How to Start the Perfect Fire and Wash Winter Away!

Camping, hiking, fishing and beach days that turn into awesome nights are traditionally accompanied by a fire to cook your catch, warm your toes or just light up the night!

One solid lesson on starting the perfect fire is enough to create a lifelong skill. Pass on your knowledge because if you build a fire for a child they’ll be warm for the night but teach them to build a fire and they’ll be hot for life. *Safety note: Steer clear of dry bushland, shrubbery or forested areas. Starting a bushfire is a serious concern and should be avoided at all costs! The Teepee Trick is Gear Supply’s favourite building method for a sure-fire process that lasts all night.

Prep

1. Create a fire pit: Scoop out sand, earth or rocks in a circle. Making sure it is far enough away from your tents or clothes that it won’t spread embers and catch alight. The ‘pit’ needs to be only 10cm deep so don’t go digging a tunnel!
2. Bring a PENCIL SHARPENER: Use the sharpener to create wood shavings from pencil sized sticks. This is the secret tinder trick as it gives you a supply of easily lit and long burning fire starters.
   
3. Collect wood: This will be your fuel for the night so make as big a pile as you can! Select wood of varying sizes as the thicker they are the slower they burn.

First seen on canadiansurvivalguide.com

Method

1. Place pencil shavings (tinder) in a pile in the middle of your fire pit. If you create a awesome pile of dry tinder then a lighter can be unnecessary. (This is where the Leatherman Signal comes into it’s own with the ferro rod and striker utility - for the real survivalist.)
2. Build a teepee (see images) around the tinder with thin sticks then place thicker sticks over your initial teepee.
3. Ignite the tinder pile from multiple angles so that it catches on all sides.
4. Sit back and watch the flames grow. Slowly feed more wood into the fire.

The next time you’re in a rugged location, remember Gear Supply’s tips and enjoy the homely comfort of a fire anywhere, anytime!