an excerpt from the New York Times Best Seller, Hunting & Gathering Survival Manual (a New York Times bestseller!)
By Tim MacWelch
Did you know that Fritos, cheese puffs, Doritos and many other high-fat snack chips will burn like the fires of Hell? It’s true, and if you don’t believe me, take a break from shoving them in your face and break out your lighter. None of us should be too proud or too much of a purist to accept a few cheats when it comes to fire building, especially when conditions are tough.
The cold and wet weather of fall and winter usually require a little insurance in the fire building department. In addition to your favorite greasy chips, cotton balls smeared with petroleum jelly are an excellent form of fire starting insurance, should you get caught in some bad weather. Drier lint is another helpful item from home. You can use a candle nub to light a fire, or drip wax all over damp tinder to give it a boost. Nature has some helpful items, too. Birch bark and fatwood (pine so full of pitch that it cannot rot) will burn even when soaking wet. Keep these fire helpers handy, especially in colder wetter climates, and don’t be too proud to “cheat”.
These tips, and many more survival skills, are available in MacWelch’s books:
Prepare For Anything
Hunting and Gathering Survival Manual
How To Survive Anything
But remember: When push comes to shove, will a book really be enough to save you? Nothing beats hands-on survival training from the guy who wrote the book on it. Sign up today for one of Tim’s amazing survival classes at www.AdvancedSurvivalTraining.com
You can also Follow Tim on Twitter @timmacwelch and check out more of MacWelch’s outdoor skills and survival articles at Outdoor Life Magazine’s survival site, The Survivalist.