However, it is imperative to be prepared for whatever may arise when challenging Mother Nature. She is a beauty beyond description but she can be as dangerous as she is beautiful. Therefore, it is imperative to be prepared for a variety of hazards -- even unlikely hazards -- if you plan to spend time outdoors in the great Southwest.

“If’n my daddy hadn’t nagged me about the capabilities of building a good fire, I wouldn’t be here today,” Cowboy Talltale exclaimed. In a solemn voice, Cowboy Talltale recounted a life-threatening event he narrowly survived -- and only because of his ability to build a fire.

“When us kids were little and getting ready to go horseback riding, my daddy would check each one of us to make sure we had matches --stored in a water proof baggie stuck in our shirt pocket -- to be sure we could build a fire if we needed to. He always said, ‘Someday, when you least expect it, those matches might just save your life.’”

Cowboy Talltale continued, “I recall his voice to this day. I really recalled his voice saying this a few years back. It was later February and I was suffering from a Valentine’s break-up with my gal. The weather people predicted an approaching storm but the sun was out and bright. I decided to trailer my horse, Sassy, up to the trail head near the Mazatzal Wilderness. I wanted to forget my romantic woes and take a morning horseback ride on this beautiful, God-gifted sunshiny day. I recall a fierce wind blowing out of the northwest. The temperature was cold but the sun beckoned me. 

Before I left, I checked my pocket for matches and didn’t have any. I thought, ‘I ain’t going to worry about matches! I’m not going to need a fire today!’ And I heard my daddy’s voice : ‘Son, don’t ever go into nature without a sure way to build a fire, even if the sun is shining. Someday, when you least expect it, those matches might just save your life.’” 

“Dag-gum-it!” I thought! “A nagging feeling came over me and I went and got matches and put in a plastic baggie, along with a small candle, and placed it in the left front pocket of my shirt, over my heart.” 

“I drove to the trail head, got Sassy saddled and we started on our way. About a half day out, a big, black cloud rolled over us. As we strutted along a deep watering hole, a clasp of snow thunder struck so loud, it was deafening. Poor Sassy! Scared that horse so bad, the next thing I knew, we were both wallowing in the cold water of the waterhole.”

“Finally, I was able to get me and Sassy out of the muddy water. I was freezing cold. Everything was wet: saddle, clothes, boots, horse, EVERYTHING! The clouds got darker and darker and what started out being a bright, sunshiny morning turned into a very windy, freezing and snowy day in the blink of an eye.”

“I knew I was in trouble when I was so cold and shaking, I could hardly light a match to start a fire. My clothes were starting to freeze on my body and Sassy shivered from the bitter chill of being wet and the snow coming down on her. We needed a survivor fire!”

Thankfully, Cowboy Talltale was able to build a fire to warm him from hypothermia, dry his clothes and survive one more test of Mother Nature. Here are his valuable “old-timer” tips for building a survivor fire in the wilderness:

1. Always, always carry matches in a waterproof baggie and/or a lighter on your person in your pocket. Add a small, thick candle to help dry leaves and/or small sticks.

2.  Always, always carry the matches/lighter on your person rather than storing them in your vehicle or in saddle bags. If you get separated from your vehicle or your horse, as long as you have your matches/lighter on your person, you will be able to build a survivor fire.  

3.  Find the driest spot available. If you have any paper, tissue or Kleenexes, put these down on the driest possible soil. If the ground has not been saturated by rain or snow, pick up dry pine needles, very small brown, dry leaves or very small (dead) sticks and start a small pile on top of the paper. (Sometimes, paper isn’t available so just start with very small wood particles like needles, leaves and small sticks.)

4.  Gather bigger pieces of dead sticks and stack them in a tee-pee fashion on top of the small wood particles. This will ensure oxygen flow beneath the stack to help activate the fire.

5.  Have bigger pieces of dead wood available. If the wood pieces are not too heavy, place one or two pieces on the stack and light the paper and smaller pieces of wood on the bottom. As the fire flames, continue placing the wood pieces until your fire is the size you need to stay warm, dry clothes and boots and be as comfortable as possible.

2.  Dig out a small place in the soil with your hand, stick or rock to remove snow or dig down below the rain wet soil to dryer dirt. 

3.  Because of the moisture, you may have to scour for small leaves, limbs and branches higher on bushes and trees. Try to pick those without snow or rain as they will be the driest. Dead leaves and limbs are best. Do not use those lying on the ground as they will more than likely be saturated with moisture. Light the candle and hold under the leaves to dry them faster.

4.  Continue the same process: paper if available, small leaves, wood particles in a tee-pee shaped circle with sticks circling around on the stack. 

Building a fire in wind can certainly be challenging. Gather rocks. Stack the rocks between the direction of the wind and fire location to form a barrier between the fire and the gusts of wind. Continue building the fire using the above steps. The rock barrier may need a second rock barrier if the wind is horribly gusty. Build a second rock barrier behind the first. If the wind is still too much, dig down into the soil to form a bowl-like indention in the ground. Depending on the wind, the bowl indention may need to be very deep so as to keep the wind from blowing out the fire. With the deep bowl-like indention and the rock barriers, hopefully you will be successful in building a survivor fire

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As outdoor enthusiasts, we try to be prepared for unexpected tests from Mother Nature. After talking with Cowboy Talltale, I too can hear his father’s words whenever I leave on an adventure: “Don’t ever go into nature without a sure way to build a fire, even if the sun is shining. Someday, when you least expect it, those matches might just save your life.” 

Cowboy Talltale told me he was so grateful going home that February night he forgot all about his romantic woes. 

May your outdoor adventures be care-free and happy! May you be void of romantic woes and, if you need them, may your survivor fires be warm and toasty. As always, never build a fire if fire restrictions are in place or if there is a threat of fire danger. Remember to make sure your fire is dead out when you leave. And may the sparks of nature always fire up your Southwest outdoors enthusiasm!