Back when the cave man discovered how to start and control fires, I’m sure his quality of life improved quite a bit. Today, if you spend much time in the out of doors, especially if you backpack, having strong fire building skills will mean big improvements in your quality of life too. Under certain circumstances, it can mean more than quality of life, it can mean life. In the outdoors, fire can be used for, warmth, light, safety, rescue, cooking, and sterilizing drinking water. In the Cincinnati area, The Hamilton County Park District’s University of the Great Outdoors presents regular programs on outdoor survival. Last Saturday, I joined 17 other Cincinnati residents at a seminar on fire building at the Adventure Outpost Camp in Winton Woods.
The program was led by the Park District’s Adventure Outpost Manager Rick Wheeler, who is definitely an experienced hand. Rick has managed the Outpost’s programs for 8 years now. He is a certified Wilderness First Responder, canoe and kayak instructor and archery instructor. A former Army Ranger, he also worked for Buckhorn Wilderness Program taking at-risk youth on extended backpacking trips in the Big South Fork Wilderness Area. He has spent more than his share of time in the outdoors.
Rick demonstrated a number of ways to start a fire beyond pulling out the Bic lighter or pack of matches. Flint and steel, magnesium, firesteel, magnifying glass and steel wool and a battery were all used. One of the attendees, Matt, brought a wood drill and actually started a fire with it. The bottom line is three items are needed for a fire, fuel, air and heat.
Regardless of how you get that first spark or heat a critical step is growing the fire from the initial ignition. An interesting method Rick used was to pack along cotton balls as a fire starter. They ignite readily and burn long enough to start small tinder. By soaking the cotton balls in petroleum jelly (Vaseline), there’ll burn both longer and hotter.
Rick’s plan for a fire is as follows. First gather enough dry wood to get the fire well established. A supply of small tinder (toothpick size), larger tinder (pencil size), and thicker sticks (up to about forearm size) should all be on hand before starting. In a fire ring or area cleared of fuel build a teepee shape of small tinder over a cotton ball. Once the spark is applied to the cotton ball, continue to add small tinder until the flames are well established and hot coals begin to appear. Then move up to the larger timber, being careful not to add too much fuel at once which may smother, or starve the fire of oxygen.
After emphasizing fire safety and methods of safely putting the fire out, (douse with water or dirt, stir the ashes and repeat until cool), Rick invited the group to build a fire without matches. It was pretty impressive to see the attendees gather up wood, set it up properly and have a warm cheery fire going in less than ten minutes. While I’ll still carry a lighter on my next camping trip, “flicking my Bic” will become the back-up plan for fire starting. I'll need that fire for cooking after I attend the next seminar on gathering and catching food.
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