International Park :: Camping Blog » Campfire Building

A Campfire Ring

Andy Johnson — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 06:31:06 +0000

For a lot of people the heart of a camping trip is the fire, as everyone gathers and another day of adventure draws to a close. It is designed to make it easy to create that great piece of camping tradition. For experienced campers they will more than likely make their own ring by using a shovel to dig a pit and put stones at the edge. Before making any fire local regulations should be adhered to especially in area where forest fires are a dangerous hazard.

At its most basic, a camp fire ring is a circular piece of metal, which will confine the flames a fire to provide safety. These can also be found with much more elaborate designs sometimes including camping sayings about the old traditions of sitting around the old camp fire.

Others incorporate certain cooking facilities and other equipment is also designed to cook food by using the fire of a camp. Portable ones are very useful for those combining walking with camping, as they are very lightweight but still do the job intended. Even static campgrounds will provide rings; in this case, they are usually more heavy duty, often steel. Concrete is a good option for the yard, and will last for very many years as well as being very cheap to make.

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Build An Ethically Clean Campfire

Andy Johnson — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:16:05 +0000

It is discouraging to walk into a scenic backcountry campsite only to find that others before you have left large, charred logs lying across the fire pit. These types of fires are not all that impressive or warm, plus what they leave behind is ugly and detracts from the aesthetics of the area. The key to a hot, bright and ethically clean campfire lies on the ground under your feet, even at campsites seemingly scavenged of all suitable wood. The reckless fire builder looks for the largest log in the forest. The responsible fire builder looks for small twigs and branches, which are much more abundant and typically overlooked by others.

Smart campfire building begins with the collection of small branches and twigs in three sizes: small, medium and large. Be sure to collect only material already on the ground. Do not cut or break branches from standing or downed trees. The smallest branches and twigs should have a diameter similar to a pencil and be broken into 6″ lengths. These will be used to build the initial pyramid. Branches in the medium category should have a diameter of approximately 1/2″ to 3/4″ and be broken into 8″ to 10″ lengths. Finally, large wood for our purposes is anything you can break by hand or foot. This typically includes branches and small logs up to approximately 1″ to 2″ in diameter. If you are packing an axe or saw, then you can go a little bigger. Try to keep the length of wood in the large category to around 12″. As you collect the wood for your campfire, create three piles. One pile for each size mentioned above. The amount of wood in the picture to the right will keep a campfire burning for approximately one hour.

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Campfire Building Techniques

Andy Johnson — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:14:09 +0000

Not everyone knows the best ways to build a campfire though, so here are three simple and easy techniques that will make your campfire a raging success. Keeping your campfire safe should always be your first priority when taking a family camping trip. This is particularly important if you are camping in remote or disbursed campground areas, and it is critical when camping in high fire areas such as those scattered across the desert southwestern area of the United States. To ensure staying safe with your campfire, be sure to clear a wide area of any dry brush that might easily catch fire from a stray ember. Being a small pit to put your fire and will help it stay safe, as will surrounding it with rocks and stones.

The first type of campfire you can build is often referred to as a teepee fire. This type of campfire got its name because you will be arranging the sticks and firewood in a pointed teepee type structure. First you need to make a small pile of kindling in the center of your fire circle. Then stand up numerous sticks in a circular pattern all leaning against each other at the top similar to the tepee. Like the kindling that is in the middle at the bottom and as it catches fire to flames will rise up and like the sticks that are arranged around it to.

Another excellent way to create a campfire is by building a blog cabin type structure with your sticks instead. To make a log cabin style campfire, you also start with a small bit of kindling in the middle of your fire circle. Make sure you have enough to get a good strong flame burning. Now lay out your sticks and small branches in a square shape surrounding the kindling pile. This creates a box like structure, which sort of resembles an old-fashioned log cabin. When you light the kindling pile in the center, the flames from that will extend to the small walls of twigs and branches you have created.

A third way to make an excellent campfire is to create a wagon wheel shape. Just like the previous two methods, you will first create a pile of small flammable kindling in the center of your fire pit. With this campfire design you will lay your larger sticks and twigs across the top and center of kindling pile. Continue adding additional twigs and branches all the way around so that you have a spoked wheel type shape in the center of your fire pit.

Ways to Build a Campfire

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 08:16:37 +0000

Anyone who has been on a camping trip knows that there is nothing better than standing around a warm campfire on a brisk morning with northern winds blowing hard in your face. The feeling of warming your hands and then slowly the rest of your body reminds you that you’re still alive! It almost gives you the feeling of what it must have been like living in the wilderness many centuries ago. But before you can enjoy the warm comfort of your own campfire, you need to know exactly how to build one. Here is a easy way to build your very first campfire in 3 simple steps.

1. Create a Teepee. First make a small pile of fire kindling in the center of your pit. Kindling is anything small and dry such as pine needles, and tiny twigs. Then around and above your kindling pile, lean small sticks against each other in an Indian TeePee shape. Light the kindling, and once it starts burning, it should easily catch the TeePee twigs on fire too. Then you simply keep adding wood!

2. Create a Log Cabin. To make a log cabin campfire, you again start with a small pile of kindling in the middle of your firepit. Then you lay out twigs and sticks in a square shape around the kindling pile. With a log cabin style campfire, you’ll need to make sure you’re laying your cabin sticks close enough to the kindling for them to light. Once you have small “walls” for your cabin built up several inches, light the kindling. As that catches on, it should also light the twigs and sticks from your “cabin”.

3. Make a Wagon Wheel. With a wagon wheel campfire, you’re again starting out with a small pile of kindling in the center of your fire pit. Then you lay your twigs and sticks across the top, intersecting each other in a way that makes the wood look like the spokes on a wagon wheel. After the wood catches, you’ll want to move the longer pieces of your “wheel” in closer to the center so they can burn full.

So there you have it. Three easy ways to build a great campfire! Now that you know the simple ways to do this, you’ll enjoy your next family camping, hiking or trekking trip all the more.