Build A Camp Fire You Can Be Proud Of

Building a camp fire is a skill every man should				with the Tepee Fire Lay.
have. In this article we will cover the quickest,				To make a Tepee Fire Lay, place a handful of
easiest ways to build and use your camp fire; and				tinder in the middle of your fire site. Next, lean
to prepare your fire site so you will leave no				your pieces of kindling up against one another like
trace when you're done.				the poles of a tepee. Be sure to use plenty of
Prepare a safe fire site				kindling. Add larger sticks for fuel around the
Every year uncontrolled fires destroy acres of				kindling. Be sure to leave a small door on the side
wilderness, many of them are caused by careless				of the fire that the wind is blowing against. This
campers, you hear about it all the time. Don't be				will allow oxygen to reach the inside of the fire
that guy! A safe fire site is one in which nothing				and feed it. Light the tinder through the door you
will burn but the fire you've build. Choose a spot				left. The tinder should light the kindling which will
where the flames cannot spread. If you're at a				light the larger fuel sticks. Keep feeding the fire
KOA, park, or a common camp ground, there are				kindling and fuel to keep it going.
usually large metal or stone rings, grills, or				Perhaps an easier way to build a camp fire is the
fireplaces. Use these existing fire sites whenever				Lean-to Fire Lay. First lay your one piece of the
possible. Even if a fire site is all ready made an				larger fuel wood down on the center of your fire
available to you, you should still make sure the				site. Place a handful of tinder on the ground
perimeter of the fire site is clear of flammable				against the middle of the fuel wood. Then, lean
materials.				your kindling over the tinder up against the fuel
If a preexisting fire site is not available, pick a				wood. Be sure to use plenty of kindling. Lean a
spot on gravel, sand, or bare soil, which is away				few pieces of fuel wood over the kindling. Light
from trees, brush, dry timbers, or anything else				the tinder from the side, and continue feeding the
that is combustible. Check overhead to make sure				camp fire kindling and fuel.
that there are no branches that could ignite or get				You could also use the Crisscross Fire Lay. To
damaged by smoke.				build a this type of camp fire you will need to lay
Clean the site clear of pine needles, twigs, and				down 2 pieces of fuel wood next to one another
leaves that may catch fire by a flying ember. A				about six to eight inches apart. Put a handful of
fallen branch can make a decent rake to help,				tinder in between the two pieces of fuel wood
keep the ground cover set aside so you can put				and then lay your kindling horizontally over the
it back before you break camp and leave. Make				tinder using the two pieces of fuel wood to hold
sure you have a pot of water near the fire site in				up the kindling. Again, use plenty of kindling. Light
case of an emergency.				the tinder and keep feeding the camp fire kindling
If you're camping on a meadow or other grassy				and fuel.
area, use a shovel to cut around and under a 2-3				Making a fireplace for cooking
foot wide square of sod. Try to keep the sod				The simplest way to make a small fireplace for
intact and place it in a shady area. Sprinkle the cut				cooking with one pot or skillet is the 3 Point
out piece of sod with water; it should stay				Fireplace. It's real easy. Just stick 3 unused, metal
healthy enough for you to replace it when you				tent stakes in the ground around a small campfire.
leave.				They will need to close enough together to hold
Now that you have prepared your fire site, you				your pot. Because most tent stakes are not very
will need to gather and prepare your materials.				tall, and most pots that you will be carrying are
You will need to gather tinder, kindling, and fuel for				not very wide, this fireplace will work best on a
your fire. Tinder is you fire starter. A match is				small Tepee Fire Lay used to boil water.
not going to get your fire going by itself. You				For a larger fire used for cooking with multiple
need tinder to light the kindling in order to burn				pots or skillets, a Hunters Fireplace will work
fuel.				better than the 3 Point Fireplace. To make a
Wood shavings, crumbled bark, and pine needles				Hunters Fireplace, start by making a Lean-to Fire
all make great tinder. You will want to collect				Lay. Once the fire is sustained, place a second log
about enough to fill a ball cap once, although I				on the side of the fire perpendicular to the first
don't recommend using your hat. My personal				log. The two logs will hold up your pots. Eventually
favorite is to use a small amount of dryer lint,				the fire will consume the two logs so watch your
especially if other forms of tinder are in short				pots carefully.
supply.				For cooking in open, windy terrain, a Trench
Kindling is any dry, dead twigs about as thick as a				Fireplace can be used. A Trench Fireplace also
pencil. If you are having a hard time finding				allows you to break camp without leaving a trace
kindling, you could carefully use your camp axe or				of the fire you built. Using a camp shovel, cut out
hatchet to trim off small pencil size pieces from				and under a strip of sod about 6 inches wide by 2
your larger fuel logs. Just stand the log up long				feet long. Place the strip of sod in the shade and
ways like you're going to split it, and cut with the				moisten it with water. Dig a trench a foot deep
grain. These will light easily from the burning tinder.				and save the dirt so you can replace it when you
You will need to gather enough to fill a hat twice.				break camp. Putting the dirt on a ground cloth or
For fuel you can use any dry, dead timber that is				garbage bag will make it easier to replace. Build
as thin as your finger or as thick as your arm.				your fire in the trench. When the fire is cold out
Make sure to use dead wood as live wood has				refill the trench with the soil and lay the sod back
too much moisture to burn well. Some parks and				in place. Moisten the sod with water and the site
campgrounds will have fuel wood cut and ready				should heal quickly.
for you.				Extinguishing your fire
Be sure to gather enough materials so you don't				You must be responsible when building a camp
have to search for more while your building your				fire. You will want to make sure to completely
fire. By the time you get more and come back				extinguish every fire when it's no longer needed.
the fire may be out and then you'll have to start				Use plenty of water and stir the embers and
all over. You can boil water with a quick fire using				ashes until the fire is cold. If watering the fire is
just a few handfuls of sticks. For a larger meal				not an option. Work sand and soil into the coals
you may need a couple of arm loads of wood.				and keep stirring the soil into the fire until it is out.
If you plan of staying more than a few nights,				Make sure all the embers burning are cold before
you may want to gather all your fuel on the first				leaving the site.
day. Cut the wood into 1 foot long pieces and				Replace the ground cover and try to remove any
stack them out of the way. If there may be rain				evidence that you were there. Make sure to be
be sure to cover the wood with a tarp or trash				considerate of future campers by leaving your
bag.				campsite the way you found it. Take nothing but
Building the fire				pictures, leave nothing but footprints.
Now we will go over the various ways to arrange				Camping doesn't have to be expensive. Browse
your tinder, kindling, and fuel so that a single				our inventory of discount camping gear.
match will get the camp fire going. We will start

Camp Gear

Build A Camp Fire You Can Be Proud Of