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.
How to Summon the Flames
The wise motor camper will keep his matches in waterproof boxes, and will also use wax matches, [[103]]or at least those whose stems have been well paraffined. In the absence of matches a cigar lighter can be used to start a fire. A somewhat more difficult method of kindling a fire is to use a steel and flint lighting set. Still more difficult to accomplish is to start a fire the way the Boy Scouts do with two pieces of wood. To do this successfully it will be necessary to get one of those fire-making outfits sold at National Boy Scouts Headquarters. There are many Boy Scouts that can quickly, i.e., within a minute, make a fire with one of these outfits, but the scout is rare indeed who can make his drill from a cottonwood root, get his base of harder wood, gather his punk, string his drill bow, and start a fire with nothing but these implements. If the motor camper wants some real fun out of the process of building his fire let him buy one of the Boy Scout outfits for making fire from wood and try, try, try again until he becomes expert at such fire-making. He will feel as proud as Prometheus bringing fire from heaven.
Cooking Over an Open Fire
There are two ways of cooking over an open fire. The pot may be slung over the fire from a hook on a pole, or the pan may be set over the fire, resting upon a support underneath. In the latter way the fire may be confined between two green logs and the pan placed across the logs close to the fire. Or a folding wire broiler may be set across over the [[104]]fire and the stew pan, camp kettle, or coffee-pot put on the broiler.