Fire Starting In The Rain

by Peter Kummerfeldt

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Building Fires in the Rain

There's no better time or place to test your fire building skills than in Oregon's Coast Range, in February, in the rain! These were the conditions that eighteen Search and Rescue team members experienced recently. The SAR team-members and I gathered one wet Friday afternoon to brush up their survival skills and to test the effectiveness of their clothing and the equipment they carried.

Intuitively I think we understand the difference between building a fire on a hot July day and building one in February when it's bucketing rain, you're cold and wet, your fingers have lost their dexterity and their strength, you need a fire to help protect the victim of an accident and you need it now! But sometimes we need a reminder on just how difficult building a fire can be. Friday afternoon was just such a reminder!

 

To read the rest of Peter's post go here.