Fire has a strong psychological impact in a survival situation. It’s the most important tool in your bag after your basic knowledge of wilderness survival.
- Fire provides warmth which helps your mind
- Fire makes you feel protected from all “those wild animals out there in the shadows”
- Fire lets you cook meals and use many edible plants that would otherwise be hard to prepare.
- Wet clothing can be dried in a fire. This can help you to avoid hypothermia.
- Water can be boiled for purification.
- Fire can be used to send smoke signals.
- Fire can be used to burn the end of a stick to make a pointed spear.
- Fire and smoke can repel insects.
- Fire can be used to burn trunks or large sticks so that they are more manageable to be used for the construction of a shelter.
- Smoke can be used to smoke out wild bees to access their honey.
- Fire can be used to smoke small animals out of their burrows into traps.
- Fire torches, at night, can be used to blind fish in shallow streams making them easier to capture.
Building a fire, when needed will increase your ability to survive in the wilderness.
Build a fire as soon as you have a basic shelter. You can improve on your shelter once you have a fire going in the dark.
You should appreciate the importance of fire and know the different methods of starting a fire, transporting tire, and building a fire to fill your needs. Always keep a case of waterproof matches on your body.