In reality, it takes some training and practice to start a fire, especially by using primitive methods ("rubbing two sticks of wood together), and even if you know what you are doing, it isn't always as easy as it seems. I remember one episode of Survivorman where Les Stroud worked the better part of a whole day to get a fire going. I'd like to see more emphasis on laying the fire and keeping it going...
Its the old adage, the more you need a fire, the more difficult it is to get. Last week I built a beach fire to keep warm for the days fishing. Sometimes you even have to take some plastic wrapped Commercial dry kindling wood with you to get the fire to take to get the soaked through beach wood to take, let alone matches, lighter etc.
The big log buried in the stand made for a useful wind break and fire base in the hurricane force winds and cold rain in temperatures just above freezing i.e. 3-4 degrees Celsius) that affected the UK last Wednesday. Eventually the fire became substantial enough to start burning soaking wet 5-7 inch wide logs, which were found later along the beach after dragging them back down the beach on an improvised sledge made from a broken creel found washed up on the beach.
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