Building Camp Fire: Tips and Tricks

                                                             By Wendi Garcia

     They say that it's not a camping trip without a campfire. This American tradition of building a campfire—singing songs, telling stories and spooking each other out while sitting around one—has long been part of almost every camping tripthere is.

     But a campfire is not simply for tradition or for fun and games. It's also used to give light to the campsite and to provide comfortable warmth for thecampers.

     Building a campfire is not that hard as long as you have the important items you need such as dry wood, paper, small branches and fire starters such as a lighter or matches. If you don't have all these things, it may be a littleharder.

     Here are some techniques on how to build a campfire:

     One way to start the fire is the tepee style where you arrange small dry sticks in a triangular shape and to put paper under. Light up the paper using a match or lighter. Because air flows under and between the sticks, it is easier to start the fire.
     You can also use two logs. Put them about a foot apart and place smaller sticks above them and some paper between the logs. Light up the paper and add more sticks, alternating horizontal and vertical positioning of the sticks.
     If in case you don't have paper with you, you can also make use of dry leaves, bark or loose threads from your clothing.
     Rubbing two sticks is the common notion we have regarding building fire without fire starters. But this is actually harder to do in real life. What you can do is to strike a piece of flint against steel. Once it causes a spark, have a set of dry leaves ready nearby to catch the fire.
     What some people do is they roll newspapers tightly to form a miniature log shapes and to soak these in kerosene. After they dry out, they can be used to start a fire by laying them out on the ground and lighting with a match.


Now for some safety rules:

     Before you build your campfire, make sure you are aware of the safety rules. For one, clear the area around the spot you're intending to put the campfire. If it's a grassy spot, be sure to remove the grass. It's recommended to build fire on the soil.
     Also, never use gasoline or other flammable liquid to help start the fire. This can get extremely dangerous as there is the risk of the fire blowing outwards and burning skin. Lastly, be sure to completely put out the fire before leaving the campsite.
     Be sure to set up the campfire away a good distance away from the sleeping area, the tents and other camping equipment that can easily catch fire.
     Don't allow children to be involved with the building of the campfire or to let them get near it.
     If you're a little iffy about campfires, skip it. Don't feel like you're obligated to have a campfire to make your camping memorable. It's just a tradition, not a compulsory rule for camping trips. Besides, lanterns are great alternatives to campfire. They are a lot safer and provide enough light for the campsite.

      Campfires have long been a part of American camping trips but the growing concern over safety and the environment has decreased its popularity. Sure, there are lots of fun activities to do around a campfire but you can stillhave fun without it. Remember, at all times, safety first!