Anyone who has ever studied for a difficult test understands that memory devices such as sayings, rhymes, and abbreviations can be extremely helpful for remembering key information. Similar memory devices can help us be more prepared to recall important survival skills. S.T.O.P. (Stay Put, Think, Observe, and Plan) and the O.O.D.A. (Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act) loop are two very popular ways of framing your mindset in an emergency situation. The rule of 3s (3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food) is a popular way of recalling survival priorities. Other catchy number and letter memory devices have been introduced over the years to organize processes and groups of ideas with different levels of success.
With fire starting, we know there’s a way to remember what’s needed with the ever-present “fire triangle” of heat, air, and fuel found in so many survival manuals. Close your eyes and you can probably picture the illustration or recall an instructor saying it’s like a tripod trying to stand on two legs if one is taken away. We started thinking about creating a similar memory device related to the regular task of building a fire. We wanted to throw our hat in the ring and present the process of fire-starting with just a knife and ferro rod using a list of 10 S’s you should always keep in mind as you work.
