How to Make a Great Fire in the Wild
I love a great campfire. They really capture the beauty that comes with a day in the outdoors and lets you reflect on your time in nature. Plus, you can make s’mores. Starting a fire is something I really enjoy doing and I consider myself pretty good at it! It wasn’t always like that, though. I remember the first time I had to do it by myself. I was camping with a guy I really wanted to impress with how outdoorsy I was, and he was food prepping to start dinner for us. While he was busy with that, he asked me if I could get the fire started. Instant panic set in when I recalled the times I’ve seen family and friends struggle to make a fire whenever we went camping. To help you keep your cool when it’s your turn to start a fire, I’ve put together everything I know about it so you can show off your skills!
Before we get into making the fire, let’s talk about the things you have to check before you even think about lighting a match.
Make sure it’s allowed: before starting a fire anywhere, you have to make sure it’s allowed. Whether in a campground or out on your own, there are certain spots and times of the year when it’s not allowed to have fires. Typically it’s because there’s a risk to start a forest fire, especially if it’s extremely dry and hot. Know the rules about campfires wherever you’re going.
Find the spot: if you’re staying at a campground, fire pits are usually already there for you. If you’re not at a campground but it’s clear someone else has had a fire before where you’re staying, use their old pit. The less changes you make to the area, the better. If you do have to make a new spot, try to pick an area where the ground will be the least effected, such as sand or soil with very little vegetation.
Don’t forget to check above: check above for tree branches and overhangs. There are probably certain rules you can follow to have a fire underneath trees and have it be safe but as a general rule, I never build a fire with anything hanging overtop. There’s no campfire that’s worth it to me to risk starting a forest fire.
Make your fire ring: if you don’t already have a fire ring where you’re at, use a stick to draw a circle in the ground for your fire. Make the circle several inches deep in the sand or soil as it’ll help keep a barrier between the fire inside the ring and the area outside of it. You also can line the outer area of the circle with rocks.
Gather your materials: You’ll need some kindling to get the fire going, and then some fire wood to build the fire and keep it going. Kindling can be anything small that burns easily and is usually fairly dry, such as dry leaves and twigs. If you can bring it with you ahead of time, cardboard is a great source of kindling. It’s a great way to repurpose those boxes from Amazon and use them to put energy back into nature, and it doesn’t take very much. When you collect firewood, you should try to find pieces with a radius of 4” or less, as anything bigger might not burn completely.
** Pro tip: if you know you’re going to be having a campfire, it’s a good idea to bring a small hatchet or a saw to make your pieces of wood smaller and more manageable to fit properly into the fire **
Once you’ve gotten all of your materials, you can start to set up your fire! There’s two methods I like to use depending what works best with the size of wood I’ve found and the size of the fire pit.
Teepee: my favorite go-to method to build a fire is the teepee method. For me personally, it’s been the most consistent for lighting the quickest and burning the entirety of the firewood. You place your kindling in the center of fire pit, and then surround it with larger sticks that all point upwards to a focal point, much like a teepee. It’s quick and easy and my personal recommendation.
Cabin: if you want something a little more sturdy that isn’t going to shift as much as the wood burns, you can build a ‘cabin’. You basically put two pieces of wood parallel to each other, and then put two more pieces of wood perpendicular to those on top, creating a square empty space in the center. Your kindling goes in the center, much like the teepee method. Once the fire gets going, this one is a little easier to add more fire too, but I do find that it takes a little bit longer for the wood to catch. If you’re short on kindling and need the fire to catch quickly, I recommend the teepee.
After your fire is built, you’re ready to light it! There’s a few different ways you can start the fire depending on what supplies you have available.
Matches: probably the most convenient and lightweight fire-starting tool. You do have to keep them dry obviously, so I keep mine tucked away in a dry bag or ziplock whenever I’m out camping just in case my stuff gets wet. They also make waterproof match cases specifically for this for just a few dollars.
Lighter: not as light as matches, but easier if you’re trying to start the fire from several different spots in the kindling. Sometimes starting the kindling on fire in several spots can help your firewood ‘catch’ easier. If you’re having trouble getting the fire to catch, try a lighter instead of matches.
Mag Striker: the plus side is that if it gets wet, you can wipe it dry and still use it. The downside is that unlike the other options, it doesn’t create a flame, but rather creates sparks. This can make it less reliable to use, especially if there’s any wind at all. It’s cool if you want to feel like a survivalist, but in terms of ease, it’s not my favorite option.
If you’re having trouble getting your fire going, there’s several options you have that can help you out!
Fire Starters: these are great and will help your fire catch if you’re having a hard time. They’re pretty affordable and very easy to pack along! You can find the ones I like here.
Bee’s Wrap: normally used for packaging food, but makes a great material to burn in your kindling if you’re trying to get your fire going. Be extra resourceful and use it to wrap your snacks, and then once you’re food is gone you can burn the wrap. You can get it here.
Petroleum Jelly & Cotton Balls: the cheapest of the bunch but definitely works great! You probably have these two items around the house already so you don’t have to buy anything, just pack them along and toss in some cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly into your kindling.
** Pro tip: When you’re starting your fire, go ahead and give a small, light blow on the kindling. It’ll help the flames form a little bit instead of the kindling just dissolving from the heat. **
There you have it! All the tips you need to make the best fire and be the designated campfire-maker everywhere you go. Please always make sure to clean up anything afterwards and follow the leave no trace principle, and practice good fire safety. Don’t ever leave your fire unattended and make sure you put it out before going to bed. ALWAYS use water to extinguish your fire, NOT dirt as dirt can actually keep the coals warm.
Have a wonderful campfire, enjoy the company, and make some great s’mores this season!
Brooke
