Tutorials/Defeating a Nether fortress

Nether fortresses are dangerous for unprepared players, as they have many dangers, including blazes, wither skeletons, and many rooms that are easy to get lost in.

Reasons for defeating a nether fortress
There are several benefits of defeating a nether fortress:
 * To get blaze rods, essential for brewing and crafting several interesting things, including Eyes of Ender.
 * To set up a blaze farm or/and a wither skeleton farm.
 * To get wither skeleton skulls to summon the wither or for decoration.
 * To gather nether wart, also essential for brewing.

Item loadout

 * At least an iron sword
 * A bow
 * At least a stack of arrows
 * At least a full set of iron armor
 * A diamond pickaxe
 * At least 1 golden apple
 * Highly nutritious food, such as cooked porkchop or steak
 * At least two stacks of cobblestone
 * At least a stack of torches
 * A crafting table, a chest and  a furnace to set up a temporary base
 * A crossbow (optional)