Fire
Walking through the sleet today, my mind turned to fire. Its conditions like this that can sneak up on us in the outdoors until we find ourselves at risk for hypothermia.
Like most aspects when it comes to survival, waiting until the last minute to prepare for the eventuality is a sure fire way to disaster. Those who know me would be a little surprised that I didn’t have the means for a fire and a knife on my person. No, I don’t throw my survival kit on in town, but if I am going any distance at all in the country its one of the first things I grab.
A survival fanatic might carry something like a steel and flint or a chord to make a fire with the bow method. I understand the methods and in some instances might even be tempted to try them. However, we are talking about survival here. Once the fingers reach a certain level of numbness and the body core temperature drops below the critical point is not the time to start regretting experimenting with these methods, or trying to use a magnifying grass.
I carry an expensive windproof lighter in my back and usually some waterproofed wooden matches. Most times these are fine for getting a fire going even if it is fairly damp. Careful searching usually can come up with the necessary tinder; dead needles sheltered for the rain, that black hair like moss, smaller dead branches under the dense over canopy of trees.
Usually, but not always. I also carry in my pack the stubs of candles. These little sources of flame although not all that hot, can be used to get a fire going under trying situations with some careful tending. Always start with the smallest and driest material and hand and once the fire gets going feed in larger pieces. If it is really damp you will also want to keep a nearby supply drying out.
Always plan on getting lost when you are out in the bush. I have been lost a few times in the past. Usually for only a few hours, but getting the fire going and roasting up a fool hen was a good way to calm the nerves and within minutes after setting out again we were soon on the right path.
Have fun and be safe.
Where were you walking in the sleet today?
ReplyDeleteTrick I learned in Girl Guides... always take along a small container (we used film containers, but they're hard to come by now) stuffed with fluff from the dryer ... along with waterproof matches and candle stubs! Sure worked great for starting fires when out hiking on the windy wet beaches of Haida Gwaii's misty isles.
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