Worth While Trivia Tips

For most outdoor enthusiasts, building a campfire is one of the most pleasurable parts of camping. Whether you are building a fire for comfort or survival, there is definitely a right way and a wrong way to build a fire. There is nothing quite as satisfying as starting a fire by using a single match. This is a pretty easy bush-craft skill to learn if you are willing to take the time to learning the basics. Here are a few tips that will help you make a great fire for the night in five minutes or less.

Gathering Your Fuel:
A common mistake that campers make when they are building a fire is trying to start a fire before they have gathered all of the firewood that they are going to need. You will need three sizes of fuel.

1. Tinder: A fine dry material that will burn with one match. The inner bark of dead trees, white birch bark, the furry outer bark of cedar, dry grass and slivers shaved with a knife all make good tinder. You will need to have about double hand full.
2. Kindling: Is material that will burn with a little encouragement. Dead Twigs no bigger than a pencil are the easiest to find.
3. Fuel-wood: Is dead and downed wood no thicker than your wrist. By using wood of this size you should have no problem gathering what you need without an ax or saw. Gather enough fuel-wood for your needs.

Remember: Be kind to the environment, take only dead wood from areas that have a lot. Don’t strip an area or take it right from high impact areas. Leave No Trace.

Constructing a Fire Lay:
Remember you need three things to have fire; fuel, oxygen and heat. That’s called the fire triangle and without one of them you will have no fire. Heat rises; that’s the secret to successfully build your fire. Start with laying a hand full of tinder to the area you have prepared for your fire. Keep it fluffed up to allow air to get in. Then arrange kindling on top allowing air flow. The biggest mistake made is smothering the fire lay and not allowing good air flow. Light the tinder from the bottom and once your kindling has caught, add you fuel and enjoy a nice fire.

Waterproof Fire Starter

A few years ago I had a friend show me this tip in making an emergence fire starter and I would like to pass it on to you. All you need is a plastic straw, a cotton ball, petroleum jelly and a Q-tip. Cut the straw in thirds Crimp and seal one end of a straw piece with a match. Then mix the cotton ball with the petroleum jelly into a paste. Using the Q-Tipp as plunger, stuff the straw with the mixture leaving about a half from the top. Crimp and seal the other end of a straw piece with a match and now you have your waterproof fire starter. This light weight starter can be stored in the tray of a tackle box, the pocket of your PFD or in your backpacking catch-all bag. To use, take your knife and split the straw lengthwise. Put some of the cotton mixture out, fluff it up and light.

How Much Sunlight Left:

Ever wonder when you’re out on the trail or river how much time you have before the sun sets. Well take you hand and place the bottom of your small finger on the horizon and count how many fingers you have to the bottom of the sun. Every finger is about 15 minutes. 

Many Uses for Brazil Nuts:

We’ve been hearing a lot about Brazil nuts in the news lately; they seem to have amino acids that benefit the ageing process of the brain. Well in the outdoor world they have another benefit. Brazil nuts are both a hearty appetizer and an excellent fire starter. Their oily meat burns like candle wax. So when you find yourself in a damp situation and want to start a fire, crush a few nuts and light. They're also packed with enough calories (190 per ounce) to kick start your trail mix.