making fire in rain

C

crazymountainman

Joined
Jun 1, 2004
Messages
11
I was wondering how could you make a fire if it is raining out? iwas thinking of finding a big enough tree that was really bushy and digging a trench around it. big enough that it would drain fast. By splitting logs i could take out the in side and use but what would you use for tinder? thanks.
 
I use pitch (tree sap) to start fires in the wet. Tree needles of various sorts are decent too.

You need something that lights easily and is stubborn to go out. I have also used plastic in various forms -- I read someone suggest a sacrificial length of cord. That is a good trick too, and doesn't take much.

The main "technique" aspect is that you have to prepare very, very well for that initial ignition. You pretty much have to have a bunch of matchstick-sized pieces of dryish wood right there to add. It needs to be all arranged just so, or else your delicate little fire will never grow to the point of providing enough drying heat to its fuel.

Scott
 
Tree sap is the ticket. I like the pitch witch product.
 
My favorite tinder is Fatwood, its burns strong and for a long time. I find it all over the woods were I travel. Fatwood/pitch wood is one of the best natural kindling. Fatwood comes from the stumps of old dead trees that usually die a rapid death, like being struck by lightning. When the tree dies, the resin settles down into the base of the tree and can be chopped into splints. These splints will be very rich with resin, which will make even a small sliver of the wood easily kindled. :cool:
 
Don't light anything until a good shelter is up, and you have much..much more tinder and fuel than you would think.

I've used a piece of bicycle innertube (I cut them into 1" wide ranger bands, and have them stretched over every lighter I carry.. my match safe.. and my knife sheath... they're EVERYWHERE) to start a fire under shelter in the rain. It makes a smoky, nasty smelling fire. It drips burning rubber everywhere.. and it gets wet twigs going. Easier to carry than any other "tinder" in my opinion.

You just can't light it from a spark.
 
I use birch bark almost everytime I light a fire. One can discuss wether it is the best material, but it is always at hand.
Some flakes under a bundle of twigs and voila`, FIRE.
Works even when wet.

Tor
 
The toughest fire I ever had to light was during rainy season in Brazil. It had been raining buckets for about two weeks and everything was at the mudslide stage of wetness. I had a HUGE pile of pencil to toothpick size kindling set up over two rocks to allow plenty of air and spcae underneath. I finally resorted to a votive candle placed under the pile to dry it out enough to ignite. This took a half hour until the pile was burning good enough to add fuel.

Sections of rubber cut from a bike innertube work great as firestarters and they can be used to secure gear in the meantime I have many of them attached to various straps etc on my packs. They really work well even when wet and cost next to nothing. Mac
 
I would try to find shelter first wether it be a tree or natural formation. If you have someone else with you, split up the jobs of making a wind break/shelter and finding kindling/fuel wood. Get lots of kindling/fuel of various sizes, more than you are used to.

If you have a large knife or axe try to split smaller logs to get to the dry core. By splitting it into wedges not only do you get the drier interior but you also get more surface area.

As for tinder and kindling, it will depend on where you are. Try looking at the bse of a large tree and dig well below the ground cover. Be creative. I have burned the normal firestarting stuff but also rubber from a ranger band and some other nasty stuff to get the fire going. Do not breathe this stuff, it be real bad for you! I have used pitch wood that was given to me by a friend. I live in Hawaii so it is hard to find. We have some stuff here that burns well.

When you get the fire going, I try to keep it small and start drying out the smaller wet wood first. We have also made multiple fires in a driving rainstorm because we were worried that if we had one fire it may be extinguished by the rain. Another technique is to dig at the base of a tree for dry dirt and place it on a platform of logs made into a "tabletop". This keeps the tinder/kindling drier during start up.

I like to only have one or two people working on getting the fire going when there is a group, it keeps the chaos to a minimum.

Go and practice a lot. Fire building is a skill that has to be maintained. I haven't done it in awhile, it would take me a few tries to get it going now. I would try it in your backyard when it is dry a couple of times first then give it a shot during the next rain with a lighter. After you master that try using matches. Then try it with primitive methods. Try with half of a paper match from a matchbook. I have heard of POWs in WWII splitting wooden kitchen matches with a razor into multiple pieces and starting a new fire with each piece. To me that is an amazing skill.

Practice and good luck!
 
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