How to Build The Perfect Campfire

Here's how to build the perfect campfire that will light easily and keep burning for a long time.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• fire wood
• kindling
• newspaper
• matches/lighter (recommended)

1. 
   Good example of kindling

   Gather all of your wood, kindling, and tinder. Tinder can be newspaper, if available, or dry, natural material that is lying around. Look for birch bark, dry leaves, cattail "fluff", etc. Wood should be a "hard wood" like oak, ash, hickory, etc. These woods burning longer and hotter than soft woods.

2. 
   Teepee using natural tinder and kindling

   Create a small teepee out of your tinder and kindling. If using newspaper, crumple up a few sheets instead of your natural tinder, and place it inside your teepee of kindling.

3. 
   Example of maintaining height when placing larger logs.

   Light your tinder with your match, lighter, fire starter, etc. As the kindling starts to catch, begin placing a few of your smaller logs on the outside of the teepee, maintaining as much "height" out of your fire as you can. Once the smaller logs have caught fire, add as many logs as your situation requires

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful whenever fire is involved