After a day spent adventuring and exploring the great wide wilderness, nothing beats sitting back and relaxing around a campfire. Campfires are a gathering place and have been for eons, drawing people together for connection, song and storytelling around a warm, inviting flame. For some of us, the campfire is the perfect part of our outdoor adventures! Constructing the ideal campfire isn’t as simple as tossing a few logs together and hoping for the best, it requires a little bit more razzle-dazzle and safety. Here’s how to make the perfect campfire for your next glamping getaway!
Make it Safe
Always make sure you’re confirming campfires are permitted on site before you get to building one. Some camping sites don’t allow fires and it’s crucial to pay careful attention to fire bans in the area! All it takes is one stray spark to consume an entire forest. Fire safety is critically important and all fire bans should be strictly abided by, especially with the start of this year’s forest fire season. Keep lots of water, a bucket and a shovel close by to extinguish any wayward flames.
Types of Fire Builds
There isn’t just one way to build a fire and various designs are used for different reasons. A log cabin fire is perfect for a long-lasting and simple-to-maintain campfire because the wood burns from the bottom up, collapsing more fuel down into the flames to keep them going longer. Line up two logs parallel to each other and stack logs perpendicularly on top of them to create a square base, building up to the desired height and adding your kindling to the middle. These are perfect for story time around the fire for a few hours at night while you settle down. For a campfire to boil a kettle of water, a teepee or a cone fire is the way to go. Like the shape of a teepee, lean sticks against each other in a wide circle formation and add tinder in the middle, allowing the teepee structure to collapse before you use the fire to cook. If you’re low on materials, build a star-shaped fire, with one end of the logs facing into the tinder and leading out. Star fires don’t take much in the way of materials and they burn efficiently! You’ve likely dealt with windy days that make fire-starting a misery, but next time try the lean-to by using the wood to create its own wind barrier. Line up tinder and kindling along the side of the log facing away from the wind and continue adding sticks to build it up to needing another large log.
What to Burn and How
All of our glamping sites provide you with your first load of firewood with more available for purchase, but some sites don’t have firewood available and you’ll need to supply your own. Don’t cut down trees, alive or dead, as this disrupts an ecosystem and green or living trees don’t burn well for campfires. Collect dry kindling, which is any stick less than an inch in diameter, from the wilderness around you and look for your tinder, which is dry grass, dead leaves or pine needles and small twigs. Kindling and tinder will be the backbone of your fire to get it started. Light this with a match or ignite a small piece and add it to the pile once lit, blowing lightly at the base to encourage the fire. Continue adding wood until the fire is large enough while still remaining manageable. Don’t stoke your fire or try to build the biggest fire you can, this just wastes wood and leaves you cold in a hurry.
Campfires are one of the best places to visit, share s’mores and connect with those you love. Make sure you’re practicing fire safety and teaching your kids the same. Fire needs to be respected and it’s important to teach our children that when they’re young! If you’re ready for your next fireside adventure, book with us for this summer and come enjoy the beauty of our incredible country in luxury and comfort!