Firecraft

The Art of Making Fire

9 Reasons to have a fire. 1. To provide a source of light.2.  To keep warm. 3.  To make a signal.4.  To cook food.5.  To preserve food.6.  To purify water.7.  To dry clothes. 8.  To raise morale. 9.  To scare predatory animals.

The Fire Triangle

• Heat is your spark, your match, your lighter, your flame thrower.

• Fuel is what you're a burning.

• A fire needs oxygen.

3 Types of Fuel

• Tinder - fine, dry flammable materials that will easily ignite with a spark or match

• Kindling - dead, dry branches, etc. smaller than your little finger

• Fuel - the big stuff larger than your little finger

Magnesium Fire Starter

• It's a hunk of magnesium with a rod of synthetic flint embedded in its side

• Shave the magnesium off into a pile, then using the flint, put a spark into the pile of shavings

Cotton balls with Vaseline • Best tinder • Must “fluff” the cotton ball before covering in vaseline

• Create beforehand and store in a plastic container

Steel Wool and a 9 Volt Battery• Place the steel wool between terminals with a cotton ball close to the sparks

• Store each item in separate bags

Fire building

• Prepare all tinder, kindling, and fuel prior to your first spark

• Use a piece of bark as a platform for tinder

• 4” log next to platform as a brace and wind break

• Place tinder on platform and ingite

Fire building cont.

• Place small diameter kindling across brace over tinder

• When flame begins to burn through that layer place another layer on at 90 degrees

• Continue to add layers of larger and larger fuel until fire is self- sustained