{"id":3015,"date":"2019-03-04T10:17:24","date_gmt":"2019-03-04T09:17:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.tatonka.com\/?p=3015"},"modified":"2019-07-17T15:56:18","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T13:56:18","slug":"how-to-make-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tatonka.com\/en\/how-to-make-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"Campfires: how to make fire and where it’s allowed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Letting the day end next to a silently crackling campfire: more outdoor-romance while trekking or being on the road is hardly possible. Anyway, making fire in the wild isn\u2019t always that easy: you need to know how to make it and what kind of combustion material is necessary, which is especially crucial to not jeopardize yourself or others. Consequently, open fire is not permitted everywhere. Let\u2019s bring some light into the darkness.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being able to make fire can come quite handy for backpackers: it causes warmth, can be used for cooking and – most importantly – creates perfect outdoor vibes. Before starting the fire, you\u2019d check whether it\u2019s allowed around your place of choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep in mind<\/strong>: There can be harsh regulations in terms of open fire. You better inform yourself about the rules in your target country beforehand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A campfire, that\u2019s for sure, leaves traces and destroys a bit of nature. That\u2019s why you might want to use an already existing fire pit – if possible. It\u2019s always the best idea to use official fire places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, you need to consider some aspects, still: Is there strong winds? How dry is the soil and the plants nearby? If the area is parched, you better don\u2019t risk making open fire to avoid forest and field fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fire pit – mind the subsoil and the area around<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your fireplace\u2019s subsurface should always be mineral: sand, rocks, gravel or scree. Organic subsoil like peat, rotten twigs or wood humus might continue smoldering some time unnoticed causing a new fire. So please choose your fire pit carefully since you\u2019re responsible in case of a burn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d kindle your camp fire on grassland it is useful to remove the organic material with a shovel – the area should be greater than the surface of the fireplace. The best way to do so is by removing single pieces of the grassland. The advantage: those pieces can be replanted, and you don\u2019t leave any traces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You want to get rid of anything burnable which is close to the fire pit – the same goes for wet material. Sparks might light it up. Moreover, you\u2019d mind the wind direction: your tent must never be pitched in the downwind direction of the fire. Sparks might burn holes in the (outer) layer of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If possible, try to find a fire place next to a stream, creek or pond so there\u2019s water at hand to distinguish the fire swiftly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"campfire<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Also interesting:<\/em><\/strong> Camping or trekking tent – Which tent type are you?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collecting fuel – which qualifies best for burning?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After you found the perfect spot for your campfire, you\u2019d start looking for combustible material. To start a fire, you need three different kinds of fuel: tinder, firewood and something you light it with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tinder is useful for keeping the first flames alive. Therefore, you can use dry grass, chipped wood, which you can scrape off dry branches with your pocketknife, or dandelion-seeds. You can also use dried leaves or needles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that, you need dry twigs, thin branches, dried pine cones or something similar. Spruces-brushwood is particularly useful. Dead branches usually don\u2019t fall off the spruces\u2019 trunk. The good thing about this is they\u2019re not spread all around the area and keep dry even on rainy days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To keep the fire going, you need thicker branches, which burn for a longer period. These, of course, should be dry as well. The best idea is to collect enough fuel before you start the campfire. In this case you don\u2019t run the risk lacking necessary firewood for your tedious created flames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to pile the wood best?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After collecting enough firewood you have to pile the fuel properly. There are different styles. In general: fire needs oxygen. Therefor, it\u2019s crucial to layer everything quite loosely so air can reach the fire from both the sides and below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the ground is a bit moist it\u2019s a good idea to start the fire slightly elevated. Simply arrange some branches to one and another on the surface – think of a tiny raft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, you place the tinder in the very middle of this \u201cfirst-layer\u201d. Around, shaped like a pyramid, you pile thin branches getting bigger with every layer further from the core. It\u2019s essential to leave enough space for oxygen to reach the flames. A pyramid\u2019s shape on the one hand isn\u2019t just sturdy it on the other hand helps to light up the fuel on the top with the more and more growing flames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, the time has come to set the tinder on fire with whatever tool you want – use the lowest level of the pyramid and kindle several spots at once so the flames can grow equally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"campfire<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kindle a campfire without a lighter – which tools to use?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Of course, you can simply use matches or a lighter to start a campfire. But matches can get wet if not packed appropriately and lighters might be out of gas. Fortunately, there\u2019re handy alternatives for backpackers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n