a star shape and slowly push them towards the centre of the fire. The closer they get, the hotter it gets.
- Teepee: place the tinder and kindling in a tringle shape, it doesn’t need to be that big. Place larger logs around, and tinder inside. Leave room for air to flow.
- Pyramid: place 2 logs parallel on the ground, and 2 logs to connect the first logs (make a square) layer the pyramid more and more, layering each log perpendicular to the first. Put tinder in the middle. This fire can last through the night, and be good for signals.
- Log fire: lay down 2 large logs. Create a fire in between the two logs. Pu kindling and tinder in the space between the logs. Add a log on top. This fire is good for warmth.
- Underground fire place: in the side of hard ground, make a hole about 20” deep. Dig a stick from the top of the ground to your hole. Build your fir in the hole. This is a good cooking fire.
There are different ways to start a fire. I will teach you three different ways to start a fire. Here they are:
Matches: make sure yours are waterproof! Only use 1 match per fire because you don’t want to run out. First, gather all of your material, and light your fire, guarding the wind. Carefully light the tinder on one side then the other, using 1 match. Add more tinder, then kindling, then logs.
Flint Striker: Start off with tinder; this must be very dry and fluffy. Place the sparking stick near the tinder. Use your knife or attached piece to slowly drag it down the stick. This will create sparks. Shield the wind, and slowly build up your fire. Ps, you will want to practice this a lot before you really need it because it can be challenging at first, but always be patient!
Bow and Drill: Gather a fire board (a flat, dry piece of wood, 1’ long, 4” wide, and 1” thick). Cut a ‘v’ shaped chunk, about 1”, on the edge. For your drill, find a straight, harder wood stick with a pointed end (1’ long). For your bow, find a very bendy stick (2’) and tie a rope to connect the 2 ends. For your socket, use a small piece of wood that fits nicely in your hand. Make a dent where the drill will fit. To create the fire, grab some tinder and place the board on top. Put the drill on the board and press the socket on top. Move the bow back and forth, the same way the board is facing. Once the drill makes a dent, move the drill very fast. When you see smoke, carefully blow on the embers of the tinder to ignite the fire. Build up the fire!