Make Starting A Campfire With Wet Wood Easier With These Simple Tips

Building that perfect campfire is a central part of any overnight outdoor adventure. However, wet wood can put a damper on that experience, as it is harder to light and does not burn as well as dry wood. If you find yourself in a situation where rain has soaked your firewood, all is not lost. There are a few tips and hacks for starting a campfire, even with rain-wet wood.

It is important to note, these tips have to do with wood that is wet from rain or dew –- not undried or green wood, which is sometimes referred to as wet wood and should be avoided whenever possible. Sometimes, however, the weather conspires to seemingly ruin even the best wood for a campfire. But, even if you find yourself in a situation where your stack of dried firewood has become wet from rainfall or dew, you can still have a campfire that evening. In fact, you can make starting a campfire with wet wood easier with these simple tips.

Whether you have or are gathering wood, if it has been rainy and wet around your campsite, the odds of finding dry wood will be a longshot. However, the most critical thing is having dry tinder. With that in mind, it is always a good idea when camping to keep a stash of tinder in a plastic or metal gear box so it stays dry throughout the trip. If, however, you are looking to find dry tinder in a wet environment, try pulling the bark off of deadfall limbs. Oftentimes, the inside of the bark or the wood underneath will be dry. Use a pocket knife to separate the dry material.

When it comes to finding relatively dry kindling, look under trees that have a heavy canopy of leaves or pine needles. Usually, small twigs and sticks found under low-lying limbs will be at least reasonably dry. The same principle applies to finding firewood. If all you can find is wet wood, try splitting off the bark and/or outer layers of wood. Often, the inner core of the wood will remain dry.

When building your fire, it's best to find rocky ground or lay a bed of rocks to keep your wood off the wet ground. You can also build a platform of hardwood. Then, you should build a pile of tinder and kindling atop the rocks or wood platform. This pile should be shaped like an "A." The next step, according to Bass Pro Shops, is to place two pieces of wood alongside the tinder pile. These pieces should be taller than the tinder. Then, place two pieces of wood across the base pieces, so that they cross over the tinder. Finally, light and feed the fire.