Wilderness Survival: Start Your Fire Right

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An excerpt from the Hunting & Gathering Survival Manual

We always need tinder to get our fire started, and luckily – there are plenty of sources in nature. We can also grab some from home. The following items are just a few of the many of sources for tinder that you can find in the outdoors. Use them individually, or blend them together for even better results.

From The Wild

  • Grasses
  • Ferns
  • Evergreen needles
  • Tree leaves
  • Fibrous inner tree bark
  • Weed tops and seed down
  • Fine wood shavings
  • Coconut and palm fiber

From Home

  • Dryer lint
  • Cotton balls
  • Fine steel wool

These tips and many more survival tips are in MacWelch’s books: Prepare For Anything – the Hunting & Gathering Survival Manual – and How To Survive Anything

Follow him on Twitter @timmacwelch

And check out more of MacWelch’s outdoor skills and survival articles in Outdoor Life Magazine.

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