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Campfires are fun and a great source of heat and
light. By following the proper steps to prepare and tend to your campfire it
will provide safe enjoyment for many hours.
Since campfires char the ground, it is best to
confine your fire to a fire pit, usually found in most campsites, or a
designated fire “areaâ€, usually created with rocks and away from low-hanging
trees. Most organized campsites you will visit have metal fire pits or rings
just for this activity. If they don’t you can create a fire pit, but first find
out if it’s OK with the Ranger or Park Manager. If it’s OK, following these 7
easy step:
1. Find an
area that is flat and away from trees or overhanging branches.
2. Gather rocks to create a fire pit to keep the
fire and ash contained. Clean-up twigs, leaves and other debris up to 10 feet
around the fire pit.
3. If permitted,
gather 3 types of firewood:
- Tinder - dry pine needles, shredded
bark, or wood shavings. We’ll show you how to make a fuzz stick later
on!
- Kindling – dead twigs, small dry
branches, no thicker than a pencil or pen.
- Fuel – wood larger than kindling and
about the size of your arm. If you brought some firewood logs, this is when you
can use them!
4. Lay the
fire – put the tinder in the middle of the fire pit, place plenty of kindling
over the tinder. Arrange small and medium-sized fuel wood in a tepee or log
cabin shape. I like the tepee shape!
5. Strike a match
and light the tinder and watch the fire grow!
6. Keep adding fuel wood to the outside of your
tepee as it burns. You can add a few pieces to each side of the fire and it
will burn for a long time.
7. Putting out the campfire - After you
have enjoyed your cozy fire it’s time to safely extinguish it. Allow the fire
to burn down to ash or small coals. Pour water on the embers. Be careful that
rising smoke, ash and steam doesn’t get in your eyes! Stir the wet ashes with a
stick and pour more water on them. The best test to know if your campfire is
out, is when you can safely touch the coals with your bare hands!
Some campsites won’t
let you gather wood and only allow camper-provided wood to be burned. When I
know I’m going to a campsite like this I usually stop by the grocery store and
pick up a bundle of firewood. At the campsite I can create kindling from the
logs with a hatchet and use a small wad of newspaper or paper towel for the
tinder. The main thing to remember is to have fun with a campfire. Cook
smores, sing songs, tell scary stories and enjoy the warmth and coziness of a
fire!
You can’t always choose the most ideal weather
conditions on your family campout, but you can still have a warm, cozy campfire,
even when it’s raining.
Wet Weather Fire TIPS
- With the first sign of rain, gather tinder
and kindling for a couple of fires and store them under a plastic sheet or green
garbage bag. I always bring a couple of green garbage bags when we camp. I
usually find something useful and unique to do with them. (In the section: "Staying Dry and Warm" I
tell you how to make a poncho).
- You can also split wet wood with an axe or
hatchet and reveal the dry, inside part of the wood, which will catch easily in
a fire.
- Keep matches safe from dampness by putting
them in a plastic bag or plastic 35mm film canister. My son likes to waterproof
his matches by dunking the head of the match into a puddle of candle wax.
