5 Ways to Start a Fire in Wet Conditions

Starting a fire in wet weather comes down to three things: dry tinder, a reliable ignition source and patience. Fire provides warmth, light, signaling and a way to boil water, so it is worth practicing before you need it. These five methods work when everything around you is damp.

1. Carry commercial fire starters

The easiest solution is to bring your own dry fuel. Wax-and-sawdust cubes, fatwood sticks and tinder tabs light even when wet and burn long enough to ignite damp kindling. Keep a few in a waterproof container in every pack and vehicle kit.

2. Use a ferro rod with prepared tinder

A ferrocerium rod throws hot sparks in any weather, including rain and cold. Pair it with tinder that catches a spark, such as cotton balls coated in petroleum jelly, dryer lint or char cloth. Hold the rod close to the tinder and scrape the striker down the rod with firm pressure so the sparks land in the nest.

3. Find dry wood inside wet wood

Wet surfaces hide dry cores. Look for standing dead branches, which stay drier than wood on the ground, and for dead lower branches on conifers. Split larger pieces and use the dry interior. Shave thin curls from a stick, called feather sticks, to expose dry fibers that catch easily.

4. Build a base and a shelter for the flame

Never build directly on wet or snowy ground. Lay down a platform of green sticks or flat bark to keep the fire off the moisture. If it is raining, build under a natural shelter, such as a tarp, rock overhang or dense evergreen, taking care to stay clear of overhead branches and to keep smoke from entering any enclosed shelter.

5. Use the right fuel in the right order

Fire grows in stages: tinder, small kindling about the thickness of a pencil, larger kindling, then fuel logs. Wet conditions make it tempting to rush. Add each stage only when the one before is burning strongly. Gather three times more wood than you think you need before you strike the first spark.

Fire kit checklist

• Two ignition sources, such as a lighter and a ferro rod
• Waterproof tinder: fire starter cubes, petroleum-jelly cotton balls, fatwood
• A small knife or saw for processing wood
• A waterproof container or bag to keep it all dry

Safety

Check local fire restrictions, never leave a fire unattended, and fully extinguish it with water until it is cool to the touch. Never burn indoors without proper ventilation, since carbon monoxide can build up quickly.

Next step

Practice at home on a damp day so the first time is not an emergency. Shop fire starters.