Building a fire. It’s one of the most basic and important survival skills to have. When you find yourself in a situation where you need to build a solid fire (and fast), what do you do?

Find something that burns easily with a large surface area.

Need help finding those things around your house (or around your campsite)?

Here are a few options:

• Shredded paper or cardboard
• Steel wool
• Cattail fibers
• Bird nests
• Dry grass, pine needles, or leaves
• Lint
• Animal dung
• Seed down
• Sawdust
• Pine bark
• Hair/fur
• Rope, string or twine

The best way to get good at building fires is by practicing. Get outside and practice building a fire. Find what sources you like using best (and what you’ll have readily available to you).

As long as you don’t burn down your backyard, we want to hear what works best for you. Share in our forum and find what other people are using.