The Five Minute Fire

     Can you build a small fire within five minutes? How about if you fell into a winter stream and are now facing hypothermia? Suddenly, those five minutes feel like a lifetime. How do you build a life saving fire quickly?

     First, you need to find some way to raise your whole fire structure off of the ground. Moisture tends to condense close to the ground and makes things more difficult to light. Build a small platform of dry, thumb sized sticks. Test to see if they are dry by holding them up to your lower lip. If they feel cool, then they are not dry enough.

     Second, build the basic fire structure. The tipi shape works well and is self feeding. Set up three or four pinky (9mm) sized sticks in a tipi shape. Then begin to fill in the gaps with smaller pencil sized sticks. Remember to keep a small opening so your lit tinder can be placed in the middle of your structure.

     Third, light a tinder bundle made from inner bark, or dried grasses. Place the burning bundle into the door that you made in your tipi fire structure.

     The five minute time frame is an important goal to set as your personal standard. If you fall into a creek in the winter you have just about five minutes before you can no longer use your fingers. Hypothermia sets in and if you don't have a heat source within that five minute time frame you will suffer from frostbite and face your own mortality.

     You would be surprised how small of a fire can keep you warm. Once you have your five minute fire going you can create your fire structure. I personally use the tipi fire structure most. The tipi fire gives off the most heat, provides the most light, is self feeding, and draws the air well.

   The best sized fire structure for one or two people is about the size of your two fists. If the fire gets any larger than that you are wasting heat and not practicing energy conservation.

     You have spent a lot of your time gathering wood for this fire. Why would you want to build a larger fire that would use up your wood faster?

     The five minute fire drill is a great way to enhance your fire skills and is also a good way to get your children excited about bushcraft. Here is the challenge:

     At anytime someone in your group calls out "Fire Minute Fire." Everybody stops what they are doing and build a small fire within five minutes using what is in that area. Kids really get into this game. It allows them to safely feed their inner pyromaniac.

     At the end of your camp and you have finished with your fire it is just as important to scout your fire pit. This means that you need to scatter the dead coals and make your campsite look like no one was ever there. People should be able to walk right through your camp and never realise that anyone was there.

     The reason for this is two fold: First, it keeps Nature is her rightful state and doesn't leave an eyesore. Secondly, if other people see a campfire spot they will use the same spot. As more and more groups use that area it will become trodden and overused, loosing it's natural beauty and pristine look.

     It is my goal to have my grandchildren be able to see the same amazing, pristine views of remote Ireland that I now enjoy.

More information can be found at www.ipna.ie.