There isn’t really a good way to start this thread, we have all done it, we buy things thinking “I need that” Well after a few years of messing around I came to a conclusion that we don’t need this or that. But when you are on the trail there is one thing we all need to survive and that is fire making skills in a downpour. And look at all the confusing things that are floating around out there. I have played around a lot in the field and watched some of those survival shows to dismay. I have watched hundreds of scouts collect firewood in the field and they just don’t get it. There is not a right or wrong answer; there is a bottom line…. Can you start a fire in a downpour? Have you tried? On the AT that in my mind will make the difference. No I am not testing survival skills here, but you need to know a few things that might make a difference. I think this is an important skill that needs to be posted here for first time readers. First the scout that got off trail in the whites made fire with hand sanitizer in snow. Could you do that? Some of us can, others can’t.
First when gathering wood does something unusual! Collect pine if you can. Not hardwoods. We are not going to screw up a chimney with creosote. Pine is loaded with pitch a natural source of turpentine, the “maple syrup” of pine trees and it’s highly flammable, the bark protects the pine tree to a degree from exploding in a fire. You are making a survival fire not a cooking fire.
Second you need to collect large quantities of ½ inch dead fall or smaller. (No logs) If you find a working log that’s great, but this is useless for the first hour in a storm. When I say a large quantity I am talking about collection the size of your car engine – not a bread box collection. Collecting a fallen branch or two makes collection easy, drag the whole thing to your camp spot, otherwise remove all the deadfall from the site and pile it up make sure you collect large amounts of twigs.
So you are going to need to remove the bark in a rain storm and keep the wood dry until you light it. Yep your poncho or tarp needs to go up first, not the fire. Shelter is number one. You pitch that before anything else. Then you can work with a rain jacket or Gortex Jacket and collect the pile you need to start with. Keep in mind if you are successful you are going to be able to dry things out! But you need to carry a lightweight very sharp knife (hopefully not a China knockoff) Small and lightweight such as a easy to find CRKT Drifter.
So now we reach for a starter out of the pack – here again I take opposition to what is available. Today there is so much more than doing old stuff like Vaseline covered cotton balls to catch a spark. 200 years ago it was patches of carbonized cotton to light a candle with flint & steel. Today we have chemicals! Science! Before you go out and buy another flint and magnesium block, wax soaked wood shavings, paper, junk matches, strike anywhere blue and a host of other fire starting stuff. I am going to narrow it down for you. The GI use a cooking chemical in a pinch that is found at some Army Navy stores, I have a few packs but they are not easy to find. So a good starter would be something that lasts five minutes and dries out the wood and gets it going under all circumstances. Esbit is such a chemical that does the job. Storing it in a 35 mm can with some wind matches from REI and a striker is a better answer than any magnesium block striker. And can be lighter in weight. This is over and above a second runner up of the liquid Heat or wood grain alcohol as we don’t have to wait a minute or two for the alcohol to soak in before lighting. The bigger danger is adding alcohol when it somewhat goes out. Tossing in a second Esbit is far more safer. So I will open it up for safety skills and other thoughts on this subject with a caveat-If you have never had to try to make a fire in a down pour tell us so. I just hiked some 18 miles yesterday on the AT in a downpour so know you know why I was thinking about this…