Northwest Hiking

A hassle to deal with, wet conditions offer very few pleasures when it comes to fire starting.  Dry tinder is always a problem to come by, and when a fire is started, dry fuel that will provide constant heat is a hindrance.  Despite these almost insurmountable odds, a fire is possible to come by in wet conditions found in the Pacific Northwest, the New England area, and other areas around the world.  There are a few things to remember when starting a fire in wet environments, and if followed can provide an excellent fire for you to enjoy.

1. Fires in wet conditions, if given the right opportunities, can still start forest fires.  Sap from trees is still very flammable and can easily fuel an intense fire that will burn even wet trees and wood.
2. Start with dry tinder from under logs (i.e. leaves, small twigs, etc.) and under dense cover.  Then cover these in large amounts of sap from conifer trees.  Before lighting your fire, gather more tinder, larger logs that are as dry as possible, and finally your largest fuel for keeping the fire going.  If you can’t find large dry fuel, that’s okay.  Use a pocket knife to make sure the log is not wet deep into the wood, or find dead logs with bark attached and then peel it off to get the dry wood underneath.
3. To start your fires, use a magnesium stick with flint strip.  These will light no matter what condition they are in or how wet the conditions are.  You may also use a lighter, waterproof matches, or matches in a match case, but magnesium sticks last longer and are much more versatile than most other ignition sources.

Remember to still build a fire ring and fire line 6 feet away from the ring.  Stay warm and dry out there.  Happy hiking!

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