Building a fire in snowy conditions is not that difficult as long as you find a nice, snow-free patch of ground. However, things become a little bit more challenging when the entire landscape is covered with a thick layer of snow. The good news is that it only takes a little bit of adaptation and ingenuity to build a good fire atop snow, and the following tips can help.
Dig Out
The easiest option, if you’re not dealing with snow that is more than a foot or two deep, is to dig a hole that is large enough to support your fire. However, you will probably have to lay down a bed of dried forest debris, rocks or wood in order to prevent the ground from soaking the bottom of your fire after it’s built. Another way to make the most of this method is to build the fire on ground that is sloping down slightly. This will cause water from melting snow to travel away from the fire instead of flooding it out.
Build a Platform
The best way to build a fire atop deep snow is to lay down a platform of thick wood that can be used as a base. Pack down as much snow as possible, and try to pack an area that is at least three times the size of the fire. This will help to prevent the base from sinking or falling apart as the snow beneath melts. Packed snow will also reduce the amount of water that accumulates around the base of the fire as well. Once the area is prepped and you’ve laid the base, you can construct the appropriate fire and light it up.
You can also use rocks as an alternative if wood is in short supply, and rocks can actually give you some additional benefits. First, they don’t absorb water. Second, they absorb heat, and this can help to keep the fire going strong as snow melts while giving you heat long after the fire starts to die down.
Build a Table
If you have the time and resources, you can build a table to support the fire and make it even more-resilient. Find 4 branches that are a little bit longer than the snow is deep and use them as the legs for your table. All you need to do is fashion a base, build your fire, and the snow won’t even be a factor.
Use a Barrel
Be on the lookout for a steel barrel, large container or any similar item, and you can build a self-contained fire that is virtually immune to snow or moisture. Using these materials can also protect the fire from wind, and they are also surprisingly-resilient in the rain as well. You can also use a paint can to make a rocket stove as a way to get an initial fire going until you think up some better options.
These are just a few examples of ways to build a successful fire even when you can’t find suitable ground. Take some time to think of other alternatives, and put your ingenuity to the test. This is definitely one skill that is worth developing, because you never know when you will need to rely on it in a real-world situation.