#CAMPFIRE BELLOWS POCKET HOW TO#

Lean-to fires are not only easy to build and effective: The version with the supporting firewood placed directly on the ground is an especially good way to go in windy conditions, with the fire lit on the leeward side. Some folks build a lean-to fire using a piece of green wood actually wedged into the ground and kindling/firewood braced upon this “ridgeline.”

At its most simple, this may take the form of a piece of fuel wood laid on the ground with tinder nestled on one side and kindling and other firewood leaned against it. Here are several of the most basic campfire constructions: The Lean-toĪmong the very simplest campfire designs is the lean-to.

Flame then spreads from kindling to larger, thicker fuel wood: what you might just call firewood or “logs.”.

Tinder is the material-anything from dry leaves, moss, or “fatwood” to petroleum-jelly-soaked cotton balls, dryer lint, or paper-that catches the initial spark of the fire, which then lights kindling: twigs, branches, and small splits of wood that build up the fire’s initial combustion and heat.

cooking camping meals, for example), and different environments.īefore we get into some techniques of campfire-building, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page vocab-wise. The truth is, there isn’t a “best” style it’s good to know a few different arrangements for different conditions, different fire uses (heat vs. You can start some pretty vigorous discussions on the subject of which campfire design is the very best.

#CAMPFIRE BELLOWS POCKET HOW TO#

Image by aixklusiv from Pixabay How to Build a Campfire: Common Designs A shovel can also be used to help snuff out flames and embers, but water is better for safely dousing them: Dirt or sand dumped on coals can actually insulate them, raising the possibility of a subsoil fire spreading or wind removing the overlying material and reigniting a surface fire. If you’ve made a fire outside of a designated fireplace or fire ring, disperse these cooled ashes and restore the site to as natural an appearance as possible-and return any mineral soil you moved to a fire cloth or firepan to wherever you scooped it up.Īlways keep plenty of water on hand for extinguishing a fire. When extinguishing a campfire, use plentiful amounts of water, sifting and spreading ashes in between dousings your job’s not done until the ashes are cool to the touch.

You can also build a fire on top of a mound of mineral soil spread atop fire-resistant fabric (such as a fire cloth) or a specially made firepan, which is the most Leave No Trace approach. Instead, choose a spot such as open gravel, sand, or bare mineral soil. If there’s an existing fire ring, use it to minimize your impact.

Distant (don’t gather in the near radius of your campsite, and spread out your wood-collecting).Dinky (in other words, small-use wood smaller in diameter than your forearm or wrist).Downed (don’t break branches off from standing trees or shrubs or cut them down-even dead ones, which provide important habitat).The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics advocates abiding by the “Four Ds” when it comes to gathering firewood: Don’t transport firewood long-distance, as that can spread pests and pathogens to wild woodlands and forests buy or gather wood locally. If you do decide to have a fire, remember to do so ethically, with both safety and ecological sensitivity in mind.

Campfire bellows pocket