Lessons learned: Lighting a Fire in the Rain

[razcob]

It has been raining all day, so I thought I would go outside and try to start a fire. To add an additional challenge, I did it in the dark, but with a headlamp. After a while of gathering wood and setting up the fire, I finally saw some flames, but nothing roaring. It always appeared on the verge of going out. I had to build a small lean-to to prevent the rain from putting out the fire. I used vasoline soaked cotton balls, but never achieved the I thought I would get. I knew it would take additional time, but much more than I expected. If you haven't tried to start a fire in the rain, it can be very frustrating.

What methods do you use to start a fire in the rain?

 

[Odaon]

If it's raining pretty badly I'd probably try to get up a shelter of sorts to make my work easier. I haven't tried, but I will eventually.

 

[Bill Siegle]

I have had fun with fires in the rain on a few occassions. The only sure way I have found is find some overhead cover. Once I can stop the rain hitting my materials,the rest is business as usual. Sometimes you really need to go deep into the wood to find the dry stuff to get the fire started so an ax or big knife is mandatory for me in wet weather. Once flame is established I build up a deep bed of coals and keep the coals covered with larger sized pieces of wood. A larger/hotter fire will keep the rain at bay too. If your overhead cover is something that will burn, plan to move the fire or the cover

 

[TheGame]

I have had a lot of fun getting fire in the rain. I haven't did great so far, but I haven't really failed either. I got the fire going, but I couldn't really get it to build up to a roaring fire like I was going for.

 

[PrimitiveMan]

Fatwood/Sapwood should help substantially.

The resins burn hotter than vaseline cotton balls.

That's my plan anyway.

 

[Mistwalker]

Fatwood/Sapwood should help substantially.

The resins burn hotter than vaseline cotton balls.

That's my plan anyway.

While igniting it with sparks would be a challenge... yes fatwood will burn in the rain. The more you have burning and the better the drainage from the base the heavier the rain it will burn in. I have seen large piles of it burning in some pretty heavy rains when land was being cleared.

You can even cook over the fatwood flame if necessary if your cooking in a pot just don't ever roast anything over the flames.

 

[PrimitiveMan]

At my recent course at Oregon Firearms Academy, they taught me if you scrape the fatwood at a nearly 90 degree angle, you produce fatwood dust that ignites pretty easily, even when damp.

It was dry when we were practicing, but I plan on trying it soon in the rain as a test.

Make a bunch of dust, then some curls, then some slivers and you should be fine with a spark even in the rain, unless it is a hurricane.

Carl-

 

[Joben]

I need to practice this more...

One time I soaked some jute twine in water.
I then scraped it into fluff with the edge of my knife against my pant leg.
(It's not as dangerous as it sounds if you pull the jute and leave the blade still.)
By the time that was done it was dry enough to take a spark.

I donno exactly how that would go if your clothing was soaked too, but i did learn that drying tinder was easier than I expected.

 

[Mistwalker]

At my recent course at Oregon Firearms Academy, they taught me if you scrape the fatwood at a nearly 90 degree angle, you produce fatwood dust that ignites pretty easily, even when damp.

It was dry when we were practicing, but I plan on trying it soon in the rain as a test.

Make a bunch of dust, then some curls, then some slivers and you should be fine with a spark even in the rain, unless it is a hurricane.

Carl-

It's been my experience that the fatwood fuzz does ignite really well under drier circumstances and pretty well when damp with its own oils or even from just a little humidity but for the most part it seems that a pile of very thin, nearly see-through, shavings will catch a spark better if it is actually raining at the time and you are exposed.

 

[MArathonman]

I had to light a fire in an unexpected rainstorm in yosemite. I used vaseline cotton balls and a saw to get to the free standing deadwood. I batoned made kindling and fuel quickly and had a roaring fire. I mean roaring. For me key was a saw, bk7, Vaseline and free standing deadwood.

 

[Fonly]

If you haven't tried to start a fire in the rain, it can be very frustrating.

