Most people do not want to go out if it is rainy. But most outdoors like the challenge and we find ourselves in woods. Besides, mother nature smells refreshing when it is rainy, isn’t it?
Table of Contents
How to start a fire in the rain or wet conditions?
It can be harder starting fire without lighter in wet conditions. If you know how to use fire steel or Ferrocerium Rods in the rain, you will have survival gear.
We all have matches, lighters, etc. But, as you know, easy staff do not discharge your energy. And to do that, there are lots of ways to start a fire, but in this case, we will use fire steel or a Ferrocerium rod, a.k.a. ferro rod. So, let’s get relaxed after starting our fire under the rain.
The Differences Between Fire steel and Ferro rod?
They are not much different and both are easy to carry, and cheap considering their durability. In terms of spark amount, ferro rods are obviously the winner as they provide a real spark rain. On the other hand, fire steel is famous in terms of its durability. You can use both of these survival gears by cleaning on your jean. By the way, for the beginners, these items are covered with black coating when you buy them. So, be sure that you scraped this coating off until you see shiny surface of the steel.
A knife is not a replacement for a fire striker
However, if it is your first rodeo with these gears, you will need some tricks to get better results. First, instead of using your knife, it is better to use fire striker which is attached to your fire steel kit. Thanks to their material and the surface of the edges, they will provide more sparks than your knife. If the weather is really wet, fire strikers can be considered a better option.
How fast do you need to strike?
Some people try to strike their gear multiple times repeating faster when starting a fire. But because of its nature, slower strikes with more pressure wins this race. So, just put your rods or steels on the tinder, and strike through it slow and strong.
Best tinder under wet conditions
So far, you have your survival gear and you learned how to use it. Now you need something to spark off. Birch tree would be your best option.
Even in rainy days and wet environment, thanks to its material, birch bark is your best friend as tinder. Find some bark and pull to shreds these shells with your knife and fingers. This will be the starter only. You will need more.
Do I need a shelter?
In a wet environment mostly you do not need a shelter that much. However, if it is raining, you definitely need some cover to block water drops. In addition to this, you need to prepare a dry floor for your tinder too. Notice that you only have a small amount of tinder and fire sparks not flames yet.
Growing the fire
Before your first strike, gather some dry and small wooden pieces too. Do not worry about the rain and wet parts of the tree. You will know which ones are dry once you break sticks with a crunchy sound. One or two sticks won’t be enough, so gather some more sticks with different sizes to increase your chance to catch long-lasting flames.
Even if it is a dry and clean day, your fire would die unless you use small sticks first. Once you got the initial flames, you need to load some small chops and sticks first. These sticks will be your candles to torch a bigger fire.
Bonus: Making a Candle with Cotton
Sometimes in survival scenarios, you will need fire as quick as possible. In order to achieve this, you need a candle which can burn for minutes with real flames. It is easy to make a candle if you are prepared. What you will need is fire steel or ferro rod, cotton ball and some Vaseline in a small airtight box.
Initially, you need to shred your cotton ball and cover it with some Vaseline. Take a small stick, pick wet one this time to keep your fire on one of the ends. Wrap this end with Vaseline covered and shredded cotton. And then just put your sparks on the tinder. Once you got your fire, it would last up to 4-5 minutes with respect to your cotton and Vaseline amount.
Have fun and share your experiences with us, if you had better suggestions.
We are done with starting a fire, check out our Camping Advice for Beginners.