How to start a fire in the rain | Survival Training | Tactical Rifleman

One of our biggest issues with our current society, is our total lack of basic “survival-skills.” We are so caught up in our smart phones and reality TV, that most people can’t even light a charcoal grill without lighter fluid. You can buy all the sexy gear you want; however, if you don’t know how to use it, you are screwed. Knowledge is power and knowledge can be your best tool in a survival situation. Being stuck, lost in a blizzard, is the wrong time to be trying to learn how to use your new store-bought Firestarter. Get out there, now, and practice those “survival skills” before you really need them.

While food, water, shelter are all high on the list; for me, personally, I think fire is one of the most important skills anyone can learn. Yes, there are hundreds of ways to light a fire. No, just having a match isn’t going to cut it.

So, keeping with the Tactical Rifleman concept of always using Subject Matter Experts, I decided to reach out to Randal “Rawhide” Wurst, to do our first fire video. Randy is an old retired Green Beret buddy of mine, and a great American. Not only does he teach his own survival school (Wurst-case Scenario Survival https://sites.google.com/site/rockcastlelive/training ), but Randy literally helped write the SF Survival Manual back when he was an instructor at the Bragg school house.

Randy’s logic is that you should never be caught without certain tools. Even “Ötzi the Iceman” (the frozen caveman found in Germany) was found with tools, including flint and tinder. He preaches that you should always have at least three ways to do everything. The old adage “two is one, and one is none” is taken to the extreme in Randy’s world. We shot another set of videos, showing Randy’s layers of survival gear. (When you watch them, count how many knives Randy carries!!!)

We use a candle in this video. Watching how easy it worked, will convert you to toss a candle or two in your kit. I know I’ve started carrying the little Tea Candles(I add two extra wicks). Randy likes his to be in a sealable tin, like a Altoids can, to protect the wick. Either way, the main thing is to ensure your candle has a base to catch all the melted wax, so you can keep reusing the same candle.

Again, knowledge is power. Just you being on this website puts you light-years ahead of all the “Xbox360 generals” out there. Now, take the next step and get outside. Try different techniques. If you already have mad “survival Skills,” it wouldn’t hurt to brush off the dust. If you don’t, you’ll at least identify areas where you are weak and need training. You don’t know what you don’t know.

If you are really serious about mastering these skills, you need to get out there and attend some professional training. Remember, when the shimmer hits the fan, your family is going to look up to you to save the day. Either you are ready or you are not.

Where to train? We offer a “Modern Survival” course at Tier-1 Group. We’ll cover everything to get you back home safe with your family. Courses are custom-tailored to your individual needs. Now, if you want to train with the “Best”; I’ll point you directly to Randal “Rawhide” Wurst. Just shoot me a comment below, and I’ll get you in contact with him. I assure you, that when he gets done with you, that you’ll be ready for that “Wurst-case” scenario.