How to Block the Wind So You Can Use a Fire Pit Outdoors

A primitive lean-to.

The wind can wreak havoc on your fire pit. It can make the fire hard to start, blow it out, spread embers and cause cold spots. Use natural objects like trees and shrubs to block the wind, if possible. Try situating your tent so that it also blocks the wind. If all else fails, follow these simple instructions to build a lean-to. Face the covered side into the wind and build your fire pit in front of it. Packing parachute rope in your camping gear makes this job easier.

Things You'll Need

• Branches and boughs
• Rope or twine

Instructions

1. Choose a spot for the fire pit that is between two trees in an area that's free of brush. Don't build the fire pit yet.

2. Find deadwood, or cut down a sapling, in a length that will stretch between the two trees. Strip off branches and twigs.

3. Make a crossbar by tying the branch between the two trees, about 4 feet off the ground.

4. Find more deadwood or cut boughs from evergreens that will stretch from the crossbar to the ground on one side, at about a 45-degree angle. Rest one end on the ground and the other on the crossbar.

5. Block the wind by laying boughs, moss, leaves or long grasses on the slanted roof of the lean-to.

6. Build your fire pit about 3 feet away from the open side of the lean-to.

Tips & Warnings

• The lean-to also provides shelter for campers.

• Don't leave the fire unattended. If you intend to build a fire that's more than 4 feet high, put the fire pit farther away from the lean-to.

References

• Building a Primitive Lean-to
• Smokey Bear's 7 Campfire Safety Tips

Resources

• Fire Pit Building Instructions
• Wilderness Survival
• Camping Recipes