Keeping a campfire going?

No one has yet emphasized the EXTREME IMPORTANCE of kindling.

No fire will light and STAY lit successfully without embers.

In order to get a nice, red, pit of embers to burn shit on, you need to find kindling. This can range from tiny twigs (they CAN be wet, guys - believe me) to thin wood. NOTHING thick and nothing that will take time to burn.

But you can also not expect paper (newspaper) or fire-starter materials to serve as kindling. There's a natural progression of wood: Starts with very quick-to-burn materials, work your way up to logs.

Also, I would NOT recommend the triangular version of a fire. It's easy to topple if its built by an amateur, the wind can easily carry things away from it, et cetera. The lower to the ground, the better.

I usually do the log cabin approach. Criss-cross logs to make a square-like structure, ever layer or so making a diamond to keep the wood burning.

But kindling, I ASSURE YOU (from many, MANY hard lessons learned on very COLD nights alone in the woods) is the best way to successfully make a great campfire. You need to get shit burning and STAY burning.

Bonfires, I have no experience in.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Fresh Frank

Oh, and Sass, a bonfire is the exact same thing, just bigger. A lot bigger. And it usually involves gasoline or some other unnecessary fire starter that makes it go "Fwoosh" when you start it.

I KNOW what a bonfire is, sir. It's just a matter of my not knowing enough to advise on BUILDING one, see.

I prefer to avoid using fuels for my fires save for the basic wood and kindling. Because I am a fucking hippie.

I would have to say, though, that one of the most simple but wonderful joys in life is being able to sit next to a campfire at night. EVERYONE should do it with good company and a few beers in their life time.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Fresh Frank

No no, I mean the way you build it is the exact same thing too. It's just on a larger scale. There are 'special' ways to build a bonfire, but it's not necessary. You can use the same log cabin approach and it'll work just fine. But you're right, something great about sitting and watching the flames--though I prefer a guitar to a beer.

Come on Sass, no slight intended. Ah wub joo.

I know, I know. ^_^

And yea man - I have ALWAYS wanted someone with a guitar who knew how to play most songs. I remember camping once, and the dudes about 100 feet away had a guitar and they were singing around the campfire - songs like American Pie and other classics. We were sitting around OUR campfire, singing right along with THEM? And then the dudes next to US on the other side started singing with US?

It was like everyone in the campground just came together to sing to the guitar. Ah, humanity. Sometimes we can be so awesome.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by GrimReaper

Does anyone actually start a fire the old fashioned way? Rubbing sticks together or however it's done? How is it done anyway?

Sadly, Girl Scouts (for the entire 2 weeks I was one) never wanted to teach us USEFUL things. They would rather have taught us how to brush our hair into perfect styles than teach us what the Boys Scouts ever learned.

But yea, I've used a flint before - never the friction method with sticks. Even the flints took some patience - I remember it being really COLD, and we had no dry matches. My mother had some flint and steel (Mom, the great outdoorswoman) and we had to litterally chip at it with tinders for a while. It's not the EASIEST way, but its a nice thing to learn.

I would LOVE to try the whole friction method, though. I've seen so many variations, it looks like it would be fun to try if you have nothing better to do.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?