How To Build A Teepee Fire

Most people know how to LIGHT a fire - that's the easy part. But, the way you actually build the fire or arrange the wood will determine if your fire will last and how much warmth or fuel it will provide. This article will show you how to build one of the most useful and easiest fires to light.

The first thing you will need is an ignition source. Matches or a lighter are an obvious choice and will do the job. After you have a site you will need to gather tinder, kindking, and fuelwood. The tinder will catch the initial spark and transfer it to the kindling. The kindling will produce a very hot flame that's transferred to the main fuel source. Lastly the fuel will burn longest and slowest. The fuel wood is used for cooking or simply for warmth.

1) Put your bundle of tinder on the ground or on a small piece of bark.

2) Place three or four kindling twigs in the ground to form a teepee above the tinder.

3) Next, you will carefully lean small kindling twigs against the downwind side of the tinder.

4) Make sure to leave an opening on the upwind side all the way to the center tinder so you can light the fire.

5) Now, simply continue to lean twigs around the teepee structure.

6) Gradually work your way up to pencil-sized sticks, leaving plenty of air space between the sticks.

7) Put three to four pencil-sized sticks into the ground forming a larger teepee structure.

8) Now, you will lean some smaller fuel wood pieces against this support structure.

9) Lastly, make sure to have additional smaller fuel wood and kindling ready in case it is needed.

The teepee style fire will produce a quick flame that will quickly fall into itself and create a pile of hot coals. Once the teepee collapses you can place the larger fuel wood around the coals in a log cabin design or simply lay the wood in cross formations on top of the flames.

Anthony Matthews is an outdoors enthusiast who enjoys camping and wildlife. http://www.reciprocatingsawguide.com. Read a full listing of reciprocating saw reviews.