Firecraft

Firecraft refers to the skills required to make and use a fire and involves many different techniques, but the techniques most commonly referred to in firecraft are friction firestarting, mainly used in survival situations.

Building the Fire
First thing first, you need to make sure you have your kindling your tinder and your fuel. Without them, no fire. Then you need to choose what fire you should build, there is a wide variety of different fires, all tried and tested, building a fire doesn't involve just throwing a pile of burning sticks into a heap on the ground, it is vital to be able to construct a proper, esspecially in a life or death situation.

Different Fires
Warnings! When building your fire, please please please clear the area around it as much as possible to prevent a blazing out-of-control fire, also if you are on public property, never forget to ask the landowners permission before building one. And it is worth taking that note that whilst you can build and light a fire within a leaf shelter, it can be a fire hazard, the shelter basically is one giant bonfire waiting to catch light in a way.
 * The Indians' Fire
 * The Star Fire
 * The Temple Fire
 * Sheltered Fires
 * The Long-log Fire
 * The Tepee Fire
 * The Criss-cross Fire

Tinder
To make a fire you need something to take the spark or flame, and you need to know what to use, for lighters with a flame you can use material that don't need as much preperation as when you are trying to start a fire with a spark, some good materials to use are:
 * Birch Bark - this is incredibly useful, it is oily and therefore easily flamable, to stop the bark curling in on itself, fold it like you would a paper fan and hold it at the end that way whilst you place it in the fire.
 * Camera Film - (if you still use it of course) try not to inhale the fumes given off.
 * Rubber Tyre - remember to cut strips off the tyre before trying to light it! (3 or 4cm by 1cm or under thick)

Artificial Lighters
You don't have to use the friction firestarting techniques described below all the time, though it is a very good idea to learn how to anyway. These days it is very easy to get hold of items that can produce a spark or a flame by artifical means, here is a list of the items you can use to produce a spark or flame:
 * Matches
 * Barbecue Matches
 * Lighters

Friction Firestarting
In friction firestarting there are several different techniques that can be used the most primative being the hand drill. The bow drill is one of the best ways to start a fire in friction firestarting as it is the most easy and a fire can be created in a short period of time even in wet conditions provided the right materials are being used.

Techniques

 * The Bow Drill
 * The Hand Drill