Be it a adventure outing or family camping bon-fires are an important part of it all. It might seem too easy to build a campfire in the first look, but for others who have never done it, it could be quite troublesome.
Disclaimer
Before we start, a warning and a disclaimer: Working with fire is extremely dangerous and can leave you with some serious injuries or even kill you. This is merely a checklist of basic things that are required to build a campfire. I am no expert in building campfires, though I have some experience with it in past. Use your brain while building the campfire and don’t do anything that looks too dangerous. I or this guide shall not be held liable for any harm and/or damage caused while attempting to build a campfire. Even the expert can get seriously injured if proper care is not taken.
With that out of the way, let’s get started. So, here we go:
Step 1: Find a place that has a solid base. It should not be inclined too much and most importantly should not be wet. (You guessed it, fire doesn’t like getting wet :p).
Step 2: Collect some rocks medium size for creating a boundary. You could want some medium sized rocks, about the size of your palm. The size of rock should be increased if you are building a bigger campfire (duhh).
Step 3: Collect some wood blocks. Now at some famous camping locations you can buy precut wood blocks and some wood chips to start the fire easily. But most of the times you might not have the luxury to do so, in that case you might be able to get the wood from the locals living nearby or search the blocks yourself in the woods. You would want to get the dry wood of variable sizes. The reason being bigger wood blocks are difficult to light up but once starts burning lasts longer.
Step 4: Now is the time to set everything up. Place the rocks in a circular pattern to create a boundary. Once done, start stacking the woods from inside out. Start with smaller wood in the inside as it catches fire easily and will help the outer layer of bigger woods blocks light up. If you can get some coal it will make your life a lot easier for the next few hours at least :p You would want to make a stupa/cone like structure with it. Keep some space open at one side of the structure to access the center of the setup easily. You will get to know what this is for the next step.
Step 5: The final step is to light it up which sounds easier than done. Never use lighter fuel like gasoline, kerosene or other such fuels if you are a beginner. You will end up burning yourself. Here is an example as a warning. Light up the smaller wood chips (and coal if you have) outside the campfire in open air where it can easily ignite on a wood plank or block. Once the chips/coal started burning with you can then place them at the center of the campfire setup. Blow some air (gently) towards the center using a cardboard or a notebook, this will remove the smoke and provide oxygen rich air to the burning chips and wood so that fire could start. Do this for a few minutes till you see some visible flames and there you have it.
Now all you need are some hot potatoes, marshmallow or popcorn to enjoy your evening.
Nice post.