Four Simple Steps to Get Your Fire Burning
It might seem like a simple task, but for those who have never attempted it before, building a campfire can be quite daunting at first. If you are unsure about how to start and need some guidance, you have come to the right place. Have you ever wanted to melt marshmallows, sings songs or tell stories around the campfire? To do that you need to know how to build one... a campfire is a great addition to any camping adventure.
1. Safety first
Always consider the consequences of your actions, so don’t act fast and don’t be reckless. Normally, camping sites will have a designated fire area; it is safe to build your fire there. If there are no designated fire areas, you will have to create your own fire area so take more care. To do this, find a bare area with no dead plants, bark or trees. If you struggle to find one, create a bare area by digging away any plants or matter, especially dry plants as they catch fire easily.
2. Create a fire bed
In the bare area you found or created, double check that there are no plants, leaves or bark (dead or alive). Then you need to push all the dirt and sand into the middle and create a step or platform type shape, about 10 centimeters high. This is called a fire bed.
3. Find some wood
Before we go into detail, here are some general tips when looking for wood. Do not break branches and twigs from trees. If we all did this, there wouldn’t be trees left. Pick up any dry branches or twigs from the ground,or bring wood from home. Try to avoid wood or branches that are thick, wet or green as those don’t catch fire easily and create a lot of smoke.
There are three types of wood you will need.
Tinder is the easiest burning material needed to get your campfire going. Tinder can be in the form of: char cloth, fire sticks, fire starters, wood shavings, pieces of cardboard and wax. It is a good idea to bring your own tinder, just in case everything you find outside is wet because then your chances of starting a fire are zero, as wet tinder will not ignite.
Kindling is needed to keep your fire going and consists of small branches and twigs (dry ones, of course).
Firewood can be whole logs, pieces of a log or branches. Try to use smaller pieces as very large logs can take a long time to catch fire.
Matches or a gas lighter are needed to start the fire.
4. Build and lay your fire
Teepee fire. Place the tinder in the middle of your campsite. Around the tinder, create a teepee structure using the kindling. Make sure there is a little gap so that wind can enter the teepee structure to fuel the fire. Create a larger teepee structure around your kindling teepee using the firewood. Place a match under the tinder to start your fire. Note that the teepee structure will eventually fall; once this happens, continue adding firewood to keep the fire going.
Log cabin fire. First create a kindling teepee over the tinder. Get big pieces of firewood and place them on each end of the teepee. Find smaller pieces of firewood and lay them across the other side of the teepee (if you are confused, take a look at the image below). Continue laying smaller and smaller pieces until you create a pyramid shape. Light a match and throw it inside.
Lean-to fire. Find a long piece of kindling and stick it into the ground at a 30 degree angle. Create a bundle or pile of tinder underneath your kindling stick. Now place smaller pieces of kindling around the tinder. You need to place small pieces of kindling against the big piece stuck in the ground. Add another layer with larger pieces of kindling against the smaller pieces. Light the tinder using a match or lighter and there you have it - your own campfire!
Not so bad, right? Just make sure to add additional wood when needed, but don’t over do it as you don’t want your fire to get out of control. Speaking of which… remember never to not leave your fire unattended. Also, keep a fire extinguisher close by - just incase.
