With résumé highlights that include Air Force survival specialist, Alone contestant, and founder of OWLS, a women-only outdoor school, Jessie Krebs knows what it takes to rough it in the wilderness—in fact, she teaches an online MasterClass about it.

Here, the Pagosa Springs resident shares illuminating tips for starting a steady blaze.

5280 May 2025
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1. When it comes to sparking a flame, “there’s no such thing as cheating,” Krebs says. She suggests packing two types of foolproof ignition tools (like a butane lighter and matches) and at least one kind of quick-light tinder (try cotton balls coated in petroleum jelly).

2. Make sure your campsite is within a fire-safe zone, then gather armloads of the driest wood you can find. Test your kindling’s dehydration levels by breaking pieces in half. “If it doesn’t make a snapping sound, scrap it,” Krebs says. Stock up on pencil-size twigs and wrist-thick branches.

3. Krebs swears by the platform-and-brace method: Place a big piece of bark (the platform) in a pit, put a thicker branch at one end (the brace), and prop a stack of twigs against the branch to form a triangle through which oxygen can flow. Insert your quick-light tinder in the middle and ignite it.

4. After you spot the first flames, act fast. “You have seconds, maybe a couple of minutes, to give the fire exactly what it needs or it’s going to starve,” Krebs says. Feed the beast by placing more timber on top of the kindling, gradually increasing from skinny twigs to chunky branches.

5. About an hour before bedtime, lull the fire to sleep by only adding wood that is thumb size in diameter or smaller. Once you’re ready to retreat to your tent, pour a generous amount of water on the blaze and use a big stick to spread the coals to prevent the fire from waking while you snooze.

This article was originally published in 5280 May 2025.
Michelle Shortall
Michelle Shortall
Michelle Shortall is a senior editor at 5280, where she manages Compass and writes and edits home stories for 5280.com.