Fire lighting: Planning and PrepAration
Fire lighting: planning and prepAration
By Keith Denoncourt
The essence of survival is ability to stay warm in all conditions.
The absolute most important wilderness survival skill that you can have is the ability to light a fire, and stay warm, under any conditions. The area that you are in, weather conditions, plus the time of year combined, will have a huge factor in how easily this can be done. Are you prepared for the worst for your area and conditions ? Have you planned your own rescue and recovery ?
Using propane torches, or butane lighters, make fire starting substantially easier. It is however highly recommended to develop your knowledge of local fuel sources. Combining your knowledge of fuel sources with various ignition sources can easily turn a minor emergency into a memorable adventure.
Basic Personal Carry - Knife, Whistle, Compass, Flint and Steel, Operational Lighter, Waterproofed Lighters, 20-12 Waterproof Survival Matches
Long Burning Flare, Signal Flares, Candles, Waterproof Matches, Survival Matches
The ability to sit by a fire, and stay warm, has benefits far beyond just heat…Fireside memories with Basso Safaris.
Cooking fresh Wildebeest by the fire in South Africa
Living in the Boreal Forest, lighting a fire can come fairly easily when you are prepared, and the right conditions exist. On my person, I carry flint and steel, a lighter in active use, plus two lighters wrapped in a waterproof sandwich bag in one of my inside chest pockets for warmth. Lighters do not function well if they are very cold. Keeping it protected near my skin is an added precaution. My waterproof / windproof matches are inside my 20-12 waterproof case in another pocket. Further still, I carry a propane torch inside my ATV box, or at the front of my boat. You might even find fire commercial fire sticks, or wax candles, waterproof matches, and flares in my Northern survival kit. This might seem like excessive but please consider the location you are going, the time of year, fuel availability, and weather conditions still have to be taken into consideration. Nature will not care if you get cold. It is only how well you are able to calmly respond that will make the difference. It is best to be well prepared and definitely plan ahead for the worst conditions possible. Have you planned your own rescue ?
May-Aug in the Boreal Forest are usually the easiest time of year to light a fire. The air is generally seasonally warmer and the wood is usually drier. However scattered rain showers would affect the immediate lighting capabilities. This would also be compounded with the current weather conditions. April and October can be by far the hardest months to light a fire. The higher moisture level in the surrounding air reduces lighting potential. The colder winter months of Dec-Mar, when the snow is on the ground, although colder can produce easier fire lighting capabilities depending on your fuel source and location. You will just need potentially more fuel, or specific fuel precautions. Please check the owners and operators manual for all cold weather equipment operating procedures.
The reality is that most emergencies do not happen when the weather is perfect, or when you are well rested. It is when you are not prepared, tired, or when things go wrong suddenly. I just keep my flint and steel on me because I remember the knowledge that I must possess to work it effectively. It keeps me anchored in my preparation. I do know how to use is effectively. I know my fuel sources very well. I have done it several times in practice. However if you are hurt, tired or cold, now is not the time to work hard, or be skeptical as to whether or not you can get a fire going. Your basic fire lighting skills for flint and steel is the foundation that serves only as your starting point. It is best to have the fastest, safest, and easiest methods readily available for many reasons. Foremost is that there is something incredibly soothing about sitting around a healthy fire. This alone is well worth lighting a fire as easily, and as safely, as you can. I have personally used my propane torch to light fires more times than I can remember.
Aylmer Lake Lodge- NWT
Boreal Forest winter conditions
Examples of chemical additives for cold weather Preparation and Emergency response for both gasoline and Diesel engines. Consult your owners manual before use !
Read the Owners/Operators Manual for complete Safety Precautions and Procedures!
Pine/Spruce Twigs, Dried Grass, Birch Bark and Old Man’s Beard are common tinder sources in the Boreal Forest.
Old Man’s Beard work great as a tinder source when dry.
Birch and Spruce / Pine are common fire starters in the Boreal Forest. Ignition and fuel type identification is a complete course based on the region you are in.
Flint and Steel knowledge is just the beginning
When a 12 gauge case, and a 20 gauge case are put together, it is a semi waterproof 20-12 case. I put waterproof, and strike anywhere, matches inside with a strike pad. I use electrical tape to completely seal the ends. Leave plenty of “tail” on the electrical tape for easy removal.
As stated, the Boreal Forest of Canada is rich in fuel sources. Birch bark, spruce/ pine branches are the best ignition sources. Even Poplar burns well when dry. Dry grass, old mans beard and tree sap also work as fuel sources. It is when the fuel sources are extremely limited, or extremely wet, do complications arise. The best part about having a torch is that it can get almost any type of semi-dry wood to light. When I am up North in the Tundra, I even add a long burning flare, plus signal flares, to my survival kit, as fuel supplies are extremely limited. In these cases, I turn to many candles, or candle based lanterns for heat, and matches as the ignition source. It is wise to have gas treatment, winter diesel additives available if you plan on using these as your heat sources in cold weather. Sometimes it can get too cold for equipment to light without additional precautions. Even then, warming diesel, gasoline engines, or propane, can be catastrophic as they can explode with a flame source, or produce carbon monoxide. Please consult the heaters owners/operators manual. Use all safety precautions for ultra cold weather starting procedures.
Candles and Matches are an excellent immediate cold weather heat source. Use extreme caution around flammable and explosive materials.
Practicing cold weather fire lighting techniques, and always having a broad base of various fire lighting capabilities, is a good start to cold weather survival. However, it can not be taken independently. Fire lighting skills are essential, and are definitely only a portion of complete planning and preparation! This skill has to be blended with Wilderness Survival Clothing, Self Care Management, Shelter Building and planning your own rescue. When combined, these skills turn potential emergencies, to memorable adventures. I look forward to bringing some more of these key skills to life for you.
