May
11
These tips are a general way of how to start campfire, you can change it to suit your situation and your surroundings.
Starting a campfire can be a challenge sometimes, if you use these camping tips about how to start campfire it will be easy
The most important thing is to have dry sticks and leaves, not green sappy wood. The wood needs to have been dried out for several months at least, 12 months is better.
- Before starting any campfire, make sure that campfires are allowed where you are and that there are no restrictions or total fire bans on that day. Don’t start a campfire in dry areas or on days of high wind as the wind can easily carry embers and start another fire. Always have a bucket of water close by.
- Check if you are permitted to collect wood from the surrounding area. If you can, pick up dry leaves, twigs, sticks and small logs. Usually National Parks do not allow you to collect firewood within the perimeters of the park and ask you to bring it in with you.
- Use the fire pit that has been provided and clear the surrounding area for several metres. If a fire pit is not provided and you have permission to make your own. Create an area of about a metre circle and surround it with rocks to prevent burning logs from rolling out, then clear the surroundings for at least 3 metres from the fire pit area.
- Get some paper, (newspaper is good) dry leaves, dry twigs, pine needles, small sticks, scrunch up the paper and cover with leaves etc. Add the sticks like a tepee, and then light the paper, this will ignite the small twigs and small sticks and it will catch fire. Now add small branches, wait until the fire is well alight and add more. Don’t add too much to quick as this usually smothers the fire.
- Add more sticks or logs if needed, after about 30 minutes you will have some coals for you to start cooking on. If you are not using the fire for cooking on add more logs to keep it going.
- Once you have learnt how to start a campfire every time gets much easier. Now enjoy your camp fire for cooking or for keeping warm and cosy.
