GC80WG5 Crosby Fire Pit (A Social Event) (Event Cache) in Minnesota, United States created by King Boreas

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King Boreas: Thanks for attending.

GC80WG5 ▼

A cache by King Boreas Message this owner

Hidden : Saturday, February 16, 2019

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:

16 February 2019, 15:30 - 18:30

Home Study

Firewood donations appreciated.

Stick with the sticky stuff Pines, firs, spruce, and most other needle bearing trees are my first stop in wet weather because their wood has sticky sap. This is pitch, which is usually very flammable. Select dead twigs underneath the protective canopy of these trees.

2. Peel it all off Bark is typically a protective structure to save wood from a fire. Most barks aren’t that flammable on their own. Tear, carve or peel the wet bark off your sticks and kindling. There’s often dry wood just below the surface—especially if you got your wood from standing dead vegetation.

3. Split wood burns better that whole sticks Just like peeling the bark off, cutting or splitting your hardwood kindling in half lengthwise will expose the drier inner wood. The lower mass of these “half” sticks will cause them to light faster than when whole.

4. Shape it up Lots of fire making attempts are doomed from the beginning because the fire lay shape is too flat. Build a foot-tall cone of small twigs, and stay away from low-lying kindling configurations. A tall tipi allows heat to rise efficiently through the sticks, drying them out and starting them aflame.

5. Use a fire helper in cold or wet weather Fire starter cubes, fire packets, fire paste, cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly, or even some drier lint from home could be a lifesaver when the weather turns wet or cold (or both).

6. Light the fire from the windward side This lets the flames travel through your sticks, engulfing them faster and better.

7. Light the fire low Fire climbs as heat rises, so make sure you have your match or lighter touching the material at the base of the fire lay. Don’t waste your time trying to light it at the top as if it were a candle.

8. Use a ton of tinder Tinder is the dry, dead, fluffy plant stuff that lights on fire easiest. The center of your fire lay should be loaded with tinder.

9. Keep a backup handy A backup wad of tinder can save a failing fire, or be saved for future use.

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