Starting a Fire In Cold Wet Conditions

We are in the Andes Mtns of S. America, gradually making our way from south to north. We are travelling and living in a Jeep. The experience has been a mixture of fun and hardship. Southern Chile had late-winter weather at the start of September.

I over-estimated my fire making skills. Too many years living in California :-). When we hit Chile, there were late-winter storms. The wind was bitterly freezing, and the air was heavy with moisture. It was REALLY TOUGH to get a fire going in these conditions. I put some firewood and cardboard under a rain tarp for protection. Hahaha .. no chance. The cardboard was 'dry to the touch' but would not burn. The wood would not burn either. They absorbed too much cold moisture.

A few things that did help ...
1. Determination. It took us one hour to get a fire going in the mornings, with much nursing of the flames.

2. Pieces of cotton T-shirt. Work better for fire starting. They burn longer.

3. Cardboard from egg cartons ... also burns quite well.

I know there are Alaskans on this forum. The weather we experienced is probably very similar to the start of Spring in Alaska. Im curious what people do there.

We did not have any fire-starting liquids. But if folks here have homemade recipes .. I am interested.

We have now crossed north in the Desert of Atacama. But the winds are still very cold at night.

Pete

Not from nor have I been to Alaska, but my first thought was Coleman fuel, aka "White Gasoline" or Naphtha. Then, kerosene, PJ and cotton balls, various oils, and the last, regular gasoline.

Used with care, "Boy Scout Fire Starter," AKA white gasoline, has worked for me. When it is really wet and cold, I go to a liquid fuel stove. Worked for me on Denali in temps that were -20 and colder.

In this situation, your primary firestarter should be a naked flame, like a good lighter. Then ignite bike inner tube or PJ cotton balls. Bike inner tube emits toxic fumes, but it is not in high enough concentration to injure you. Obviously, you want every bigger fuel source to be as dry as possible. If you cannot get a fire started from inner burning or PJ cotton balls burning, then the fire was never going to be sustainable with naturally available fuels anyway.

Two things I would suggest. First, in any region there is usually some preferred tinder and/or kindling. Knowing what it is can help a lot. For example, in the rainy Pacific NW, it helps if you can find an old cedar stump. The wood splits easily and is quick to burn. Talk to the locals and see what they recommend.

The main trick is to split your kindling VERY SMALL. You want it about toothpick diameter, or smaller. And you want a lot of it. Stack it carefully, close enough to keep the heat confined, but enough room for air to circulate. I find a teepee works well.

Then, as Ireckon suggests, a sustained flame applied to the base. Fan it carefully, and add more kindling slowly. Build it slowly, nursing it into a larger and larger fire. As it grows you can slowly add larger wood. Slightly larger matchstick sized, and eventually pencil sized. Again, you want a large stockpile before you start. Obviously, use the driest wood possible. Bark tends to hold moisture, strip it off your larger kindling.

Only when you have a really robust fire, you can add larger, damper wood. Above all, don't get in too big a hurry. Take your time, assemble way more kindling than you think you need, and build it slowly. Get a good fire going before adding bigger or damper wood. When I have a problem building a fire, it is almost always because I hurried too fast.

As AKSAR points out, preparation is everything. The right prep can get a fire going in almost any conditions (except underwater, but you may even be able to argue that one).

My vote goes to mini-orion road flares...

Or maybe a film canister of thermite

Check your oil with those pieces of T-shirt, then fire them up.

Like the idea of putting some oil on the T-shirt pieces. I need to keep a careful eye on my shirts ... Ive now lost 2 T-shirts to my wife, who does the cooking and manages the fires.

I agree with everyone ... it takes a lot of nursing to get a fire going under wet miserable confitions. You cant take your eyes off it, it demands careful attention.

I am now preparing kindling in advance, any time we have a place with shelter from wind and rain. I have learned the hard way to safeguard that kindling in a place that is completely dry. And I agree with the advice ... the starter kindling has to be matchstick size ... it can be longer, but small diameter.

I have gained a lot of new respect for the early explorers and trappers who went to Alaska, Montana and the northwest. They were tough people.

Thanks for all the feedback.