The sixth survival system on the Mountaineers Ten Essentials list is Fire.
Making Fire is Important Survival Skill
The ability to create and sustain fire is arguably the most important survival skill you can have to survive an emergency or disaster situation in the mountains. If you often go climbing in the mountains, then at some point you’re going to need to start a fire to keep warm and survive. If you get cold, wet, and hypothermic, your body temperature is going to drop and you will become a victim rather than a survivor and the rest of the Ten Essentials won’t matter much.
Starting a Fire is Tough
Starting a fire is not as easy as it sounds, especially if the weather is windy and nasty and your fuel source, usually wood, is damp. If you ever watch that television program Survivor you can see the problems that its incompetent survivors have when they try to make fire. They don’t know how to get sparks from flint and steel to ignite their tinder, let alone even collect decent tinder to start a fire.
Bring Fire and Stay Warm
Fortunately if you’re properly prepared and bring some form of fire in your climbing pack, then you’ll be able to quickly get a warm blaze going to dry wet clothes and warm your soggy spirit. Just remember, however, that your Ten Essentials survival gear is only as good as your ability to use it. Practice your fire-making skills before you need them and you’ll always be able to outwit and outlast the elements.
Carry 2 types of Ignition
You need to carry at least two types of ignition to make a fire. The easiest things to carry are matches and a butane lighter. That’s what I always carry in my climbing pack.
Bring Matches
Matches are a simple yet efficient fire-making tool. They’re easy to carry, lightweight, and take up no room. Matches do, however, have their problems. They have a shelf life, usually three or so years depending on storage and the humidity where you live. Older matches will sometimes not strike after exposure to damp conditions, nor will matches work if you’re trekking in wet conditions. Even waterproof matches are susceptible to this problem. This is easily remedied by changing your match essentials every year. Be sure to store them in a waterproof container and carry a striker to ignite them. Lastly, remember that it takes most folks from five to seven matches to light a campfire. Either practice a lot so you can use one match for one fire or carry lots of extra matches.
Bring Butane Lighters
In addition to carrying matches in your Ten Essentials, also carry one or two butane lighters. These are what the Colorado Outward Bound program uses to start their fires in the Rockies. The lighters are reliable, start a fire easily, gives a robust flame, are readily available, and are light and compact. Drawbacks are running out of fuel, breaking when you need it, and the flints wearing out. Anything with working parts, like a butane lighter, can break down.
Carry a Third Fire Source
Experienced backcountry climbers often carry a third source of fire ignition. A good one is a convex lens from a camera or magnifying glass that magnifies the sun’s rays and lights your tinder. The big problem is that you usually don’t need to start a fire when the sun is out. Other possible fire starters to carry include candles, chemical heat tabs, resin-soaked wood blocks, magnesium sticks, and various products available at survivalist websites and stores. You can also use an AA battery to create a spark and fire by attaching pieces of wire to each end with duct tape and then touching them together.
