It makes your clothes smell, eyes sting and cooks blackened food of dubious edibleness but campfires are perhaps unique as an insight into how our ancestors lived. Tapping into the feral core of sleeping outdoors, campfires are largely unchanged in the face of technology that has transformed living outdoors in the 21st century (if you discount the terrifying looking Campfire In a Can)
However, getting the thing going and producing something tasty can be difficult if you haven’t got the proud scouting background of yours truly. Skills such as making tins of baked beans explode may not required by todays glamper, but creating a massive pyre to circle the Cath Kidston blankets around are still in demand.
Follow our simple guide and you’ll be collecting kindling to create a gourmet feast before you can say “Oh sod! The teepees on fire!”
Building the fire
Good kindling
Step 1.
Keep your fire at least 3 metres away from tents, trees, bushes and other flammable wildlife. If you’re at a festival ignore this at start the fire in the porch of your neighbour’s tent.
Step 2
You don’t need to make a ring of rocks if there isn’t already one there, it looks pretty but doesn’t add any real containment to the fire and will needlessly char the rocks.
Step 3
Gather firewood and kindling using fallen branches, there’s no point ripping it off living trees as it won’t burn, you’ll just make a lot of smoke. If you’re staying on a managed campsite they may have a firewood store so check first.
Step 4
Build a small, loose pile of your lovingly gathered kindling. Allow space for air to feed the soon to be roaring fire. Include paper scraps (if you’re wild camping you may find someone’s dirty stash of grot mags. But this may be an 80s thing) dry bracken and other small, flammable ‘stuff’.
Step 5
Build a pyramid of twigs and sticks above the kindling. This is the key to the whole enterprise as a sturdy base will ensure the massive logs you have optimistically dragged into your ‘kindling’ pile will be able to burn.
Step 6
Move all womenfolk to a safe distance and take your flint find the person having a crafty fag who has stolen the matches and light the kindling. If you’ve followed these instructions properly it should go up with a WHOOSH and you’ll be cooking weiners in no time. The reality may be kneeling next to the fire and getting half asphyxiated as you blow into it.
Step 7
Add larger sticks and then logs as the fire grows, always leaving enough space between them for the fire to breathe. If you are at Reading festival chuck a port-a-loo on at this point.
- Situate your fire at least 10 feet away from tents, trees, roots and other flammable items if there’s no fire ring available. Clear a space 24 to 32 inches across.
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Step 2
Don’t make a ring of rocks if one isn’t already there, and don’t build against a boulder
or other rocks. This will needlessly char the rocks without adding any significant containment to the fire. -
Step 3
Gather firewood and kindling if necessary, using only fallen branches. Note that many parks and wilderness areas even forbid gathering fallen material, which plays an important role in the ecosystem. -
Step 4
Build a small, loose pile of kindling, making sure to allow space for air to feed the fire. Include paper scraps, dry plant matter and other small, flammable items. -
Step 5
Construct a pyramid of dry twigs and small sticks around and above the kindling pile. -
Step 6
Light the kindling with a match.
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Step 7
Add increasingly larger sticks and then logs as the fire grows in strength, always leaving enough space between them for the fire to breathe.
