How Your Socks Can Help You Easily Build A Campfire

Whether you are intentionally overnighting outdoors or are forced to sleep under the stars after getting lost in the woods, there are times you need to use a little creativity to help build a campfire. While there are plenty of genius hacks for starting a campfire such as using Vaseline as a firestarter, none of those will do any good if you don't have the proper materials. This is often the case, especially if you find yourself in an unexpected situation. 

Regardless of how you came to find yourself ill-equipped to start a campfire, there is always the option of using what you wear to help you get a flame going. While using the clothes off your back — or other parts of your body — may not seem ideal, in a survival situation or even when camping, it is much better than the alternative. After all, a campfire is used to provide light and heat, as well as allowing the cooking of food and sanitization of water. Additionally, if you do it properly, you can utilize clothing items to start fires without compromising their ability to keep you warm.

If you find yourself without all the materials necessary to help start a campfire, there are a variety of ways to use various clothing items. It is preferable to use extra clothing, if you have it. If not, you can always use portions of the clothes you're wearing. Essentially, these clothing items will function as tinder, which is, according to Premier Firewood Company, lightweight material that catches fire easily. Pine needles, grass, or leaves are often utilized for this purpose. However, if no suitable tinder is available or if it is wet from rainfall or dew, dry clothing will work. 

With that in mind, you can utilize portions of clothing in the same way you would use any tinder material for fire starting. If using friction or flint-and-steel, pull small threads from your socks or other clothing items and make a pile of them. You can also rub a knife across your jeans or jacket to make small balls or puffs cloth and lint which you can gather and use as a fire starter. If you have a lighter or matches, you can use strips or chunks of cloth as well. Cloth is also a good way to transfer the flame once it's started. 

Given that you may never know when you have to utilize articles of clothing as a fire starter, it is a good idea to always wear something made of cotton, which is a good fire starter, as opposed to wool, which is naturally fire-resistant. Good ways to work clothes that can double as fire starters into your outdoor wear is to pick up apparel items like GoWith Cotton Crew Socks or the Port Authority Cotton Beanie.