We make fire!

Feather Sticks

An essential part of every day on the river will be getting the fire started. It will be our means of cooking, purifying water and keeping warm. In the Arctic summer the wood may often be damp. Knowing how to find dry wood and having a good sharp knife to make feather sticks will make all the difference in getting that fire going at the end of the day.

To make a good feather stick it is best to keep your wrist fairly rigid and push down the grain with the curved part of the blade. This will make lovely twists of wood from the heart of the branch that you can split down to get at the dry stuff.

If it is dry you might get away with four really good feather sticks but if damp it is better to double this! place the curls downwards so as the flames rise the wood they are attached to will ignite. If you are staying in huts or cabins in the backcountry it is good skills to leave a few by the stove or fire in case someone-else (or you!) have to take refuge there in an emergency.

I'll try and follow this up with a demo video in the Yukon!