Bucket of WaterĪs a safety measure, keep a bucket of water within arms reach of your campfire. However, there are a few other items you should have with you when building a campfire. With your combustibles and tool for ignition compiled, your campfire is only a few steps away. Plus, a flint and steel will last way longer than a box of matches or a lighter. This time-tested combination generates a shower of sparks when struck together, and generally, works even when wet. Flint and Steelįor extended trips into the backcountry, it’s a good idea to bring along a flint and steel. For added peace of mind, keep one lighter in your pocket and an extra in your backpack. A simple disposable gas station lighter will do. Just be sure the matches you buy are of the “strike anywhere” variety. These are by far the most reliable tools to get a fire started quickly and efficiently. Matches that are waterproof and windproof should be on your person whenever you trek into the woods. Here are three of the best options: Matches The specific tool you use to ignite your fire isn’t important as long as it can deliver a spark or flame to your tinder reliably and with relative ease. Of course, if you want to embrace your primitive side, you can light a fire with nothing more than your bare hands, a stick, and a healthy dose of gumption. But for our purposes, more modern implements of ignition are completely acceptable. It can be significantly larger than your kindling, but not so large that it struggles to catch flame from the kindling.įor most campfires, dead, dry logs no larger than 5 or 6 inches in diameter make great fuel wood. The size of your fuel wood is the most important factor to consider. While tinder and kindling are only used when starting your campfire, fuel wood is what keeps the fire going into the night. Try to use dry logs that are 5-6 inches in diameter for camp fires Fuel Wood Green branches are often very moist and difficult to ignite. Whatever you do, avoid taking your kindling from live trees. Dry strips of bark can also make great kindling. 2 pencil to sticks roughly the diameter of your middle finger. Try to collect a range of kindling sizes from twigs with a diameter smaller than a no. Ideal kindling includes twigs and small branches that are dead and very dry. The role of kindling is to catch the flame coming off the tinder and transfer it to the larger pieces of fuel wood. So, if you’re planning a trip to a damp area or see rain in the forecast, be sure to bring plenty of dry tinder with you. Wet tinder is extremely difficult to light and certain to lead to frustration and possibly a fireless night. No matter what you have on hand, the most important thing to remember when gathering tinder is this: In the fire-making process, the role of tinder is to capture the initial spark or flame you generate in order to spread it to the rest of the wood. There are many different materials suitable for tinder - wood shavings, dry grass, dry leaves, dead moss, newspaper, toilet paper, or even drier lint among others. Whether you’re deep in the woods or just hanging out by the river for the day, if you can rummage up these three materials you’ll be well on your way to a roaring fire. Let’s start with the core ingredients of any good campfire: tinder, kindling, and fuel wood. I promise, you don’t need to a be a big time lumbersexual to do this. Then, I’ll show you how to modify a campfire for specific purposes including cooking, staying warm in the woods, and survival.
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