How To Build A Campfire

One of the most crucial elements to any wilderness trip is a fire, and whether you’re using it to cook food, sing camp songs around, or to keep the wild animals away, it’s important to know how to build a campfire. It is possible to light a campfire by rubbing two pieces of wood together in a spinning manner. However, for this process we'll assume you have access to matches or a lighter.

To build a campfire you will need:

• Matches or Lighter
• Kindling (newspaper or small dried pieces of wood or brush)
• Splits or Dry Wood
• Water

1. The first thing to do is locate firewood. Most campsites have wood ready to burn, but it’s generally pretty expensive, so it’s best to obtain your own wood prior to the trip. Firewood is sold by the cord, and costs between $15 to $25 each.  Trees are always being cut down and often people are more than willing to let you take it off their property. Look for down trees or signs that say “Free Wood” in rural and suburban areas.
2. Take three medium sized logs or splits about one to two feet long, and lean them up against each other. Once they are in place and stable, begin placing the rest of the medium sized pieces against the others in a teepee fashion. Leave an opening on one side to place kindling inside the teepee.
3. Place the kindling inside the teepee. Use the smallest, most dry stuff you can find. Dry pine needles work really great for this. This will ensure an easy light.
4. Light the campfire. Take the matches or light and apply flame to the kindling. It shouldn't take long to produce a fire.
5. Continue placing kindling on the campfire until the larger logs catch fire. Use larger kindling like twigs to intensify the flames. They'll go up quickly and intensify the heat of the campfire.
6. Fan the campfire. If it's windy you may find that you don't have to work hard at this step. On a less windy day use a blanket to fan the campfire. Make sure you keep the blanket away from the flames.
7. Continue placing larger logs or splits on the fire. Place fresh logs on to the fire in a similar teepee fashion as you initially built the campfire. The  fire will be very hot, so the pieces will catch fire quickly.
8. Extinguish the fire. Make sure your fire is completely out before you leave the site. Water is the best way to do this. The temptation to use bodily fluids should be avoided. The steam cloud will ruin your day.