How to Build a Better Campfire Everything you need to know about your fire-making-technique, including when you should use the tepee method versus a log cabin stack

Outside ^ | 8-17-23 | Wes Siler

[SJackson]

Outdoors/Rural/wildlife/hunting/hiking/backpacking/National Parks/animals list please FR mail me to be on or off . And ping me is you see articles of interest.

Should generate some different opinions.

avoid swinging a sharp object around vulnerable body parts. I still prefer an axe.

[Responsibility2nd]

First Rule. Start with one of these...

 

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I toss three of these under a bunch of Texas lump charcoal in our Ooni pizza oven, then light it with a butane lighter. The oven gets up to 900 F in under 30 minutes. I'd say no fuss, no muss, but my hands are always jet black from the charcoal. These days, that's the "great outdoors" for me.

Parafin or resin-coated excelsior is a great fire starter.

[Big Red Badger]

Thanks...
I could taste the ‘Smores!’

[HartleyMBaldwin]

I still prefer an axe.

Yep. Split large pieces of wood with a knife, sooner or later you will break the blade. Even if it's a $350 "bushcraft" knife. If the knife is all you have, that's one thing, but otherwise it's better to learn how to use an axe, even a small hand axe.

[1Old Pro]

Must be inflation, I swear I boutght my axe for about 20 bucks.
https://www.amazon.com/Estwing-Sportsmans-Axe-Camping-Construction/dp/B0002JT0AK/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1963AVW8HJ5EV&keywords=estwing+axe&qid=1692376755&sprefix=eswing+axe%2Caps%2C91&sr=8-2

[sasquatch]

I use diesel.

[occamrzr06]

Any fire, no matter how you make it, needs three basic things: Fuel, oxygen, and heat

I guess I just need to pre-heat my wood burning stove this winter.

That would kind of defeat the purpose of the fire, though.

I always thought the third requirement was ignition.

[Responsibility2nd]

I once saw a guy pour gasoline on an open camp fire.

He was lucky. He got away with it.

[Noumenon]

The old Swedish Candle is a good way to go.

[metmom]

Where’s the kindling?

NOBODY is going to start a stack of logs those size without a blowtorch.

[FamiliarFace]

Dryer lint makes a decent fire starter. I’ve made homemade starters using dryer lint inside a used toilet paper roll, and then wrapped newspaper with a twist at the ends. Put that under your kindling, and build your logs around the kindling. I often use the cabin style method, but the tepee works great, too. I really like the lean-to method, too, because that’s what the logs tend to form on their own as they fall into each other, so why not start that way?

[sasquatch]

Diesel is well behaved. If you want speed, watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sab2Ltm1WcM

[1Old Pro]

Yep, good to start a fire and to warm a long stove chimney

[HartleyMBaldwin]

It is inflation. These days a handle can cost $20, and it’ll be a crappy handle at that. I usually have to sight the whole bin of handles at the hardware store to find one that’s almost straight.

All of my axes, mauls, pulaskis, etc. are over 40 years old by now (at least the heads are; I do break a handle from time to time, generally through carelessness). New tool prices are obscene.

[1Old Pro]

I once saw a guy pour gasoline on an open camp fire. He was lucky. He got away with it.

Who needs eyebrows anyway

[ryderann]

I used to live at sea level in Florida. The tepee technique was needed to give enough air to get and keep the fire going.
Now I live at a much higher altitude and use the stacked log cabin method.

[FamiliarFace]

That’s pretty cool. I’ve never seen that kind before.

[gitmo]

I was on a retreat with the young adults of our church a couple years ago. I’m 70, but I walked up to where they were going to be starting a fire for everyone to gather round.

The young adults were trying to start their fire. Apparently, they had been working on it for over an hour. They sent someone to get a tank of gasoline.

I calmly went over, took some tinder and kindling and had a nice teepee fire going in about 2 minutes. I added wood to it and had a roaring blaze going before they returned with their gasoline.