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Wild10
A working bushcraft camp with fire, shelter, and gear in a boreal forest

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Outdoor Skills

106 bite-size wilderness tutorials — the kind of things you want in your head before you need them. Each skill is one screen: three to six steps, a tip, and any real warnings.

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2 skills

  • Field Skills skill

    Field Skills

    10 min

    Build a Log Platform for Campfires on Deep Snow

    Prevent your campfire from sinking into deep snow by constructing a sturdy, green-wood log platform. This technique ensures a stable burn.

    1. Select 4-6 fresh, green logs, 4-6 inches in diameter and 4-6 feet long.
    2. Clear a level, firm area of snow, roughly 4x4 feet, for your fire platform.
    3. Lay down two parallel logs as your base, spaced about 2-3 feet apart.
    4. Place the remaining logs perpendicularly across the base logs, close together, forming a solid raft.
    5. Cut and place smaller, green branches around the edges of your platform to contain coals and ash.
    6. Cover the log platform with a thin layer of mineral soil or rocks, if available, before lighting your fire.

    Tip: Gather more green logs than you think you'll need; they can be used for reinforcement or to extend the life of your platform later.

    Warning: Never use deadfall that is punky or rotten, as it will burn through quickly.

  • Field Skills skill

    Field Skills

    10 min

    Build a Green-Log Fire Reflector Wall

    Direct campfire heat efficiently into your lean-to shelter. This skill involves constructing a safe, durable reflector wall using green hardwood logs, maximizing warmth on cold nights without risking structural integrity.

    1. Identify and gather four to six green hardwood logs, roughly four inches in diameter and two to three feet long.
    2. Clear a flat, level area for your fire and shelter, ensuring a safe distance (minimum three feet) between the fire bed and the planned wall location.
    3. Drive two sturdy support posts (stakes or branches) firmly into the ground at an angle, leaning away from where the fire will be and spaced to match your log length.
    4. Stack the green logs horizontally between the angled support posts, creating a solid, slightly backward-sloping wall.
    5. Pack soil or rocks at the base of the wall to secure the lowest log and minimize air gaps.
    6. Position your campfire directly in front of the reflector wall, ensuring radiant heat will strike the logs and bounce towards your shelter.

    Tip: Orient your lean-to and reflector wall to take advantage of prevailing winds, allowing smoke to clear away from your shelter while heat is directed in.

    Warning: Never leave a campfire unattended, especially with a reflector wall in place. Monitor log charring and heat transfer constantly. Have water or dirt ready to extinguish any sparks.

Educational reference only. Wilderness conditions change fast — practice in low-stakes settings, take a certified wilderness first-aid course, and confirm regional regulations (fire, fishing, foraging, snaring) before you rely on any of these skills in the field.