As an instructor for the military and various federal agencies, I’ve honed my abilities in backcountry wilderness skills—and among those skills, one stands out prominently: starting a fire . In cold ...

So many people have been here before: You arrive at the campsite, and instead of a fun, relaxing setup process, the site is inundated with stress and frustration. Plenty of features can strain you and ...

Ever notice those firewood stands on the way to your favorite state park? Typically, they’re selling green or barely seasoned ...

We may earn a commission from links on this page. If you didn’t grow up camping, you may be surprised to find out that starting a campfire isn’t as easy as it looks in the cartoons. (My daughter ...

With a lifetime of heating with a wood stove, burning trees and limbs blown down in storms, and some years now of testing fire pits for Popular Mechanics, I’ve learned a thing or two about starting ...