Fire Starter

Charles W. Bryant,

fire starter

Curling up in front of a nice warm fire is something many people look forward to each fall. The same can be said for a survival scenario. A fire provides warmth in the cold, heat to cook food and purify water, and a potential rescue signal. Survival experts will tell you that a fire is also good for helping you to keep a positive mental outlook.

Aside from your first aid kit, any backwoods hiker should also pack a fire-starting kit. Get a waterproof box and pack it with a couple of lighters, some weatherproof matches, a flint and steel or magnesium fire starter, and a small magnifying glass lens. Another good thing to keep on hand in the event of wet conditions is some wet fire tinder. It's inexpensive and burns at a scorching 1,300 degrees in almost any conditions. The magnifying glass lens can be used to concentrate the sun's rays into a fire-starting beam. The flint is used with a stone to make a spark. Even if you're just a car camper, pack a fire kit and practice starting fires without using your lighter and wax fire log.