The top tricks of the trade to reliable campfire building!

 

THE TEEPEE TECHNIQUE

The teepee is a classic fire-building method and a great choice for beginners. Arrange your kindling in a cone shape, leaving enough space for air to circulate. Light the fire-starter in the center, and as the kindling catches, the flames will climb upward, igniting the larger wood as you slowly feed thicker sticks strategically on top. Be sure not to build the teepee too tight, which can smother the fire. Make sure there’s plenty of air flow to feed the flames.

 

 

THE LOG CABIN

For a long-lasting fire that’s perfect for cooking, the log cabin method is a winner. Start by placing two larger logs parallel on the ground. Stack smaller logs or sticks in a square pattern on top, like building a log cabin. Place your fire-starter and kindling inside the square and light it up. Make sure you aren’t using logs that are too large to start with. Begin with smaller pieces and build up to the bigger logs as the fire grows. Also, don’t space the sticks out too far away from each other; you want to fire spread from timber to timber in order to grow!

 

THE LEAN-TO

Lay a fairly thick log on the ground and lean smaller sticks against it. Place your fire-starter under the smaller sticks and light it up. The lean-to technique is ideal for windy conditions, especially if you orientate the logs so that the main log blocks the wind.

 

FEED THE FIRE GRADUALLY

Once your fire is burning, it’s tempting to pile on the wood. Resist the urge! Start with smaller pieces and gradually add larger logs as the fire gains strength. This helps the fire maintain heat and burn more efficiently. Overloading the fire with large logs too soon can smother the flames.

 

 

AIR FLOW IS THE KEY

Air is one of the key ingredients to a good fire. Make sure your fire has plenty of oxygen by not overcrowding it with wood. If the fire starts to die down, try adjusting the logs to create more air flow. If your fire is smoky or struggling, it may be starving for oxygen.

 

DRY AS A BONE

The higher the moisture content of the material you’re trying to burn, the harder it will be to ignite. When it comes to choosing kindling, make sure it’s not green wood. You want the timber to make a sharp “cracking” sound when you break it in half, and when it comes to collecting tinder, opt for materials that have plenty of surface area.

 

THE TRICK TO TINDER

When you create small, thin pieces of tinder with lots of edges and fibres, it creates more surface area allowing more oxygen and air flow. Long story short, it can catch a spark or flame quickly and sustain the fire long enough to ignite the kindling and larger pieces of wood. It’s the reason why a scrunched up or ripped piece of paper will catch alight quicker with less chance of going out than a flat sheet of paper.

 

OVER AND OUT

There you have it, building a campfire doesn’t have to be too difficult. Just remember, dry wood and air flow are key!