Tips Camping - Tips Camping
Camping just isn’t camping without a campfire. The smell, the warmth, the dancing flames, the crackle, the glowing coals, the taste of campfire cooked meals, the friends, the songs, the stories, the sound of crickets. Campfires provide a connection with nature, a time of reflection and a feeling of peace.
Enjoy your next campfire!
• Clear area of all debris/avoid area with overhanging branches
• Construct a fire ring surrounded by rocks
• Have a bucket of water, shovel and a fire extinguisher nearby and ready to put out a fire
• Gather wood and stack in separate piles away from fire area. Do not use green or freshly cut wood.
There are three different kinds of wood needed for a successful campfire
• Tinder – small twigs, wood shavings, dry leaves or grass, dry needles, bark or dryer lint. This should start to burn immediately with a lighted match.
• Kindling – small sticks 1? around or less
• Fuel – larger wood that keeps the fire going
When one of these three things are removed, the fire stops burning
Example – Water cools fuel below ignition point, dirt cuts off the oxygen supply.
• Fuel- material that will burn
• Heat – enough heat to bring fuel to ignition
• Air – to provide oxygen to burning process
Starting the campfire
• Start with a couple hands full of tinder loosely piled in the center of your fire ring.
• With your back to the wind and match protected by the cup of your hand, ignite tinder with a match.
• Discard used match into the fire.
• Slowly add more tinder. You may need to blow softly at the base of the fire.
• Once the tinder has fully started to burn, slowly add some smaller pieces of kindling. Keep close together but allow space for air.
• Gradually increase the size of the kindling you add to the fire.
• When you have a good fire going, add the fuel one piece at a time as described below.
• Allow for adequate air flow.
Types of Fires
• Tepee Fire – good for quick cooking since the heat is concentrated in one spot. Lay the fuel over your kindling like a tepee.
• Crisscross Fire – good for a long lasting fire with a lot of coals. Excellent for a campfire. Lay the fuel over the kindling in a crisscross pattern.
Safety with Fire
• NEVER build a fire near tents or other flammable items.
• NEVER use flammable fluids to start a fire.
• NEVER leave fire unattended.
• Build a fire only as big as you need.
• Make sure to completely extinguish fire.
• Scatter ashes or embers out.
• Sprinkle with water. Stir with a stick. Repeat.
• Drench charred logs.
• Repeat until everything is cold.