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Learn about the origins, uses and methods of campfires, from ancient fires to modern fire rings. Find out how to build a safe and effective campfire with different fuels and styles, and how to extinguish it properly.
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Learn how to create a fire pit, gather the right types of wood, and lay your fire for a successful camping night. This guide covers the basics of campfire building, from tinder to teepee, and offers tips for safety and maintenance.
- Overview
- Build a fire ring in a safe locatio
- Collect your tinde
- Gather kindling and firewoo
- Arrange the kindling and firewoo
- Light the fir
- Put out your fir
- Cleanup all traces of your fir
Summertime isn’t complete without a good ole campfire, but how do you build one? Starting a campfire at a campground or in backcountry is a breeze once you know which sticks to grab and how to arrange them. That’s why we’ve put together a step-by-step guide to safely and successfully building your own friendly campfire. Keep scrolling so you can get to those roasted marshmallows and campfire songs!
Lay 2 pieces of firewood parallel to each other, then stack 2 more logs on top that are perpendicular to the base. Build a few more layers like this.
Arrange tinder and kindling around the base of the wood and light it to get the fire going.
When you're done, extinguish the fire completely by pouring water over it.
if you can't find one and your camping site allows it.
Use a shovel to clear a circle of bare dirt about 10 feet (3.0 m) wide. In the center, dig a shallow fire pit 2 feet (0.61 m) wide and 6 inches (15 cm) deep.
Use dirt or medium-sized stones from nearby to build a circular barrier around the central pit.
Look for a spot on level ground away from overhanging branches, dry grass, or brush. Stay away from the bases of any hills (escaped fires travel quickly uphill).
Tinder is any very dry, small material that will catch fire quickly.
Look for tiny dried twigs, dry leaves or grass, or pine needles to start your fire with. You can even use crumpled newspaper or dryer lint from home if you plan ahead. Place your tinder in the center of your fire ring.
making tinder for your fire
could be wood chips or shavings, pieces or strips of cardboard, candle wax, cotton balls, or a
Look on the ground for dry, dead sticks and branches.
The best kindling sticks will be about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and long enough to reach from your elbow to your fingertips. Firewood will be larger—about the thickness of an adult wrist (or more) and as long as an arm.
Buy firewood or kindling from a store near the campground if your site or park doesn’t allow collection, like in many national parks.
Only use firewood found or bought near the campsite. Wood from home can harbor pests that can interfere with the site or park’s local ecosystem if they escape and spread.
Fires for cooking or for warmth require different arrangements of wood.
While any configuration can technically work, set up your kindling and firewood for success based on your needs. Here are some common and useful ways to build your campfire:
is simple and effective. Lean your kindling together to make a teepee (cone) shape over your tinder. Leave space between the sticks so air can feed your flames. As the fire grows, add bigger pieces of firewood.
is great for long lasting warmth. Lay 2 large pieces of firewood parallel to each other. Put 2 more logs on top, perpendicular to the base. Build a few more layers like this, then make a teepee with kindling around the base.
to cook over your open flames. Make a base of 2 or 3 large logs lying horizontally. Then place smaller logs vertically on top. Build a small teepee of kindling at the very top so the fire burns downward.
when you’re low on firewood. Make a small teepee with kindling, then lay several logs around the teepee so that only one end of each log is touching the teepee. The logs will be slowly consumed by the fire.
first to spread fire to the kindling and firewood.
Once the tinder catches the kindling on fire, keep adding kindling to sustain and grow the flames. Add firewood once the fire is large and stable enough to light bigger pieces of wood.
For safety, use only matches, a lighter, or a small amount of
if the tinder won’t catch.
As you add wood, leave room for air to circulate within the fire. Only use dry kindling and firewood when possible (it burns easier and smokes less).
Besides lighter fluid, avoid other accelerants (chemicals that ignite raging fires) like gasoline since they can easily burn out of control and become dangerous.
Fully extinguish your fire since burnt wood can stay hot for hours.
A gust of wind can reignite or spread embers when you’re not looking, so this is extra important. Check to see if your campfire is still too hot to touch. If it is, pour water over the fire, logs, and pit to
If you don’t have water, cover the embers and logs with dirt. Use a
or shovel to continually stir the dirt and embers around until they are fully extinguished.
It's best not to use sand to cover a campfire. The fire may look like it's out on the surface but still burn underneath the sand (because it's insulating). If sand is all you have available, make sure to stir it around and put out the embers, not just cover the fire.
A good rule of thumb for putting out campfires is “if it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave.”
"Leave no trace” of your fire to reduce your impact on the environment.
Replace any soil you used where you found it, and scatter unburnt wood to make the area look as natural as possible. Make sure your wood or coals are completely burnt and crushed into dust, then scatter them over a large area away from your campsite.
Clean up any litter, including uneaten food you roasted or garbage you burnt, and dispose of it according to the rules of your campsite.
Wait until your fire is completely extinguished and cool before you begin cleanup.
How do you put out a campfire without water?
If you don't have water, you can use dirt. Just make sure you're using a lot of dirt to snuff out any oxygen. Sand is another good option, so long as you make sure the fire is extinguished and not just covered by the sand.
Nov 11, 2023 · Learn five different methods of campfire building, from teepee to log cabin, and how to choose the right wood, tools, and fire pit. Also, find out how to extinguish a fire safely and follow the campfire rules.
Whether you want to stay warm, cook a meal, or simply enjoy the sounds of a campfire outdoors, there are many reasons to build a campfire on your camping trip. In fact, the crackling sounds and flickering light can have a relaxing effect on humans .
