Fire is great for cooking, purifying water, and getting warm. Getting a fire going in the first place is the tough part. To make it easier, check out the helpful hints in the video below.

As always, birch bark to the rescue. The natural oils make this an excellent choice for starting a fire, even in wet conditions. And because it burns black, birch bark is a great addition to a signal fire; a plume of black smoke is much more attention-grabbing than white.

Another hint that we really loved was the use of a flare to get a fire going. This is an excellent idea in the wettest conditions because the long burn of the flare will give you enough time to dry out and ignite the wood.