While the time it takes to build a fire will depend on your location and the severity of the wet conditions, these steps show how it's entirely possible to get that flame going. As with any new skill, it's best to practice in similar conditions before heading out into the great outdoors. You can build upon your knowledge of building a typical fire to increase your chances of survival in a cold and wet climate. You don't want to rely on your weather channel to determine if it's going to rain.

1. Find an Adequate Location

The idea is to provide your fire with as much protection possible from both wind and rain if possible. And if you’re not in the middle of a frozen desert with no snow around, that’s not impossible.

Shelter means three basic things:

shelter from the wind

shelter from the rain

shelter from the ground water.

2. Shelter the Fire

Ideally, you should shelter your fire on more than one side (upwind).

Build a Windbreak

You can protect your fire by building a C shaped windbreak with the open side downwind. You can build a windbreak using wood, rocks, snow, dirt, just use your imagination.

To shelter your fire from the rain when outdoors is the hardest job, but it can be achieved.

Make the Fire Under a Tree

The easiest way is to make your fire under a tree, as evergreens can be regarded as a natural tent of sorts. Make your fire under the lowest branches.

There are inherent risks attached, like setting the tree on fire, but if you’re paying attention and keeping your fire under control, the chances of such an event happening are minor.

Build a Fire Pit

The third requirement is how to protect the fire from ground earth. The easiest method is to use rocks for building a fire pit on a spot where the ground is raised from the floor.

Or you can do that yourself, i.e. you can build a little mound and on top of the mound you’ll put a layer of rocks.

3. Tinder, Kindling and Fuel

If you don’t have the Bear Grylls flame-thrower with you, starting a fire using wet wood is basically impossible.

The tinder is a combustible material which is very easy to ignite.

The kindling can be improvised using pieces of finger-thick wood that will be lit from the kindle.

Two of the best survival-tinder which can be used for igniting a fire in adverse conditions (even with wet wood) are cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly and dryer lint mixed with paraffin. These will burn for at least 2-3 minutes.

Even in the midst of a rainstorm, you can almost surely find dried branches under the bottom of big/old pine trees. Another great place to look for dry combustible is the underside of uprooted (or dead) trees.

How to Make the Best Fire Starter for Wet Wood

The best fire-starter for wet wood can be home-made using black powder (gunpowder) and nail polish remover (the one that contains acetone). The acetone will be the solvent for the gunpowder.

Making the mix is fairly easy, as you’ll start with a small quantity of gunpowder the size of a golf ball put inside a ceramic/glass bowl. Start adding nail polish remover so that the mound of gunpowder is totally covered then mix it together slowly and thoroughly (always wear rubber gloves).

Once the stuff inside the ball gets in a putty-state, you can pour off the extra nail polish and then start kneading the putty, just like when making bread.

The purpose of the kneading is to create layers inside your fire-starter. The finished putty can be stored in an airtight container.

One final thing, it would always be nice to use fire accelerants, like gasoline.

If you have your car around, the better, as you can siphon out some gasoline from the tank.

Have you been able to make a fire in the rain or in wet conditions? Let us know if you have any additional advice!

Article Source: Survivopedia