Fire and the skill of being able to build one is at the top of the skills I consider core. Fire warms, it protects, it feeds and it comforts. There’s not another skill-set that I feel even comes close to the empowerment that being able to successfully build a fire under any condition provides.

I’ll assume most of you reading this have seen the movie Cast Away with Tom Hanks and the drastic turn of events that happens when he finally learns how to build a fire. I HAVE MADE FIRE! That’s honestly the way I feel every time I build a successful fire that stays lit. I also use every opportunity that comes along as a way to try out new methods for fire starting.  Continue reading →