Tips To Make Your Camp Fire Roar

August 22, 2012 by  
Filed under Camping Tips

Following is a short guide with the help of which one can build great campfires:

If you can build a good fire for your camping trip then besides impressing your friends you can also truly enjoy the camping. Though many camping equipment these days make the conventional campfire that looks boring and miserable. If one knows how to build an appropriate campfire then it can really make a great difference.

Previously, when there were no gas torches or matches at that time making an appropriate campfire was vital to any outdoor actions. People would enjoy here the warmth against cold weather and would cook foods for all. When the temperatures at night become lower then the campfires provide a space where everyone can assemble and enjoy the warmth.

Besides heat, the campfire also drives back the wild animals and makes the place safe. Lions, other beasts, and wild dogs are not very eager to come near the campfire place. This is the reason that the campfires always remain burning all night.

Although the skill of building campfires is lost partially as the matches seems to be more expedient. And campfire building as an art is still significant as well as vital to any camper’s trick lists.

Firstly, the secret of beginning the campfires is that you have to start it fast. It is possible only if you know exactly what is required to begin the campfire i.e. fuel, oxygen and heat.

The oxygen present around us is not readily obtainable all the time during campfire. The fuel should be arranged in a way that it can supply ample amount of air. This supply can also be increased by blowing in the cinder or by fanning the existing flames.

Usually heat is produced through friction for the campfires. Perhaps, you have to utilize a group of techniques for producing this heat. The techniques include using flint stones, rubbing two sticks together etc. On the other hand, if you do not have the correct fuel then you will not get magnificent flames.

The fire will keep burning because of the fuel. So it is very important part of your effort to find out the correct type of fuel for building the fire and also maintaining it. If you put heat to the firewood then the fire will not be built in that way. Tinder is required, it is an easily flammable stuff that burns quickly and also releases ample gas and heat along with huge pieces of wood that helps to start a fire

The best tinder is like dry leaves, twigs, dry sticks and bark. These sticks are used to begin the fire and then help to continue it. Keep in mind that if the larger and harder pieces of wood are burnt then only you will succeed in building a fire.

A number of ordinary campfire designs are:

Tepee – For rapid fires and long lasting at night tepees are good. Lot of tinder is used so you will need enough amount of tinder. You have to place and balance the large burning wood next to each other around the tinder vertically. It assures that the gas and the heat of the tinder are produced in such a way so that it helps to burn the long pieces of wood. This fire is perfect for not only boiling water but for all other campfire purposes.

Pyramid – Place the logs horizontally on the ground and make a pyramid then make one more layer on its top of the next, in this way slowly form the pyramid. Though it is very difficult to begin this kind of campfire but finally it will help you to produce a good amount of charcoal. You can use that later, it also burns very well and the fire also remains stable.

Parallel – Parallel fire sets the tinder amid the two logs. It is an effectual burning fire as the logs are also burnt from inside. Thus the heat and the fire go within the two logs in a good and snug place.

Star (Indian) – In old Western movies this kind of fire is normally seen. Logs lay out just like the spokes of the wheel. In the middle the tinder is placed. The fire can be easily maintained, however you only have to drive every spoke of the wheel on the middle when the burning of fuel takes place.

Conclusion

Several other types of campfires are also available and they have their own definite reasons. However, with any type of outdoor art, building and sustaining needs a huge amount of practice to make it perfect. We often see that a mother tell their children not to play with fire. You should treat it with esteem because it is so powerful that it can save as well as demolish. Keep in mind to follow the safety measures after completing the use of fire. Cover the fire with water and if there are any leftovers of the campfire then cover it also with dirt and dust. If you do not pay attention to the fire then it can cause grave damage to the property. Thus always take measures so that everything should not get burnt.

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