FIRESTARTER
We teach you the ABCs of fire starting Text: Olof Lange / Photo: Sofia Sjöberg & Erik Nylander
Long after you’ve put your boots away, the scent of smoke still lingers on your clothes, bringing back memories of evenings around the campfire, gazing into the flickering embers, just as our ancestors did thousands of years ago. In many ways, fire made us civilised. Mastering fire gave us light, warmth and protection against predators. Cooking food increases the calories gained from food and reduces digestive load. This gave our ancestors more energy to spend on other tasks and meant they had to spend less time foraging. Fire is still important to us, not least when we’re in the great outdoors. But how does fire really work, and what skills do we need to light one – and keep it alive?
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