The Only Survival Fires You Should Know

Source: https://www.askaprepper.com/

We don’t typically list fire as one of the “top three survival priorities,” but I can’t think of too many survival scenarios I’d want to face, without fire.

Granted, if you’re in a lifeboat on the ocean, you’re not going to be able to have a campfire to keep you warm; but there are few other situations like that. Fire is so essential to survival, that if you take an actual “survival course,” you’ll spend more time learning ways to fires, than you will anything else.

We use fire for heat, light, comfort, purifying water and protecting ourselves from predators. That means we’re actually using it for all three of the top three survival priorities, as well as other important needs.

With that being the case, it’s no wonder that survival instructors spend so much time and effort teaching people how to start fires. Yet many of those methods will never be used, as there are simpler things we can use.

It’s important for us to realize that the KISS principle is critical in survival. For those who aren’t familiar with that, KISS stands for “keep it simple stupid.”

It’s the idea that we should seek simple solutions to our problems, rather than complicated ones. With all that we have to do in a survival scenario and how time and energy all that will take, it makes sense to keep it simple.

That especially goes for fire starting. There is absolutely no reason to use a complicated or difficult means to start a fire when an easy one exists.

The time and energy saved by using a simple means of starting a fire can be used for other survival tasks, such as making sure we’ll have enough fuel to keep our fire burning through the night. That’s why matches and lighters are considered “primary fire starters,” while everything else is a “secondary fire starter.”

Related: How to Store and Stack Firewood The Right Way

How we build our fire can end up being more important than the actual method we use to start it. It is important to have the fuel laid in such a way that the fire will spread readily from tinder through kindling to the fuel. Many a fire has been started, but burned out before it got to the point where the fuel can be burning well.

Pyramid Fire

The most typical way of laying a fire is in the form of a pyramid.

The pyramid allows a lot of open space, so that air can get into the fuel, helping it to burn. It also puts the tinder under the kindling, which in turn is under the fuel, helping the fire to spread by natural convection.

The biggest key to making a pyramid is having relatively consistent kindling and fuel, cut to about the same diameter, so that it is easy to build the pyramid.

Start by making a mound of tinder and then building a pyramid of kindling over it. That means putting two pieces opposite each other, parallel, on the ground.

For the next layer, lay the pieces of kindling perpendicular, making a square. Continue adding layers, with the crossing until the desired pyramid height is reached. The same is done with the fuel, over and around the kindling pyramid.

Teepee Fire

A simpler design than the pyramid, a teepee fire is quicker and easier to lay.

Formed as an inverted cone, it also has an inner cone of kindling and an outer cone of fuel, allowing the fire from the tinder do spread upwards and outwards until the whole of the fuel is burning.

Since it is formed as a teepee, the length and thickness of the individual pieces isn’t as critical as it is with a pyramid.

But you will need to replenish the wood faster, as you won’t have as much fuel in the originally laid fire.

One thing that is critical with a teepee fire is leaving an opening in the teepee, allowing you to light the tinder and get the fire started. It does not naturally have the openings that the pyramid does, making it easy to get the initial flame to the fire.

Dakota Fire Hole

The Dakota fire hole is a great option to use if you need to keep your fire hidden from view or you need to protect the fire from wind.

What makes it different, is that the fire is literally made in a hole in the ground. Actually, you need two holes, connected together, with one larger than the other.

The fire hole starts out by digging a hole in the ground to put your fire in. You’re not going to be stacking wood in that fire, like with a pyramid or teepee, so the hole doesn’t really need to be all that big around. Still, to keep the fire burning a while, you’re probably going to need a hole that’s about a foot in diameter and a bit more than a foot deep.

Dig a second hole about a foot from the main one. this one is an air hole, ensuring that there’s oxygen to help the fire burn. Therefore, it doesn’t have to be all that big, roughly four to six inches in diameter. Make it as deep as the first hole and connect the two at the bottom.

Rather than actually building the fire, it is started by putting tinder in the hole and igniting it. Then tinder is dropped in the hole, on top of the burning tinder, to ignite it. As the tinder begins to burn, add fuel, until your fire reaches the point you want.

⇒ What Happens If You Burn Noodles?

In the grand scheme of survival, let’s not beat around the bush—fire is the unsung hero you want by your side.

It might not always top the survival priority charts, but try imagining a scenario without it, and suddenly you will realize its importance.

Fire isn’t just about warmth; it’s your ticket to light, comfort, clean water, and fending off unwanted company in the wild.