Purpose: This challenge teaches true heat management, not just “build a fire and hope.”Your objective is to retain, redirect, and manage heat while staying mostly static—the hardest condition in cold weather. Cold injuries happen after movement stops. This drill exposes weak points in your system. Challenge Objective: Remain comfortably warm for 30–60 minutes with minimal movement, using deliberate control of: - Conduction - Convection - Radiation Rules of the Challenge 1. No constant movement 2. One fire 3. One shelter 4. One insulation solution 5. Time Requirement The Heat Science 1️⃣ Conduction – Heat Lost to the Ground What it is: Heat transfer through direct contact. In the field: If you sit or lie on cold ground, rock, snow, or frozen earth, your body heat is being pulled out of you. Solutions you’re testing - Natural debris (pine boughs, leaves) - Foam pad, pack, bark - Raised bed or platform Failure sign: Cold creeping into hips, lower back, or legs. 2️⃣ Convection – Heat Taken by Moving Air What it is: Heat stripped away by wind or moving air. In the field: Even light wind will steal heat faster than cold air alone. Solutions you’re testing - Shelter orientation - Wind blocks - Terrain use Failure sign: Feeling chilled despite a fire burning. 3️⃣ Radiation – Heat You Can Capture What it is: Heat emitted from your fire in straight lines. In the field: If you can’t feel the fire on your face or chest, you’re wasting heat. Solutions you’re testing - Fire size and distance - Reflector (log wall, rock face, emergency blanket) - Fire height (platform fire) Failure sign: Fire burns well but doesn’t warm you. Pre-Drill Setup (Required) Before starting, record: - Air temperature - Wind conditions - Ground condition (snow, frozen soil, wet leaves) - Clothing layers worn at start - Fire type used - Shelter type used - Insulation material used HEAT MANAGEMENT LOG (Required) Participants must complete at least one full log.

This week is about a shelter you can build fast when weather turns. No fantasy builds. Something you’d actually trust. The Challenge Objective: Build a functional emergency shelter in 20 minutes using: - 1 tarp - Cordage (paracord or similar) - Stakes (or natural stakes) - Natural materials are allowed for windbreak and insulation Difficulty Levels (pick one and state it) - Level 1 (Fair): dry day, light wind - Level 2 (Realistic): damp ground OR moderate wind - Level 3 (Spicy): rain OR cold OR build after dark (headlamp ok) Requirements (pass/fail) To count, your shelter must: - Be oriented to block wind from the main direction - Have solid overhead coverage (no obvious leak points) - Keep you off the ground (pad, debris bed, boughs, etc.) - Be stable enough to hold for 2+ hours without constant babysitting What to Post Reply with: - Your difficulty level + conditions (wind/wet/cold) - Tarp size (if you know it) and pitch style (A-frame, lean-to, plow point, etc.) - Anchor method (stakes, trees, rocks) - Time to complete - One thing you’d change next time Photo helps but isn’t required. Rubric (100 points) 1) Setup + Knots/Anchors (20 pts) - 0–8: loose lines, weak anchors, constant retension - 9–16: stable, minor sag - 17–20: tight pitch, solid anchors, clean ridgeline 2) Weather Protection (30 pts) - 0–12: poor coverage, wind-driven rain gets in - 13–24: decent coverage, some exposure - 25–30: good pitch angle, windward side sealed, sheds rain 3) Ground Insulation + Sleep System (25 pts) - 0–10: cold ground contact, minimal insulation - 11–20: decent pad/debris, some protection - 21–25: insulated base + wind block, realistic for 2+ hours 4) Site Selection + Safety (15 pts) - 0–5: bad drainage, hazards overhead, exposed - 6–12: mostly safe, minor issues - 13–15: smart site, safe overhead, good drainage and wind orientation 5) Speed + Packability (10 pts) - 0–4: slow, messy, gear scattered - 5–8: reasonable time, decent organization

