firemaking is, imo, the most important bushcraft skill to master... and the most difficult to really understand, because it needs A LOT of practice, and you don't even make fire every time you are outdoors. it doesn't matter how many times you read about making fire, you simply got to make it yourself to learn (reading about helps - but it's not enough!). after a time you will see that fire is very versatile, you can adapt it according to your needs: the ways to make a fire to boil water, cook, keep a shelter warm, light the camp, signal, etc are multiple and different - it takes a long time to try them on and an even longer time to really master.
using your knife (very important skill, too!) is, by comparison, easy to learn, because you get to make tent pegs, fork&hook for the teapot, eating utensiles, feathersticks, other wood implements, you cut cordage, food, etc almost every time you get out.
i posted on youtube (among other things) a number of fire-related vids. it's not easy to make fire vids, because they tend to be boring (who likes to watch the fire burning
?!? well, almost everybody - but still... ), and if you go solo it's difficult to shoot, too.
so, every time you make a fire, you learn something new... sometimes you get a really good ideea - like i did here: [video=youtube;kFKzvWDeiFc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFKzvWDeiFc[/video] .
i like to use charred cloth as tinder, but natural tinder is always available, too. here are some examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SQIOcX72r0 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrMYNl7itEE .
you can see some tips about "fire wood management" and properly extinguishing the fire (and another natural tinder) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qcHRDIpiFU
there are a lot of methods to light a fire: with the old-style firesteel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47y9rOD50qc (that one was difficult to get going and shoot at the same time, partially because it was my first vid!), with the magnifying glass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNCiSQcXlc8 etc.
a very unusual way to light a fire is... by using a water-bottle! here's how: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnYiVFeOgww
after a time, you might experience the need to make your own fire-lighting equipment : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43-xTVF4270
don't forget to practice ! please, enjoy !
using your knife (very important skill, too!) is, by comparison, easy to learn, because you get to make tent pegs, fork&hook for the teapot, eating utensiles, feathersticks, other wood implements, you cut cordage, food, etc almost every time you get out.
i posted on youtube (among other things) a number of fire-related vids. it's not easy to make fire vids, because they tend to be boring (who likes to watch the fire burning
?!? well, almost everybody - but still... ), and if you go solo it's difficult to shoot, too.so, every time you make a fire, you learn something new... sometimes you get a really good ideea - like i did here: [video=youtube;kFKzvWDeiFc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFKzvWDeiFc[/video] .
i like to use charred cloth as tinder, but natural tinder is always available, too. here are some examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SQIOcX72r0 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrMYNl7itEE .
you can see some tips about "fire wood management" and properly extinguishing the fire (and another natural tinder) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qcHRDIpiFU
there are a lot of methods to light a fire: with the old-style firesteel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47y9rOD50qc (that one was difficult to get going and shoot at the same time, partially because it was my first vid!), with the magnifying glass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNCiSQcXlc8 etc.
a very unusual way to light a fire is... by using a water-bottle! here's how: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnYiVFeOgww
after a time, you might experience the need to make your own fire-lighting equipment
: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43-xTVF4270don't forget to practice
! please, enjoy !
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