U.S. Navy SEAL Guide to Shelter and Fire Secrets by Don Mann

Author:Don Mann
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2012-09-06T04:00:00+00:00

There are several types of tinder that are easy to prepare and will serve you well if you find yourself trapped in the wilderness. Dryer lint and cotton balls, for example, both work well, especially when they’re mixed with Vaseline. Heat the Vaseline (either in a microwave or in a pan on the stove) until it turns to liquid, then mash as much dryer lint or cotton balls as will fit and soak up the liquid. These can be kept in a plastic bag, aluminum foil, Altoids type container, or any other small container until ready to use.

Building a Fire in the Snow

This can be a little tricky, but you’ll be successful if you follow these basic rules.

Most fires will quickly heat the surrounding area, but when wind is present, most of the heat will be carried off. A fire in the wind is also going to consume about twice as much wood. Make sure you find a place to build your fire that’s sheltered from the wind and elements.

Gather all of your wood first and then organize it by size so you’ll be able to find the right piece when you need it.

Just because wood is buried under snow, that doesn’t mean it’s not dry enough to burn, especially if the snow is light and fluffy, which means it has less moisture content.

Break a stick to see if it’s dry inside. If it cracks, it most likely is. But if you’re hiking after a winter rain, that crackling snap could be ice. If that’s the case, you’ll need to look for dry wood in protected areas, like under thick vegetation or in the hollow of an old tree stump.

Sample wood from different places around your site. Keep track of what wood you found where, so you’ll know where to return for more of the good stuff.

Wet or damp wood can take a long time to get started. That’s why you should always take some kind of fire starter with you. You’ll find fire starters at most outdoor sports stores, army-navy stores, or at convenience stores in many rural areas. Look for tubes of fire ribbon, balls of wax mixed with sawdust, or tablets made of petroleum.

You can also prepare your own tinder out of laundry lint or cotton balls as described above.

Don’t bother using toilet paper for tinder, as it burns for only a second.

Pine needles and birch bark are great fire starters. Look for downed stumps.

Stove fuel can give your fire the kick it needs to get going. Put the fuel on the fire before you light it, never after. Then toss in a match—and stand back!

If the snow isn’t too deep, dig a hole to make the fire on solid ground. If the ground is completely covered with very deep snow, tamp down the snow so it forms a slight depression with a solid, hard platform in the middle. Then put a layer of wood down on the snow, and build your fire on top of that.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.