Some Experience With Wilderness Campfires, by N.P.

I recently attended a “survival camp” with my son’s Boy Scout troop and was surprised how many of the boys were unable to get a good fire started.  Today’s emphasis of “don’t play with matches” even seems to have most kids scared of fire.  A fire provides warmth, the ability to cook, and even a setting to bring the day to a close.  Building a sustainable fire quickly and comfortably is a survival skill that everyone should know.  Some preparation is required, however to be able to start and keep a fire burning.  Everyone’s kit should include some type of fire starter.  This could be anything from waterproof matches to a 9 volt battery or a piece of flint and steel.  Some type of kindling should also be in your kit.  Some compact examples include, dryer lint (a small pinch of that stuff most people throw out can easily ignite a lasting fire), sawdust (some people even coat it in a wax and store it this way), cotton balls (these can be soaked in alcohol or vaseline and kept in a plastic baggy), or even small strips of newspaper. 

When the need for a fire arises, one needs to be able to construct a fire that will light quickly and stay lit.  First, an area to build the fire in must be cleared.  An area in the center of your camp is ideal unless you are trying to stay hidden.  Clear a large area of sticks, leaves, grasses, or debris.  Find some large rocks or debris to create a fire circle to delineate the fire area from your camp.  Be sure not to use rocks from streams, lakes, or other bodies of water as these may contain small traces of water that when heated will “explode”.  If you are worried about your fire giving away your location, it is possible to build a covert fire.  This can be done by digging an actual pit for the fire to burn in and surrounding the pit with larger nonflammable items to act as a wall.  It is possible to construct a fire that can still give off heat and be used to cook over without it being seen from a distance.  It is also possible to build your fire in a non-flammable metal container as well (i.e.  50 gallon drum).  Once a fire pit is established it is time to prepare the actual fire itself.  It is important to select dry wood for a fire.  Branches and limbs that have fallen are a good place to start.  An old trick to determine how wet a piece of wood is is to break the wood.  If you get a distinct cracking sound, the wood is dry. If the sound is muffled or dull sounding than the wood may be too wet to burn and should be set out to dry.  It is also possible to find dead branches still attached to trees that will be dry enough to burn.  Also make sure you do not select and poisonous material to burn especially if you will be using your fire to cook! 

When setting up a fire you must consider that a fire requires oxygen, combustible material, and a source of ignition.  Your kit should contain two of these items and your body will provide the oxygen, however there must be a way to get it to the fire as it burns.  Two simple types of fire setups that meet these criteria include the lean-to type and the teepee type.  The lean-to type of fire is constructed by placing a large log to the side of the cleared out fire pit.   Finding the smallest possible sticks, stack these in a perpendicular row with one end on the log and the other on the ground creating a triangular space between the ground, large log, and small sticks.  This area will be where the fire will start and you can add oxygen by blowing into this tunnel or fan this area.  Continue to build on top of the small sticks with slightly larger sticks.  When this is complete, there should still be space between the original row of small sticks and the ground for starting the fire.  A second option is the teepee fire.  This requires a little more skill and three half inch to three quarter inch diameter sticks.  These should be arraigned in a pyramidal structure in the center of the cleared out fire pit with one end in the ground and the other ends all touching.  This can be modified by tying the sticks together or lashing the ends but will increase the time necessary.  Just arranging them so that they lean on each other should be sufficient to hold them up.  Taking small sticks and using the “pyramid”, stack around the structure to create a teepee keeping a small opening to light the fire and add oxygen.  Once small sticks are all around move on to larger sticks and build up a good size teepee.  This structure should collapse on itself as it burns.

Once the basic frame for your fire is setup you are ready to light it.  Take a small piece of the lint and pull it apart to create more surface area.  Use a match, striker, or other means to get a spark on the lint and it should begin to smolder and burn.  With gentle even breaths, begin to grow your fire.  Place this in the opening of the teepee or in the tunnel of the lean to and gently blow on the spark to get it to grow in size and intensity.  A steady slow exhalation works much better than many short breaths.  This small fire is all that is necessary to get the smallest sticks burning, though some people find it helpful to start with small dry leaves or dry grass and increase the size of the flame before getting to the sticks, although this will increase the amount of smoke given off by the fire.  These small sticks will burn quickly and move to the larger sticks.  Be sure to increase the size of the sticks as the fire builds and move to logs when the fire is of sufficient size.  It will be necessary to keep a supply of wood nearby or send groups out to gather wood throughout the night.  The larger logs may burn slower and with less light, but the coals will stay warm for hours. 

Cooking over an outdoor fire also requires a little forethought.  Before lighting the fire it may be necessary to setup some way to keep food over the fire, but still be able to retrieve it without burning oneself.  This can be done, obviously, with a long stick whittled down at one end.  You may also consider placing two large sticks on either side of the fire and connecting them with a string far enough above the fire that it will not burn.  It will then be possible to suspend your food with fish hooks and line directly over the fire to cook.  It is also possible to cook over the coals or flames using pots and pans.  One trick, though, is to coat the outside of them with a liquid soap first.  This will prevent them from scorching and will allow them to wash off very quickly with a minimal amount of water.

When your fire is out and it is time to leave it behind, there are still a few necessary safety items to consider.  Even if it looks like a fire is out and nothing is there except ashes, it is still important to douse your fire circle, pit, etc. with a large amount of water before you leave.  One should be able to safely put their bare hand through the ashes to ensure it is completely out.  No one wants to be responsible for accidentally starting a large forest or brush fire.  If you worry about leaving behind a sign of your fire, once it is completely out, the ashes can be scattered, buried, or covered over without fear of them re-igniting. 

It is possible to expose your children to safe use of fires without them even realizing they are being taught.  Having a bonfire a few times, roasting marshmallows with them, cooking smores are just a couple of ways to introduce them to fire building skills and safety.  Let them gather the wood for themselves, pick their own rocks for the circle, or pour the water on at the end of your fire time – kids inherently want to help with whatever they see their parents doing and this is an ideal way to let them learn.  It is also an ideal way to let them see a fire does not have to be a scary thing but can be used as any other tool for good or bad.  A fire is an ideal way to prepare meals, keep kids busy (gathering wood, telling stories, etc), and provide a centerpiece to camp.  One of man’s earliest gathering places was around a fire and may be again some day.