What methods do you use to start a fire in the rain?

heh, too true. The first time I tried, we just has some rain, then is froze. THAT is fun.


big thing, carry and abundance of try tinder, and some birch bark if you can get it in your area, very useful combo.:thumbup:

 

[Quirt]

Fatwood/Sapwood should help substantially.

The resins burn hotter than vaseline cotton balls.

That's my plan anyway.

Amen! The wild is full of very suitable natural materials that work better than human created items...besides who sez you'll always have a Vaseline soaked cotton ball with you when the chips are down! Natural materials are literally everywhere in the wild just waiting to be used.

The old timers out here in the Pacific NorthWet who didn't have the luxuary of cotton balls and fancy stoves created what we call a "Waterproof Fire". It is an interesting innovation that works like a charm especially in the rain.

I've found over the years I'm relying less and less on technology and hardware to solve my problems and am working more on software. Knowledge and skill solves many issues for us in the wild that cannot be compensated with "stuff/gear/hardware". Life isn't fair...neither is mother nature. Who sez in our next 'real' emergency we'll have all this "stuff" with us when we need it to get a fire started to save a life - including our own.

 

[DWK2]

In addition to what has been mentioned, I have found that a good fan really helps. I often carry a foam pad with a hand grip slot (made for shooting stands, canoe seats or gardening). On some AK river trips where it rained for extended periods the improvised fan was very useful.

DancesWithKnives

 

[greenwoods]

heh, too true. The first time I tried, we just has some rain, then is froze. THAT is fun.


big thing, carry and abundance of try tinder, and some birch bark if you can get it in your area, very useful combo.:thumbup:

:thumbup: +1 on the Birchbark.
That's for darn sure. I have bits in just about everyplace I can. You get that going and it's hot. I keep it with Maple shavings in baggies.

Mark

 

[cybrok]

Dry wood only, my survival instructor showed me.

The lower dead branches of pine or fir are perfect, if they snap with little pressure. Just start with match size, then pen size, then pinky to thumb, ok size, then bigger.

Works like a charm.

 

[pitdog]

Even PJB balls won't light using a ferro rod in heavy rain unless you are under cover....I have been there done that and failed every time !

 

[Sharp Eye]

I asked people to show their fire starting in the wet skills for a giveaway thread not long ago. Some very creative answers Here is the link

 

[RoyalM]

For half the year at least I need to be able to light a fire in the rain or damp conditions. Scotland is as wet as they say.

I tend to have a small kit containing a bic lighter, fatwood, a tealight candle and some inner tube from a bicycle. I collect any tinder I can while i'm walking. When I do stop for a fire I look for overhead cover and build a small platform of thumb thick branches which I put my tinder on then light my fire as norm. Standing dead wood sawed to length and batton'd to get to the inner dry stuff is the main fuel for my fire until it's got enough heat and stamina to last through the weather.

 

[Anrkst6973]

A little trick I picked up is carrying a section of wax coated "butchers paper" (12x12?), it can be used as cover over the first steps of a fire or torn into strips to help get it going. Fatwood is plentiful here so splitting a small peice in splinters about the size of wooden kitchen matches and making a teepee has worked for me. The splinters seem to burn longer and more furiously than just shavings and dust alone. Birchbark is good tinder too, the stuff here will light up like it had gas on it and its generally dry(ish) on the tree even if its raining.

 

[skammer]

Fatwood if you can find it.

Baton for dry wood if you have to. Make fuzz sticks.

Birch bark is waterproof, in some environments it can be the only way to get a fire going after a week of rain. It will light even wet but it has to be newer young bark that has lots of resin in it. I carry a handfull in a ziplock in all my packs just in case. There is a technique I teach that will easily catch a spark.

The biggest factor is prep. Spend the effort and time geting all your layers of starting material ready and handy in sufficient volumes. Stack damp wood near the fire to dry out as it grows.

Protect the fire as it could be life or death.

Skam