Wet Day Fire

Rain is pouring down form the sky, you look around and all the things you would typical use for tinder are soaked. You have a grumpy group of people that just want to be warm. Pressure is on, and it all you.

This is not a uncommon situation for a person of the outdoors, whether its you that are cold, or a group that you are guiding, answers is the same. FIRE! Fire when everything around you is soaked, but it is easier then you may think. It all depended own if you now where to look for dry wood. Most of use would randomly go of into the forest hoping to find an area that is not so wet. This could work, but it dose depend own how long it has been raining. Much more then half an hour would will be hard pressed to find what you need that way. There is always an alternative.

Many of you have heard me talk about JMG "Junior Maine Guide", as being the experience that changed my life, and taught me much. Well one of the test was wet day fire, this focused own how fast you could use an axe and knife safely. The goal was to use a block of wood that had been soaked in water to light a fire that within 20 minuets could boil a cup of water. What! That what I said when if found out, but its doable, there was even a kid that did it in under 11 minuets, it cut it closer at around 13. The secret is in the block of wood. For even in a rain storm the inside of a standing dead peace of ceder or spruce should stay at least damp if not dry. This is were you get all the starting fuel  you need.

First you need to split the block with a axe, this should be repeated two or three more times before the slivers are the right size to be split with a knife, this dry inner wood is the kindling, shaving made form this becomes the tinder which takes the light of the match - which should be dry. Now I use a log cabin structure to get fire going. The log cabin give just enough air while keeping the flame shelters, and all so give a constant feed of fuel. So if you ever out in the middle of the woods in a rain storm, look for a standing dead tree, might just come in handy.

P.S. Love Capture the Flag!