How to Light a Fire in the Rain When Backpacking

A campfire is an effective way to prevent hypothermia and to dry out wet clothing and gear if you get caught in a rainstorm.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Waterproof Matches
• Waterproof Rain Gears
• Plastic Freezer Bags
• Zippo Lighter Fluid
• 14-function Pocketknives
• Zippo Lighters
• Backpacking Stoves
• Camp-stove Fuels
• Ice Axe
• Tinder

1. Make certain it's legal to build a fire in the wilderness area in which you are camping.

2. Carry dry tinder in a sealable, airtight bag when backpacking in wet areas. This tinder will help you get wet wood to burn. Have fire-starter paste or sticks on hand as well.

3. Pack waterproof matches and a windproof lighter, and store these items in a sealable, airtight bag for extra measure.

4. Look under rocky ledges or under bushes for dry or semidry wood. Collect enough wood to keep your fire going before you light the fire.

5. Use fire-starter paste or sticks to get your fire going. If you don't have these with you, use pine needles, bark or paper from books you're carrying.

6. Make sure you have plenty of tinder or small sticks to feed your small fire once it gets going. Fire-starter paste will flame up nicely but will burn very quickly if you don't add something slightly heavier to feed the flames.

7. Lay wet logs near the fire to dry them before use.

8. Wait until you have a hot bed of glowing coals and embers before attempting to burn damp logs. You can create a nice bed of coals by burning smaller sticks of wood and keeping the coals centralized.

9. Be patient, but keep the faith. It can take a great deal of time to get a fire going in the rain, but with the right materials, the task is entirely possible.

Tips & Warnings

• Test damp wood for dryness by breaking a stick or twig in half. If it snaps crisply, it should be dry enough inside to burn.
• Use a pocketknife to whittle away at wet sticks until you get to dry sections.
• Bring a good backpacking stove and plenty of fuel. With the right equipment, it is rare that you actually need a campfire in a wilderness setting, and stoves are more efficient for cooking and boiling water.
• Never break off twigs or branches from a standing tree, even if the tree appears to be dead. Only use wood that has fallen on the ground, and make sure that you're allowed to collect fallen wood in the wilderness area that you're visiting.
• Never light a campfire if camping in an alpine area, even if fallen wood is available. It can take hundreds of years for alpine areas to recover from fire.

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