How to Build a Campfire

A campfire is part of the outdoor experience when you’re camping, backpacking, or hunting and plan on spending the night in the wilderness. Having a campfire is one of those experiences that make an overnight stay in the woods memorable. It’s disappointing if you’re at a campground that has signs in the fire pit that says No Campfires. That means it’s too dry to have a fire. Please don’t ignore these warnings for your own convenience. Forest fires are terrible events that are usually avoidable, since many are man-made.



Although most campgrounds have fire pits, you may find a place to camp while you’re backpacking that does not. If it’s been dry you’ll need to be extremely careful where you build your campfire.



The first thing to do is pick your spot for the campfire. Make sure it’s away from anything that burns easily like dry grass and tree limbs from nearby trees. Clear an area twice the size as your fire ring will be. An errant spark from a breeze could cause a fire in a nearby field of dry grass or trees.



The next thing to do is to collect rocks for your fire ring and build it approximately a foot high and 3 feet in diameter. If you’re near a stream, creek, or river you’ll be sure to find good rocks to build your fire ring. If rocks aren’t available, pass on having a fire. The fire ring will prevent the ashes from spreading and keep the fire concentrated in a safe place.



If you have not brought any fire wood or are not in a campground that sells it, you’ll need to search the forest floor for dead tree branches and pine cones. If you’re in a forested area you’ll be sure to find plenty for your needs. An axe, hatchet or folding saw are tools you’ll need in this endeavor. You’ll want to cut the branches and limbs you find to fit the parameters or your fire ring.



Start small when you first build your fire! To start the fire you’ll need tender; small sticks, dry leaves twisted newspaper, pine needles or anything that will easily catch fire. Bring a couple of different methods to start a fire – camp lighters, cigarette lighters, water proof matches, or fire starters that emit sparks by rubbing flint against steel are ideas to think about. When you have a small flickering fire, then it's time to gradually add larger sticks of wood. As the fire gets larger and hotter you can add even larger chunks of wood. You can lay the wood on the fire any way you like as long as there is enough air flow from the bottom of the coals to the top of the fire, to keep the logs burning.



Building a fire is mainly common sense. If you have a small fire, add enough wood, any way you like, to make it into a larger fire.



Try not to build your fire too big. Raging fires are not cool. There's too much of a chance that a spark will get away and set fire to someone's tent or the nearby fields and forests. Keep the fire at a reasonable level and have a safe, happy stay in God’s great outdoors!

How to Select a Good Camping Tent

Before you head out on your next trip to the great outdoors you will need to check whether you have all the right camping gear to make the occasion a memorable one. Camping is a wonderful experience and one that is enjoyed by people of all ages if you’re properly outfitted and have all camping gear you’ll need.

Whether you are heading into the wilderness or planning to tent camp at an organized camp ground, having the correct equipment will ensure you are ready for any eventuality and situation. A quality tent should be at the top of the list. These are available in a dizzying array of shapes, designs, and sizes. It’s imperative you choose a tent that can accommodate the number of people who will be accompanying you on the trip or have more than one tent depending on the situation and how many people want to sleep under one roof.

Before you start looking for a camping tent, decide how much you’re willing to spend.

Types of Camping Tents:

Camping tents are classified using three ratings: 3 season, 4 season, and all season. The 3 season tent works well except for cold weather conditions, the 4 season tent is designed for extreme cold temperatures, and the all season tent is generally thought of as a family or car tent. Most cabin tents are all season tents.

Besides the seasonal classification, there are also backpacking tents and regular tents. Backpacking tents are light-weight and are fast and easy to set-up. The largest backpacking tent I would recommend would be a 3 man tent. This would give 2 people plenty of room and not be too heavy to carry in your backpack. Regular tents are used for car/truck camping where you drive to a campground and don’t have far to set-up your campsite.

What’s the right size of camping tent (not a backpacking tent)?

The size and weight of a tent doesn’t matter, just as long as you’re able to carry it from you car or truck to the campsite and it fits in your vehicle along will all your other camping gear.

Tent capacity is base on the number of people who can sleep in one. For example, a 2 man tent will accommodate 2 people and have very little storage space. A good rule is to buy a camping tent that has a capacity rating of 2 people more than the number who will be using it. This will provide enough space to spread out a little and store your gear, too. If you’re doing family camping, the multi-room tents work great. Multi-room tents come in 2-room styles, where the rooms are separated by an inside tent wall with a zippered door. The 3-room design has the 2 room, plus an added screen room, which is great for storage and for changing clothes, playing games, etc.

Other features to look for are:

A rainfly to keep the rain out

Folded seams and double stitching to help keep rain out

A one piece waterproof tub floor keeps water out

Noseeum meshing to keep insects out

Heavy duty zippers that hold up with frequent use

If it rains while you’re camping or your tent is damp when you strike camp, you’ll want to set-up the tent in your yard to air it out when you get home. This helps prevent mildew and mold.