Buzz
Starting a campfire is quite simple when you have the right materials and tools. Look for tinder, kindling, and firewood to light and maintain a warm fire. For safety, always ensure the fire is at least 2 meters away from tents, shelters, or trees. Don’t forget to properly extinguish the fire after you're done enjoying it.
Steps
Gather Necessary Materials
Buy pre-split firewood for safety, if possible. Pre-split firewood is the best choice for starting a campfire at home and is also a wise decision for outdoor fires. If firewood is available, you won’t have to spend time and energy searching for firewood in the forest, unsure if you'll even find any. Pre-split firewood is sold at hardware stores or by local vendors near campgrounds.
If you plan to visit a national park or campsite, make sure to check whether they prohibit bringing in firewood from outside and if they sell firewood on-site, or if they forbid collecting firewood on their land.
Use industrial firewood specifically designed for decorative fires. Industrial firewood contains sawdust and paraffin wax, making it easier to light and producing a clean flame. The advantage of this type of firewood is that it doesn't require extra tinder and creates less mess, but it doesn't generate as much heat as regular firewood.
- For a quick and easy fire without needing to warm up, you can buy industrial firewood at hardware stores.
Find dry, small materials for tinder to start an outdoor fire. Tinder consists of easily flammable materials used to start a fire. Dry materials like dried grass, leaves, bark scraps, or newspaper are perfect options. In a pinch, popcorn snacks can also make great tinder if you're willing to sacrifice a snack.
Tip: Some stores sell ready-made tinder. You can also prepare your own tinder in advance.
Look for medium-sized dry materials to use as kindling. Kindling is materials that catch fire when exposed to burning tinder but are difficult to ignite on their own. Look for small branches, twigs, or large bark pieces. Be sure the materials are completely dry.
- Use an axe or knife to split larger logs into kindling.
Gather firewood. Firewood consists of logs that burn for a long time and keep the flame alive. You should look for dry, brittle wood in various sizes to add to the fire as needed. Different types of wood burn differently, so pay attention to the following:
- Hardwoods, like oak and maple, are harder to ignite but burn for a long time.
- Softwoods, like pine and cedar, burn quickly and crackle because of the resin in the wood.
Build the campfire structure
Clear a dry and open surface. Choose a location at least 2 meters away from trees, bushes, and low-hanging branches. Clear away dry leaves, twigs, and other materials that can catch fire and spread the flames. Make sure the ground is dry, or use rocks to create a base for your fire.
- Arrange rocks in a wide circle with a diameter of about 1m to 1.2m to mark the fire area.
- Never build a fire within 2 meters of a tent or shelter if you plan on sleeping outdoors.
Build a simple crisscross fire structure. Spread tinder in the center, then stack kindling in a crisscross pattern on top. Continue layering firewood over the kindling in the same fashion.
Tip: When stacking fire materials, remember to leave gaps in the center for airflow to provide oxygen and maintain the flame.
Build a cone-shaped structure to make starting the fire easier. Roll the tinder into a ball about 10 cm in diameter. Arrange the kindling in a cone shape around the tinder, leaving one side open. Stack the firewood around the kindling and tinder to form a frame, ensuring there’s a gap that aligns with the open side of the kindling structure.
Note: This structure is an alternative to the crisscross design. Do not use both styles at the same time!
Create a 'wooden house' fire structure for simplicity. Place the tinder in the center of your fire pit, then arrange the kindling in a tent shape around the tinder. Position two logs on each side of the 'tent,' followed by two more logs placed perpendicular to them.
- Continue stacking 2-3 more layers in the same manner to create a 'wooden house' structure.
- This design also serves as an alternative to the crisscross or cone-shaped structures.
Light the Fire
Use matches or a lighter if available. The easiest way to start a fire is with fire-starting tools like matches or a lighter. Strike the match or ignite the lighter carefully and touch it to the tinder until it catches fire.
- Gently blow on the burning tinder to help the flames grow stronger.
- For the best results, light the tinder from multiple sides to ensure a good burn.
Start a fire with flint and steel, a weather-resistant fire-starting tool. A flint and steel fire starter kit is an excellent, durable tool that withstands rain and sun, making it a great alternative to matches and lighters. Place the flint and steel close to the tinder in the center of your fire pit, then strike the steel against the flint several times to produce sparks that will ignite the tinder.
- Flint and steel kits can be found at hardware stores, sporting goods shops, outdoor equipment stores, or purchased online.
Make a fire plow for emergency fire-starting. Use a knife or sharp tool to carve a groove in a soft piece of wood. Then, rub a stick or small branch back and forth along the groove to create friction and heat. After a few minutes, the heat will increase and ignite the wood materials.
- If you don’t have a knife, you can use other sharp objects like a pen, nails, or a metal skewer to carve the wood.
Safely Extinguish the Fire
Start extinguishing the fire 20 minutes before you leave. It will take some time for the fire to completely go out, and leaving before it’s fully extinguished can be dangerous. Plan ahead for when to start putting out the fire to ensure you have enough time to do so safely.
Tip: If you need to leave the fire pit at some point, set an alarm on your phone for 20 minutes before you go.
Pour water on the fire. Use a watering can to gently pour water over the fire and sprinkle it on the glowing embers. Take your time and pour slowly. You can also use a large water bottle, a plant watering can, or any other suitable container to pour water gradually over the fire.
Avoid pouring too much water at once to extinguish the fire, as this can damage the fire pit and make it difficult to use again in the near future.
Use a branch or shovel to stir the embers while pouring water. As you pour the water, stir the embers to ensure that they are thoroughly wet. Use a branch or a metal shovel for stirring. Be sure to stir thoroughly and keep stirring until the fire is completely out.
Make sure the fire no longer emits heat, smoke, or sounds. Hold your hand close to the fire pit to check if it has cooled down. If you don't feel any heat rising from the ground, the fire is probably out. Also, check for any signs of steam or listen for crackling sounds, which are indications of hot embers still burning.
- If you don't observe any of these signs, it's safe to leave the area.
- If any of these signs are present, repeat the extinguishing process. If you don't plan to light another fire there, pour more water over the fire pit.
Expert Tips
Here are some tips to remember when building a campfire:
- Gather enough kindling to keep the fire going. To maintain a fire for 24 hours, you’ll need a pile of kindling roughly the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. For extra assurance, double that amount.
- Use a variety of dry materials if you don’t have enough kindling. If you’re running low on kindling, make use of other dry materials like dry leaves, pine branches, and bark to keep the fire burning until you have more dry twigs.
- Plan your firekeeping strategy wisely. To ensure an even and safe burn, start with smaller twigs while the fire is small, then add larger branches as the fire grows bigger.
Advice
- Always have at least one bucket of water or sand nearby to extinguish the fire.
- Never leave the fire unattended.
