| The ability to build a fire is is essential because it | | | | Then build a small teepee using small sticks about |
| can still be an invaluable source of heat and a | | | | the size of a pencil. Start with a sticks that |
| method of signaling. It can also be used to cook in | | | | balance easily against each other (like a forked |
| case something goes wrong with your camping | | | | stick) to provide a stable frame for which other |
| stove or you forgot to bring one (which shouldn't | | | | sticks can lean on. |
| be the case if you use a camping checklist.) You | | | | If any of the sticks are slightly wet, it will be dried |
| have to be careful though because not every | | | | by the heat from the burning tinder before they |
| place allows the building of fires. | | | | catch fire. Place three medium sized stones |
| To Build a Fire.. | | | | around the outside of the stone which can be |
| You need plenty of dry material like tinder, dead | | | | used to support your cooking pot. Don't use |
| pine leaves, dry leaves, thick sticks or small | | | | stones collected from a river bed as they may |
| branches. Use anything you can find that is dry. | | | | have absorbed water which could cause the |
| You also need to collect a lot of wood (especially | | | | stones to explode when heated. |
| if you plan to use the fire for a long time) and | | | | Sprinkle some more tinder or other flammable |
| organize it according to size. You can look for dry | | | | material like pieces of paper or pine needle on the |
| wood inside of hollow tree stumps or close to the | | | | outside to the teepee. Use pine pitch also if it is |
| trunks of trees. Whittle away wet bark to find | | | | available as it will make a really good fire starter. |
| dry wood which can be shaved into tinder. Get as | | | | Gradually add more sticks to the teepee and use |
| much tinder as possible. | | | | larger sticks this time but ideally the sticks should |
| Use an existing fire ring if you find one. If not, | | | | not be bigger than your thumb. Remember to |
| make a fire ring by first clearing up the ground of | | | | leave a space at one side so you can reach the |
| flammable debris or if you build a fire on a grassy | | | | tinder to light or add more if necessary. |
| area use your camping knife to cut out turf about | | | | Once this is all done you can reach into the |
| a foot in diameter and set it aside to replace later | | | | teepee and light up the tinder. As the fire builds |
| when you're finished with the fire. Try to find an | | | | up, you can help by blowing into it. Add small |
| area that is protected from the wind and | | | | pieces of twigs and sticks one piece at a time. |
| surround the fire area with a ring of stones. | | | | You can add bigger sticks when the fire gets big |
| Next you place a pile of tinder (or any type of | | | | enough. When the teepee has collapsed you can |
| fire starter like paper, petroleum jelly, etc) in the | | | | place the pot on the stones and start cooking. |
| center of the fire ring. | | | | |