Cooped Up? Get Uncooped.

Here's how I conserve matches when I'm starting a campfire: 

When you're ready to light your campfire, (after you've got your teepee or lean-to built), light a small candle first, then light your kindling.  Then you don't have to waste any more matches if the first one doesn't work.  Just light a little piece of kindling with the candle and try again.  Make sure that once the fire is started you take your candle away from the fire and blow it out so you can use it again later. 

This is especially handy if you're trying to start a fire in wet conditions.

Photo credit: Markus Merz

• fire
• matches
• campfire
• candle