A tiny curl of flame rises from the small heap of birch bark. My sore fingers fumbling in haste, I feed it with curls of bark, my face inches away as I blow. Blow and pray: Lord, please let it catch this time…
When I arrived in this quiet woodland for my five-day “Beginners to Advanced” survival course, I was lugging a large kitbag containing, among other things, a February-rated sleeping bag and a tarpaulin. For three days we listened and learned as our instructor taught us how to build shelters and find food and water – but above all, how to light fires. If you can light a fire in February when everything is damp, he told us, you can light one any time. In the wilds without fire, you cannot stay warm, purify water, cook your woodlice or signal for help.
