Start and maintain a fire using friction, spark, and solar methods. Covers site selection, material grading (tinder/kindling/fuel), fire lay construction (teepee, log cabin, platform), ignition techniques (ferro rod, flint & steel, bow drill), flame nurturing, and Leave No Trace extinguishing. Use when needing warmth, light, or a signal in a wilderness setting, when boiling water for purification, when cooking foraged food, or in an emergency survival situation requiring heat or morale support.
於野外,用所攜與所取之材,舉火而守之。
purify-water)乃用forage-plants)乃用擇地安全、適用、少擾於自然者。
Site Selection Criteria:
┌─────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Factor │ Requirement │
├─────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Wind │ Sheltered or with a windbreak │
│ Ground │ Mineral soil, rock, or sand │
│ Overhead clearance │ No branches within 3 m / 10 ft │
│ Distance from water │ At least 5 m / 15 ft from streams │
│ Distance from camp │ Close enough for use, far enough │
│ │ to avoid spark hazards to gear │
│ Drainage │ Slight slope or flat; avoid hollows│
│ │ where rain pools │
└─────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────┘
徑約一米之圓,清至礦土。若於雪地或濕土,以生木或平石築臺。
得:地已清、已平,圓內無可燃之物,上空無礙,風有蔽。
敗則:若無合適之土,取生木腕粗者四至六,並置為臺。若風過強,積木石或張布四十五度以為屏。
聚材為三類,各依乾與粗分級。
Material Grading:
┌──────────┬──────────────────┬──────────────┬───────────────────────────┐
│ Category │ Diameter │ Examples │ Quantity needed │
├──────────┼──────────────────┼──────────────┼───────────────────────────┤
│ Tinder │ Hair-thin fibers │ Birch bark, │ Two fist-sized bundles │
│ │ │ dried grass, │ │
│ │ │ cedar bark, │ │
│ │ │ fatwood │ │
│ │ │ shavings, │ │
│ │ │ cattail fluff│ │
├──────────┼──────────────────┼──────────────┼───────────────────────────┤
│ Kindling │ Pencil-thin to │ Dead twigs, │ Two armfuls, sorted by │
│ │ finger-thick │ split sticks │ thickness │
├──────────┼──────────────────┼──────────────┼───────────────────────────┤
│ Fuel │ Wrist-thick to │ Dead standing│ Enough for intended burn │
│ │ arm-thick │ wood, split │ time (1 armload ≈ 1 hr) │
│ │ │ logs │ │
└──────────┴──────────────────┴──────────────┴───────────────────────────┘
Dryness Test:
- Snap test: dry wood snaps cleanly; damp wood bends
- Sound test: dry wood clicks when struck together; damp wood thuds
- Source priority: dead standing > dead leaning > dead on dry ground > dead on wet ground
得:三堆已分,距火地咫尺可取。引火者乾如骨,析至極細。柴折而清脆者為佳。
敗則:若所得引火者皆濕,以刃刮樹內皮(柏、樺、楊)為細絲。松脂木(死松之脂心)雖濕猶燃。若實窮,用所攜之助燃(塗凡士林之棉、蠟紙)。
依其用與其境擇火形。
Fire Lay Decision Table:
┌──────────────┬──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────┐
│ Fire Lay │ Best for │ Construction │
├──────────────┼──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┤
│ Teepee │ Quick start, boiling │ Lean kindling against │
│ │ water, signaling │ a central tinder bundle │
│ │ │ in a cone shape │
├──────────────┼──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┤
│ Log cabin │ Sustained heat, │ Stack pairs of sticks in │
│ │ cooking, drying │ alternating layers like │
│ │ │ a cabin; tinder in center│
├──────────────┼──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┤
│ Lean-to │ Windy conditions │ Push a green stick into │
│ │ │ ground at 30°; lean │
│ │ │ kindling against it with │
│ │ │ tinder underneath │
├──────────────┼──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┤
│ Platform │ Snow/wet ground │ Lay green logs side by │
│ │ │ side as a base; build │
│ │ │ teepee or log cabin on │
│ │ │ top │
├──────────────┼──────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┤
│ Star/Radial │ Long burns with │ Lay 4-5 logs radiating │
│ │ minimal fuel │ from center like spokes; │
│ │ │ push inward as they burn │
└──────────────┴──────────────────────┴──────────────────────────┘
留隙以通氣。火需氧也——聚材宜疏,勿緊。
得:結構穩而引火者便於點,氣隙既足,柴之排列使焰得層層升進,自引火而柴而薪。
敗則:若崩,取支杖立地為中柱。若通氣不善(煙而不焰),開材間之隙,使迎風之底有口。
依所具之器擇點火之法。
Ignition Methods (ranked by reliability):
┌───────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Method │ Technique │
├───────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Lighter/match │ Apply flame directly to tinder for 5-10 sec │
├───────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Ferro rod │ Hold rod against tinder; scrape striker down │
│ │ rod at 45° with firm, fast strokes; direct │
│ │ sparks into center of tinder bundle │
├───────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Flint & steel │ Strike steel against flint edge to cast sparks │
│ │ onto char cloth laid on tinder │
├───────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Bow drill │ Carve fireboard notch; place tinder below; │
│ │ spin spindle with bow using steady, full-length│
│ │ strokes until coal forms in notch │
├───────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Solar (lens) │ Focus sunlight through lens onto dark tinder; │
│ │ hold steady until smoke appears; gently blow │
└───────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
得:引火者於火花或焰觸之三十秒內發紅炭,或起微焰。
敗則:若火花落而引火者不燃,其濕或過粗也。再細析之(刮、撕、絨)。用鎂棒者,先刮鎂屑於其上為助燃。用鑽弓者,軸與火板宜同為乾軟木(柳、柏、楊),凹須至軸壓之中心。
引火既燃,自炭至焰宜慎而轉之。
得:焰自引火登最細之柴,一二分鐘之內。啪剝之聲,示其自續矣。
敗則:若至細柴而焰滅,柴過粗或過濕也。以刃析細之,或獨取最乾最細者。若焰悶窒,火形過密——輕提其材以通氣。勿力吹而散其炭。
漸增其材之粗。
Fuel Progression:
Tinder → Pencil-thin → Finger-thick → Wrist-thick → Arm-thick
(each stage must be established before adding the next)
得:火穩而自續,熱恆久,可每十五至三十分鐘添薪以守之。
敗則:若添大木則火輒滅,進階太速也。退一級,養更厚之炭床而後升。若木嘶而冒蒸,其過濕也——析之以露乾心,或近火(勿於火上)置之以乾,再添之。
Extinguishing Protocol:
1. Stop adding fuel 30-60 min before you need the fire out
2. Let wood burn down to ash
3. Spread coals and ash with a stick
4. Douse with water (pour, stir, pour again)
5. Feel with the back of your hand 10 cm / 4 in above the ashes
6. If any warmth is felt, repeat douse-stir-douse
7. When cold to touch, scatter the ash over a wide area
8. Replace any ground cover or duff that was moved
9. "Could someone walk by and not know a fire was here?"
得:火地觸之冷,無炭可見,地貌如未經擾。
敗則:若無水,以礦土覆之(勿用有機腐葉,恐其陰燃)。攪而反驗。未冷勿離其地。炭埋於深灰,盡除其灰而澆其露炭。
purify-water — 煮水需續火,其煮法賴此技forage-plants — 諸草可供引火(樺皮、蒲絨、乾草),某食須炊paper-making — 以草纖手製紙也,其纖之備與搗與取引火之備共一法