Wilderness Survival: How to Start a Fire

Needless to say, if you are stranded in the wilderness a fire will life your spirits. Not only will you feel the accomplishment of completing the challenge, but the light a fire provides will help you make it through a long night in the dark. Fires also help to keep distance between you and the wildlife, and provide a way to cook food and boil water. They are 2nd on my list of things to do following only finding drinking water. Building a fire sounds very simple, but even with the proper survival tools, the task is often difficult. Read on for some great tips on starting a fire with or without the common fire starting tools.

First of all, if you have matches or a lighter, this task will be much easier accomplished. Getting that first flame is often the most challenging part of starting a fire. Before you do anything, you will want to pick a place to put your fire. Find a spot where there is shelter near by, or where you can build a small shelter. Be sure the ground is level and there is nothing that will catch on fire too close by.

After you have a spot for your fire, you will want to search for some kindling and some dry wood. After your flame is started, you will need lots of fuel to keep the fire going. Look for fallen trees, broken limbs and bark from a tree. If you have any paper or cardboard, you'll want to use that for kindling as well.

You are then ready to start the fire. If you have matches, the next step is obvious and very simple! However, if you do not have a flame source, the task will prove a bit more difficult. There are two great ways you can start a fire without a flame. The first is with a magnifying glass. If you have a camera or compass, you can often use the sun's rays to start a fire. As the rays pass through the lens, they will be magnified and concentrated to a tiny spot. This spot will heat up and eventually begin to flame. You must hold the lens perfectly still for up to an hour, so get comfortable!