Come on Baby Light My Fire…

 

“Try to set the night on FIRE”…not.

 

Step 6 – Fire

Since the dark ages, literally, fire has been and is a desirable companion and useful tool. Depending on your cultural background, fire was delivered by any number of interesting ways with interesting characters.

The Cherokee received fire from Thunder via lightening and it was captured and delivered to the people by a water spider.

Apache history has the wily fox stealing fire from firefly village, via use of his tail…a burning bush so to speak.

Fire is venerated throughout history to the present and whether it comes from the Greek god of fire Hephaestus or the wily fox we are truly inspired and entertained by it.

Logically, of course, we may assume there was once a time when man had no fire; but, very early, he must have become acquainted with fire derived from natural sources, and made use of it for no remains of man’s art show him without fire as his companion. Much later, in the scheme of things, he invented processes for making fire artificially.

Fire’s desirability is obvious and sometimes comes before water in the sacred four of survival.  Do you all remember the order for survival training?

1. Shelter 2. Water 3. Fire 4. Food

Fire jumps back and forth between second and third depending on your circumstances. If you just took an unanticipated dunk in the river and it’s not 90 degrees out, you probably need to be warmed up as quickly as possible and fire may be your only option.

Fire is good!  I’m a fan for any number of reasons:

- comfort
- cooking
- signaling
- protection

However we managed to obtain fire and the ample knowledge surrounding its creation, maintenance, and management, be assured it is a vital wilderness survival skill with powerful implications.

Now go enroll in survival training insuring your ability to be self sufficient in the outdoors and remember, panic not cool, shelter very important, water a must, and fire very desirable.

Stay posted

Next up fire in the outdoors with and without technology, successful fire making, fire keepers, signal fires, leave no trace, (it doesn’t just apply to garbage), and fire safety.

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