|
Making a campfire is an essential part of a good camping experience, and could save your life if you only have one match to accomplish the task. Campfires should not be started until you have all the necessary materials on hand and until you have chosen a good site where you can build your fire. Try to look for a place where there is a bit of shelter from both wind and rain, so on top of a hill is not a good idea.
The materials needed for the campfire are a match, some very fine kindling, some medium sized sticks and large logs. The kindling can usually be found in tiny sticks, especially dried pine sticks are useful for this job. Make sure the kindling is very dry and brittle which is key in starting a campfire quickly and efficiently. The medium sized sticks should have a diameter of about 0.5 - 3cm. They should also be very dry. You should have about 4 very dry logs, and if you have no more dry logs on hand it's ok, since you can still use the slightly damp logs. If you have newspaper on hand it will be much easier to light your fire. Ball up the newspaper tightly and put the newspaper balls in the center of your fire and build around it. When the newspaper is tight in balls it burns much longer then if it was open.
Most of the campfire depends on the way you stack the fire. Make a small tent-shaped stack with the kindling (around the newspaper if you have any, if not, put the very dry small pieces in the center), with the smallest pieces in the center and the larger pieces outside. Keep stacking in the tent shape always putting the smallest sticks first with the largest sticks on the outside. Last put 3-4 logs in the tent shape configuration, making sure the whole stalk doesn't tip over. If that happens start over; it is worse if you can't get the fire started. Now you are ready to light your fire.
When lighting the match, don't hold it so it is vertical and the flame at the top since the fire will be out in the first few seconds. Instead hold the match at a downward angle, so the fire is at the bottom, and immediately start lighting the kindling, for which you left a small space while stacking. Blow gently to fan the flame and provide more kindling into the space where you lit the fire, all the while blowing gently. The larger sticks should now catch on fire and after a short while the logs. Now that you have a fire going, you can put on more logs as needed. If the logs are damp, put them on the fire before the fire is burnt down since it takes longer to catch on fire. You can also stack the rest of the damp logs near the fire to help speed the drying process.
Make sure the area you light the fire in is not a fire hazard, and before you leave the campsite, put out the fire completely with water if necessary. It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and you don't want to start a wild forest fire because you were too careless to put it out completely. The fire will burn for as long as you provide more logs for it, and it should only take one match to get your perpetual fire started.
|
| |
