Troop 60 > Resources > Scout Skills > Wilderness Survival Priorities > Fire Starting
Fire Starting
Fire Starting is a vital wilderness skill and a challenging one to master. Scouts venturing out into the Pacific Northwest MUST have solid Fire Starting Skills.
Firem'n Chip
All Scouts will be given the opportunity to complete Firem'n Chip Training
We use this guide developed by ScoutMaster Dave:
Gear
Fire Starting gear is mandatory on all outdoor outings
2 methods of starting a fire
2 Fire Tinders
Fire Starters
A Scout should have 2 methods of Fire Starting with them on all Outings.
Recommended Fire Starters
Modified Bic Lighter
Remove Child-Safety
Wrap Duct Tape around lighter for tinder
Use No 36 Bank Live to on gas lever to prevent premature fuel loss
Loop useful for necklace or carabiner
See Lighter Skills page for more information
Ferrorod
Add tinder rope or other colorful string so it is easier to find on ground
See our Ferrorod Skills page for more information
Alternate Fire Starters
Storm Matches
Storm Lighter
Doan Magnesium bar
Note - these are difficult for most Scouts to use
Strike anywhere matches in waterproof container
These MUST be kept dry
Advanced-User Fire Starters
Primative and Advanced Fire Starting techniques are great skills to learn and master, but these should NOT be your primary method of fire starting when selecting gear to pack.
Advanced-User Fire Starters
Friction fire set
Bow-Drill Set
Bamboo Set
See our Friction Fire Page for more information
Knife and string for friction fires
Flint and Steel
Dedicated high carbon steel striker or high carbon knife
Flint (acceptable rocks can be found and prepped)
Char Tin
See our Flint and Steel Page for more information
Magnifying glass
Fire Tinder
Starting a fire is one thing, getting the fire going is something completely different. In addition to your 2 Fire Starters, you will need tinder or fire-extenders to keep your flame alive as you get your fire going.
Standard Tinder
Biomass Fire Starter Cubes
Chemical Fire Starter Cubes
Wet Fire
Fuel Tabs
Fatwood
Advanced Tinder
Waxed rope
Magnesium
Duct Tape
Knife to make feathers and fuzz
"Ranger Bands" - made from bike innertube
Prep Work
The biggest reason for failing to get a fire going it skimping on the prep-work. Starting a fire requires a LOT of prep-work.
Area Selection
Select an area that is ideally:
Not under tree branches
Not on wet ground
Not on organic soil that will catch on fire
Not near an easily ignitable fuel such as grass, dry bruch, pine needles, etc.
Gather and Prep Wood
2 large handfuls of fine fuel
Whispies (pencil lead sided twigs)
Dry pine needles
Fine wood shavings
Dry grass with roots removed
Arms full of kindling
Pencil to Finger Sized sticks or split wood
Fuel staked up to your knee
Wrist sized or smaller sticks or split wood
If it is wet out, you should gather 4 times the amount listed above. If possible, select dead, dry wood that isn't touching the ground. Split wood when possible to expose dry inner wood.
Fire Lays
There are many different types of fire lays and they are fun to play and experiment with. The key is to keep your tinder dry by keeping it off the wet ground. Do this by creating a dry surface of split wood.
Spitting wood exposes its dry insides and to create a flat platform to work on.
Build your fire over your dry platform to keep everything warm and dry as you get your first started.
Use a piece of wood to lean kindling on. This creates a space for your tinder and allows for good airflow under your fire as you get it started.
A dry platform allows you to build a fire anywhere, even on snow, mud or water
Fire Size
Fire size depends on intended use.
Smaller fires are safer, reduce fuel use and minimize footprint in the backcountry
Use a smaller fire when fuel is scarce or if NOT in a survival situation
Large fires are less likely to blow out and easier to maintain if a fire is needed for survival reasons
Larger fires obviously need more fuel
Of course - keep in at a safe size for local conditions
Fire Safety
Have enough water on hand to put out fire as well as secondary fire (the one you didn't plan for)
All fires need to be drenched when you are done with them
You MUST perform a COLD OUT test to ensure the fire is no longer a threat
Cold-Out Test
FIRE!
Tinder Bundle and Ember Fires
Sometimes the best you can get is an ember. Build a Tinder Bundle and use an ember to turn ember into a flame.
Tinder Bundles
Grass
Cottonwood Inner Bark
Shredded Cedar Bark
Fine Feathers from a stick
Unraveled rope made from natural fibers (Jute, Hemp or Sisal)
Dry moss
Tinder Extenders
Punk Wood
Charred material
Cattail
Prepping
Mash up your tinder material over a dry cloth or hat. If it is wet out, make sure you protect your bundle from rain or drips of water. Mash, rip apart and otherwise abuse your tinder to break it down. Form a "bird's nest" out of your material. Add material collected in your dry cloth or hat to the middle of your bundle. Then add the very fine dust left on your work surface to the middle of your bundle. Keep dry and set aside at the ready while you work on making and ember.
FIRE!
Using
Carefully place ember in middle of tinder bundle with the fine material you placed in the center. Carefully close your bundle around the ember. Start with gentle blowing to get your ember going. As you develop more and more smoke, add more and more air. Lots of smoke means you need LOTs of air and are about to ignite your bundle. Once you have a flame, carefully turn your bundle so the flame is on the bottom of the bundle and will dry out and ignite the rest of the bundle.
Making an Ember
There are many methods for making an ember.
Friction methods such as a bow drill
Ember from old fire
Flint on steel
Magnifying glass ideally on charcloth
Ferrorod on punkwood or cattail
Fire Piston