This week we’re keeping it simple and honest: build a fire using only one match. Not because it’s “cool” but because it forces good fundamentals: prep, structure, and discipline. The Objective Get a sustainable fire going using: - 1 match total - Natural tinder + kindling - No accelerants Rules (what counts) - You get one strike. If it breaks or goes out, that’s your attempt. - You can prep as long as you want before you light it. - Fire is considered “successful” when it:Burns on its own without you holding it togetherProduces a steady flame for 2 full minutesCan accept a pencil-thick stick without dying What’s allowed - 1 match - Knife, ferro rod for scraping only (no sparks) - Natural materials: bark, grasses, fatwood, pine resin, seed heads, etc. - Feather sticks allowed - Your normal outdoor clothing and whatever you’d realistically have on you What’s NOT allowed - Lighters - Multiple matches - Fire starters (cotton balls, dryer lint, commercial tinder) - Fuel/accelerants (gas, alcohol, lighter fluid) - Pre-made bundles you brought from home (collect it where you are) Safety first - Follow local laws and burn bans - Clear your area, have water nearby - Don’t do this in high wind or drought conditionsIf conditions aren’t safe, do the “dry run” version below. Post your attempt (use this format) Reply to this post with: 1. Location + conditions: (temp, wind, wet/dry) 2. Tinder used: 3. Kindling used: (sizes matter) 4. Fire lay: (teepee, log cabin, lean-to, etc.) 5. Result: success/fail + what happened 6. Lesson learned: one sentence Bonus points if you include: - A photo of your tinder bundle before lighting - A 10–20 second clip of ignition (if you can safely do it) If you can’t do an outdoor burn Do the prep-only version: - Build your tinder bundle + kindling stack - Take a photo - Post it here and I’ll tell you if it would have worked and what to fix My promise If you post your attempt, I’ll give you specific fixes (not generic advice) so your next one is cleaner.

One match fire and three rounds with ferro rod. Pretty sure the source log is impregnated with resin...

A ferro rod doesn’t care about your feelings. This week is about clean reps and repeatable results, not luck. The Challenge Objective: Build a sustainable fire using a ferro rod as your ignition source. No lighters, no matches. No accelerants: no lighter fluid, gas, hand sanitizer, etc. Difficulty Levels (pick one and state it) - Level 1 (Fair): dry conditions, prepped tinder - Level 2 (Realistic): damp ground or moderate wind - Level 3 (Spicy): wet conditions OR cold hands OR you must process your tinder from natural materials on site Allowed (just be honest) - Natural tinder (bark, grass, fatwood shavings, etc.) - Carried tinder (jute, cotton balls, char cloth) is allowed, just list it - Knife spine or striker, feather sticks, batoning, scraping What to Post Reply with: - Ferro rod size (if you know it) and striker (knife spine, dedicated striker, etc.) - Tinder choice and how you prepped it - Spark technique you used (pull-rod, push-striker, etc.) - Conditions - Result: success/failure and what you learned Photo or short clip helps but isn’t required. Safety and legality Clear your area, have water nearby, follow local fire rules. Don’t do dumb stuff to “win.” Judging Rubric (100 points) 1. Tinder Prep (25 pts) - 0–10: tinder not processed enough, too coarse, too little - 11–20: decent prep, some inconsistency - 21–25: fine, dry-ish, fluffy, staged properly with backup 2. Technique + Spark Control (25 pts) - 0–10: wild scraping, tinder gets launched, inconsistent sparks - 11–20: workable technique, occasional fumbles - 21–25: controlled shower of sparks exactly where you want it 3. Ignition Efficiency (20 pts) - 0–8: takes forever, constant resets - 9–16: lights with effort - 17–20: lights quickly with minimal resets 4. Fire Build + Transition (20 pts) - 0–8: flame dies at transition - 9–16: transitions with babysitting - 17–20: smooth transition to kindling and sustained burn