Helpful Tips for a Snowy Environment Fire

If you are in a survival situation which requires you to have a fire in the snow, you are in for a difficult task. In your basic first aid kit, it is a great idea to keep some cotton balls inside of a small ziplock bag with some emergency strike-anywhere waterproof matches. This will at least give you dry material and a flame that can start a fire. You will need to find wood that is as dry as possible. This can be done with a little bit of digging.
Sometimes in areas where snow has fallen, you will find branches underneath branches and the top layer of snow. Remember if you can go with smaller sticks they will dry quicker and are more likely to burn.

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Sometimes on trees themselves you will find branches that are already dead and dry. These branches can be easily knocked down and make great firewood.Preparing the area you are going to build your fire in is equally as important as having the material itself. Making sure to clear the snow away so that it will not melt and risk putting out your fire is very important. If at all possible building your fire under a cliff face or fallen tree can make building a fire a much easier task in the snow. I have found that carrying the few cotton balls with me has come in handy more times than I would have ever imagined.