How to Start a Fire in the Rain

Starting a fire on a sunny day with a lighter is easy. Starting one when it has been raining for three days, your hands are numb, and you are shivering is a survival test.

Here is the protocol for wet-weather fire.

1. Preparation is 90% of the Work

Do not light a match until you have a massive pile of fuel ready.

• Platform: Build a "raft" of wet logs on the muddy ground. Never build directly on wet mud; it sucks the heat out of your coal.
• Roof: If it is actively raining, string up a tarp or use a large piece of bark to shield your fire pit.

2. Finding Dry Wood

"Wet" wood is usually only wet on the outside (the bark).

• Standing Dead: Look for dead trees that are still standing upright (snags). They drain water better than wood on the ground.
• The Baton Method: Use your knife and a heavy stick to split the wet log down the middle. The inside heartwood will be dry. Use this dry core for your fire.
• Lower Branches: On pine trees, the lower dead branches (squaw wood) are often shielded by the canopy and remain dry.

3. Processing Tinder (Feather Sticks)

You cannot just light a log. You need surface area.

• Feather Stick: Take a stick of dry heartwood. Shave thin curls of wood, but stop before they fall off, creating a "fuzz stick" that looks like a Christmas tree.
• Why: These thin curls catch a spark instantly.

To make good feather sticks, you need a knife with a Scandi grind or a very sharp edge. A dull knife will just slide off.

4. Accelerants (Cheating is Good)

In a survival situation, there is no "fair play." Use chemistry.

• Cotton Balls + Vaseline: Carry these in a film canister. They burn for 5 minutes.
• Hand Sanitizer: Alcohol gel burns hot and fast.
• Pine Resin (Fatwood): Look for sticky sap on pine trees. It is nature's gasoline.

5. The Structure (Teepee vs. Log Cabin)

• Use a Teepee structure. It sheds rain better and concentrates heat at the top to dry out the wet wood you stack above it.
• Start small. Feed the flame with toothpick-sized twigs, then pencil-sized, then thumb-sized. Do not rush to add big logs.

Conclusion

Patience. If you rush, you will fail. Protect your flame like a newborn baby until it is roaring.