Kindling Fire in Wet Weather
Usually there will be no difficulty in kindling the fire unless the weather be wet. In this latter event, particularly in a rainstorm, it may be very difficult to start a fire in the open. If the camper has brought along some short pieces of dry wood which he can whittle into coarse shavings, or if he has along a store of dry pieces of birch bark, he may shelter the spot where he means to start a fire under the skirt of his raincoat, get together a few of the driest pieces of wood that he has, and then piling [[102]]together under the shelter mentioned some of the shavings, light them and as they start to burn gradually add small pieces of the driest wood, sheltering it until it gets well started. Starting a fire under the circumstances just described will not be easy, and several attempts may fail before success is attained. Making a fire in the wet is an art that must be learned through trial and experience like any other art, and is not achieved easily.
When the weather is fair and the ground dry a fire in the open is easily kindled. If the weather be dry and windy, great care must be taken lest sparks or embers from the fire blow away and start up a fire at a distance. It is surprising how far sparks or small embers will carry on the wind and start fires. The camper cannot be too careful with his fire. When he breaks camp and leaves he should not only see that his fire is out, but he ought to get a pail or two of water and drown out the last possible remaining spark. Unfortunately some campers are very careless with the open fires that they kindle. Because they leave fires that seem to be out when they are not, these fires often burn up again after the camper has gone on his way and spread disastrously. For this reason farmers and foresters look with marked disfavor on all open camp fires.