Firemaking Tips

Firemaking is a basic skill that every camper and backpacker needs to know. If this is your first time camping you may want to practice at home before heading out. It is also a great thing to teach your children.

Firemaking Location
The first issue is where you will build your fire. In a campground you are all set with a fire ring, but if you're out in the woods you will need to make some considerations.

You do not want your fire too close to trees, and not below any low hanging branches. You will need to clear the area of any dry brush, leaves, needles, or anything else that could ignite from a flying ember. The fire will need to be ventilated, but you don't want it where the wind will blow it out or cause excessive smoke.

If you're dealing with wet terrain or snow, then you may need to raise the fire. Using rocks you can build a stage to hold the fire. Rocks can also be used to line your fire pit. If you have lots of wire it can be turned into a mesh platform to support the fire. Be resourceful.

Firemaking Fuel
The next issue is what you will burn. If you're staying in a recreational campground, you may want to take firewood with you, and keep things simple.

If you're truly roughing it, you will need to gather your wood. There are 3 types of fuel: tinder, kindling, and logs. Gather all 3 in abundance (twice what you expect to need) prior to starting the fire. Things never seem to go right when you really need to start a fire, so be prepared.

Tinder is what catches your initial spark, or what you light with the match. It needs to be dry and light very easily. It won't burn long, but it should burn hot.

Tree bark can be used as tinder. Take your pocket knife and cut some off. Cut it into strands. Then rub it in your hands until it dries out and becomes thin and fuzzy.

Moss may work if you can dry it out. Some grasses may be used. Abandoned bird's nests are other possibilities. Look for highly flammable items.

If you can't find a good tinder source consider what you brought. Gauze bandages from your first aid kit. Cotton balls from your personal hygiene bag. Money from your wallet! Yes, these might be used as your tinder.

Kindling is made up of small pieces of wood. Sticks and twigs make good kindling. The idea is to get the kindling lit from the tinder very quickly. You start with a spark or flame (match), grow it into a ball of fire (tinder) with a short lifespan, and translate that into a small sustainable fire (kindling). From there we add on the logs to really grow our fire.

You can improve the flammability of your kindling by using your pocket knife. Take sticks and "feather" them by making short angled slices and pushing the slice out from the stick. Do this up and down the stick and on all sides.

Logs are the main source of fuel for the fire. This may be small branches, and in fact you should start small (or thin). Firemaking takes some patience as fires take some time to build up; if you place large logs on at the beginning it will probably go out as soon as the kindling is spent.

Gather low lying branches that are dead, or pick them up from fallen trees. You can use long branches if necessary, without breaking them. Place one end in the fire and as it burns, feed the rest of the branch into it.

Firemaking Construction
Firemaking requires a bit of construction or design. Start by placing your tinder on the foundation. You may want a little in your hand or on a separate rock to start the fire. Once it is lit, move it to the rest of the tinder so that it all catches fire. (Remember you should have twice the amount you expect to use, so leave half of it out.)

Above the tinder you will place kindling. This can be done several different ways (explained below). The main thing to remember is that the fire must be able to breathe. No oxygen means no fire. So don't place the wood too tightly together to where air can't easily get in. And you may want to have something ready to use as a fan (a map, a plate, and other such items will work fine).

Finally, you will place small logs on top or around the kindling to really get the fire going. Once the logs are burning on their own you can add more logs and bigger pieces.

We recommend considering 3 different designs: teepee, lean-to, and log cabin.

The teepee design is setup by placing your kindling in the shape of a teepee. Put one end of each piece on the ground and lean them all together at the other tip. You will do the same thing with the logs. This provides a centered fire, but can be hard to get going because of the instability. As the kindling burns the teepee may collapse and the logs never catch. So be ready to add more kindling.

A lean-to will use a rock or something else to create a wall. A large piece of wood can be used for the wall. The kindling and logs are leaned against the wall with the tinder underneath. This is a good method, especially if a large rock is present.

The log cabin structure is made by stacking thin logs in a square pattern and building up. The logs will from a log cabin design around the tinder. The kindling is set above the tinder, using the logs as support. An alternative format is to create a smaller log cabin with the kindling inside the logs.

A mixture of the log cabin and teepee also works well. Create a log cabin with the kindling and a teepee with the logs.

Firemaking: Lighting the Fuel
Firemaking has to start with a spark of course. In 5th grade we were taught how to generate a spark using a bow and arrow (drill). While that might be interesting, just use a match or lighter. We recommend that you take both with you, as well as a flint and steel just in case. You may also want a candle. A small birthday cake candle will stay lit much longer than a match and can be used many times to light the tinder.

If it's windy use your hands and other objects to protect the flame from dying out. If the air is stagnant you may need to blow lightly on the tinder to get it to spread. Be sure you have lots of tinder and kindling.

If you are having a really tough time consider what other highly flammable materials you may have with you. Be careful, but things like insect repellent can be used. Alcohol and petroleum jelly are other common options.

Once the fire is going you can add green logs and they will burn. To start out you will want dead, dry wood, as green is very hard to use. But a strong fire will dry out and burn live wood as well.

Firemaking in a Hole
There may be times when you will want to dig a hole to place your fire in. If it is very windy, wildfire danger is high, or you don't want to be seen, then digging a pit first might be ideal. However, the digging alone can be a lot of work so don't do it unnecessarily.

The trick with holes is venting the fire so that it has oxygen. The best way to handle this problem is to dig 2 holes, each about a foot apart. Then dig a tunnel at the bottom going from one hole to the other. Place your wood in one hole and keep the other one open.

You may also want to dig a small hole for cooking. In this case just dig a hole appropriate for your pot or whatever it is you are cooking. Build your fire as normal. Once the fire is going well, scoop some coals into your cooking hole. Hopefully you have a shovel to not only dig the hole, but to move the coals.

Final Tips on Firemaking
Don't build your fire too big. Bonfires are dangerous and burn wood unnecessarily. If you are lost and trying to make smoke signal stack brush and leaves near the fire. When you see or hear the search and rescue team, then add your smoky materials and build up the flames.

Before you begin firemaking determine if you even need a fire. Consider how long you will be there. If you anticipate it being at least several hours it is probably worth it. A good fire also improves optimism.

Remember to thoroughly extinguish the fire when you are done. The ground below can stay hot for hours after the fire is out and tinder can catch fire by exposure. Separate coals from each other. Cover the embers with dirt. Then drench the firepit with water.

Be sure to teach your children fire safety and respect. And remember that if you create a rock ring, those rocks do heat up and can cause third-degree burns on contact. Just because you don't see smoke or flames, doesn't mean there isn't danger of getting burned.

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