In certain situations, having a fire can spell the difference between life and death. Fires provide warmth, light, protection from predators, a means to cook food, and an important morale boost.

Aside from the common lighting of fires using lighters, matches and fire steel, there are plenty of other alternatives such as:

• Chemical reactions (acids from accumulators, carbides)

• Batteries and gum paper

• Batteries and steel wool

• Water or glass lenses

• Sparks from flint and steel

• Various methods using wood friction (hand drill, simple bow drill, pump drill, thong drill, fire plough, fire saws)

 

When making fires, the type of wood and the species of tree from which it came must also be considered.

 

Commonly used tinder:

• Birch bark

• Tinder fungus (processed)

• Woolly fibres on seeds (thistle, dandelion)

• Straw and dry grasses

• Wood chips

 

Types of campfires:

Standard: Tepee, the star, pyramid, hunter fire, log cabin fire, long fire

Purposeful: Self feeding, upside down, Dakota hole, reflector fire, Swedish torch