You always dream of sitting around a campfire singing songs with friends? Creating a pleasant ambience in a beautiful summer evening while some potatoes and meat roasting over grill, filling the air with a delicious smell? Yet, not knowing key steps to make a campfire puts an obstacle in the way of having this perfect getaway?
Not anymore.
Key steps to make a campfire
Step – 1 : Check the fire bans and regulations of your country first
In many countries, it is illegal to make a fire and burn wood from the forest for wild campers and bushcrafters who wander deep in the great outdoors without a notice as to where they are exactly if an emergency situation occurs. Be sure of the rules, before going on the step 2.
Step – 2 : Finding right place to set up
Spotting an open area where there is not a lot of burnables around, form a ring shape with stones to make a campfire in it or use designated fire pits in campgrounds so as to keep control over flames. Thus, it doesn’t become a hazard to you and nature, not letting it to spread by leaping up onto something that can easily ignite.
Step – 3 : Gather something to burn
Fire is live and to start and sustain, it needs three types of fuel. For this reason, to make a campfire, arrange;
- tinder – easy-to-catch, dry and flammable materials such as papers, wood chips, downed, dry leaves and pine needles,
- kindling – combustible small sticks or twigs for feeding fire you started to go up in flames and help firewood take part in,
- firewood – any dry and larger size of wood to have a fire burning for a longer period of time. Oak, birch or ash. They must not be exceeding wrist size thickness causing a decrease of airflow.
Do not break off branches from healthy trees! Just from the ground.
Step – 4 : What types of campfires to build?
Cone (teepee)
– Pile tinder and some kindling up under the larger sticks in a conical arrangement (angle them so that they meet at the top, leaning on each other). As the fire grows at the bottom, add new sticks around the outside of the teepee to maintain fire.
Log cabin
– Stacking tinder in between, place two pieces of firewood parallel to each other on the ground for the first row. Then the same for the second row by turning 90 degrees, to erect a square or rectangular mini log cabin. Repeat the pattern until the structure reaches knee height.
Lean-to
– Against a thicker log, lean shorter chunks to cover the tinder in case a little bit of a breeze picks up threatening your fire to put out. You can actually crisscross the roof over your tinder to have stability every direction when adding more fuel.
Swedish fire log
– With a handsaw, make four or eight cross cuts about three-quarters of the way through a tall, wide log. In addition, axing a whole log to split into quarters or eights is another way to get a Swedish fire log (this method requires wire to reassemble pieces together).
– Inserting kindling atop the log, light the tinder. The hot embers fall into the cuts and begin to burn from the inside out self-sufficiently, creating a flat surface for cooking.
Step – 5 : Light it up
The three legs of fire are fuel, oxygen and heat. Crumpling the tinder into a loose ball aligned right in the center, light it up with a match, flint and steel or lighter. Blowing gently at the base of fire, let the next layer, the kindling, burst into flames. Not to smother it, allow a lot of air to circulate.
Step – 6 : Enjoy the warmth, the feel of blazing fire!
Step – 7 : Extinguish the campfire
The most important step for the safety of ours and the vicinity. Put out the fire completely, gradually pouring water over the dying embers and stirring them around until they are cool touch. Never leave a living thing unattended.
For more information about fire and regulations, visit US Forest Service.
