Backcountry Skills: Firecraft

A large fixed blade knife makes backcountry fires easy to build, for chuckles I thought I'd try using a small (but VERY tough) fixed blade knife from Swamp Rat Knife Works. While it was a bit more difficult than with a larger knife - it was certainly doable!

The Howling Rat is a great choice for those who prefer a smaller knife - sturdy enough to take any abuse thrown at it!

"Small Knife" Firecraft Sequence


A standing dead tree is pushed over, and broken into pieces using two close-together trees...

The wood is split by hammering the knife with another piece of wood...

Clearly, larger blades are able to split larger wood, but the toughness of the Howling Rat is able to withstand the pounding!

A rotted stump provide a supply of pitchwood for tinder...

The knife is used to further split the wood into kindling size pieces...

The kindling is kept dry by closed cell foam (a small piece is used for kneeling, etc.), and the pitchwood is shaved for tinder.

Notice the fire is being built on a slab of bark, used as a base.

Carefuly shave a big pile of pitchwood tinder...
Scrape a good bunch of sparks from a metal match to ignite the tinder...
More shavings are moved over the buring pitchwood...

The "brace" (a wrist sized stick) is visible in the upper right.

The brace holds the kindling above the burining tinder...
More kindling is added, the brace ensuring sufficient oxygen...
More, and larger fuel is aggresively added...
... and a nice fire is ready to be enjoyed.

Notice the "small" knife to the left.

Nothing, but nothing, replaces practice in developing firecraft skills.

Vary your sources, practice your methods. More... Another...

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