Tag: Fire Skills

Making a Mini Fire-Trench

January 12, 2017 / pioneerbushcraft@gmail.com

By Sean Fagan

A small trench under a camp-fire can really give you a fire-lighting edge, especially when it's cold & damp (Photo: Sean Fagan)..

Why making a Fire-Trench will give you a Fire-Lighting Edge...

Often I make a small trench under my campfire so as to raise the campfire above damp, cold ground and to improve oxygen flow.

It can really make a difference with fire-lighting success.

Learn how to make a simple fire-trench, when to use them and other more common variations of fire trenches.

Camp Craft: Smokey Fires

February 8, 2016 / pioneerbushcraft@gmail.com

By Sean Fagan

Taking a short, shade-break. South Portugal (Photo: Sean Fagan).

With bushcraft & survival that the ability to create a large, smokey fire can be important for emergency signalling when marooned in a wild, remote place.

Another essential application of smokey fires is for deterring biting flies, such as mosquitoes.

Where biting flies commonly occur - they can be a serious irritant when unchecked - so much so, that they can seriously mar any outdoor excursion into nature.

The standard approach to deterring biting flies is usually a combination of wearing protective clothes and applying insect repellent on exposed skin - but it's always a good idea to have a number of solutions to one problem, such as biting flies, because anybody can lose/forget their insect repellent and even protective clothing is often not enough to deter more aggressive biting flies (such as horseflies).

Find out how to make a smokey fire and what natural materials you can use to create a smokey fire...

Fire-Skills: Carrying Kindling

October 10, 2015 / pioneerbushcraft@gmail.com

By Sean Fagan

A handful of dry, natural kindling is of negligible weight when carried but can greatly increase the odds of igniting a fire in challenging conditions (Photo: Sean Fagan)

To Carry or not to carry Dry Kindling?

The Value of Carrying Dry Kindling in the Woods...

Many bushcrafters will recommend that you carry dry tinder on your person and in your backpack - preferably in a robust, waterproof container/bag.

This is good advice.

You never know when conditions will become challenging - and having dry tinder can give you a head-start in igniting a fire during inclement weather.

What's very rarely recommended is carrying dry kindling as well as dry tinder.

You can have an abundance of dry tinder on your person - but if your kindling is wet - then lighting a fire can prove challenging.

A better solution is to carry dry tinder and dry kindling.

Learn more about the benefits of carrying dry kindling and why having a flexible approach to fire-lighting will make you a better bushcrafter.

Fire Skills: Natural Tinders

September 12, 2015 / pioneerbushcraft@gmail.com

By Sean Fagan

7 natural tinders collected in 15 minutes. Left to right: dead grass, dead clematis bark, dead bracken, dead blackberry stalks, dead horsetail stalks, dry horse dung, dead gorse (above), (Photo: Sean Fagan).

7 Natural Tinders collected in 15 Minutes...

An experimental mindset, patience and of course, having fun, are key facets in getting to know all the natural tinders in a given locality.

When it comes to tinders - many will ignite with a flame, some will ignite with a spark or smouldering ember, while a few tinders can even be ignited on damp, rainy days.

Additionally, many natural tinders require some form of processing to make them less coarse - and more fine (to improve their flammability).

This is all part of getting to know the rich lore associated with natural tinders…

And it’s a key part of becoming a competent, outdoors person that can get a fire going no matter what the weather.

In short, the more natural tinders an individual knows – the more fire-lighting options that are available.

What the Bow Drill Can Teach You About Bushcraft (and Life)

May 3, 2014 / pioneerbushcraft

By Sean Fagan

One of the great outdoor pleasures that never ceases to please, the campfire - can be obtained with the bow drill (Photo: Sean Fagan).

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The Bow Drill is a Lot More than a Fire-Making Tool...

The bow drill is a great wood-friction method of obtaining fire.

It's also a very technical, physically arduous skill-set that requires certain mental and physical ingredients to succeed (along with the right attitude).

In effect, the bow drill can teach us a lot about how to succeed when faced with a significant challenge..

Fire Skills: The Tinder Walk

April 15, 2014 / pioneerbushcraft

By Sean Fagan

The result of a 15 minute Tinder Walk - 7 different natural tinders. To find out what natural tinders are in above photo - click on article link below (Photo: Sean Fagan).

Knowing what natural tinders are to be found in a locality, and just as importantly, how to process them to make them more flammable, is a key bushcraft fire-skill.

One very effective way to improve your local knowledge of natural tinders is to take the tinder walk.