It’s again the most beautiful time of the year! It’s time for camping. You can get closer to nature, smell the flowers, hear the rustling of the leaves and feel the warmth of the sun on your skin.
You have definitely felt the spark between you and nature. However, this spark is not enough to keep you warm in the evening. You will rather have to set a real fire. No worries, we’ll show you how your holiday can get a little bit hotter.
Choosing the right place
The right location is the most important thing. Generally, it is forbidden to make a fire in the forest unless you find a designated fireplace. A safety distance of at least 100 metres from the forest must be maintained, otherwise a large fire can quickly break out. And then the fun is quickly over.
Once you found the right place, you firstly need to border the ground you will use with some fireproof material. You can for instance put stones on the sand. This way the fire cannot get out of control.
Attention! You should always have something by side to put out the fire with.
Fire at camping: Which fuel is the right one?
After finding the right place, you are certainly looking forward to grill your marshmallows under the stars around the bonfire. So, step two: find the right fuel. Ideally these are fuel, tinder and wood.
Tinder is particularly easy to inflame and starts burning very quickly. These can be, for example, pine cones, dry grass or feathers. Make out of them a small pile. Now lay some dry branches on your pile. They are going to serve as a quickly flammable wood. The best way to do this is to use a wood that is rich in resin and is soft. These you will then have to lay in a pyramid around the tinder. Since wood burns relatively quickly, feel free to use a larger amount of it.
The third pillar is going to be your firewood. This is best made of thick, stable branches. This does not inflame so quickly, but burns for a longer period of time, so that you can sit comfortably for several hours around the fire. You can build another pyramid around the firewood, so it can gradually start burning.
The base of your fireplace must be stable. A sandy ground would be perfect. If this is not possible, you can arrange several thumb-thick branches parallel to each other, creating this way a wooden floor. You can now start adding another layer of wood diagonally. This way you keep humidity away from the ground and your campfire can burn better.
How to light up and start your fire
We know you’re adventurous. So are we. And adventurous people always like to play with fire. However, you need to follow some safety precautions so you don’t set yourself and the woods around you on fire.
The most dangerous moments are in the beginning. So before lighting a match, you should check which direction the wind is blowing from. Position yourself in front of the fireplace so that it is well shielded from the wind. Now place the burning firewood as close as possible to the tinder so that it is not blown out by the wind. Basically, flames always burn from the bottom to the top. Therefore, start burning several times from the bottom of your tinder. In damp weather it may be necessary to light several matches until the fire starts properly burning.
If your campfire has shown its first flames, your next step is to start the fire properly. For this you will need as much oxygen as possible. Gradually blow more and more air into the pyramid and make sure that it comes from below. Under no circumstances should you blow directly into the flames, as this will most likely blow them out. Instead, focus on the embers, which increase with the increased oxygen supply. You will be ready to relax and enjoy your fireplace, only when the firewood starts burning slowly.
Putting the fire out safely when camping – that’s how it works
Step number three: Don’t forget to put out the fire. You certainly don’t want to have a burned forest on your conscience. A single spark and a little wind could be enough to make a huge area burn. So always put the fire completely out before leaving. There are several ways to do this. You can either extract the oxygen or the fuel.
The simplest solution is to put out the fire with sand, wet earth, a damp cloth or fur. A carpet could also be helpful. Of course, you can also simply pour water over the fire – preferably directly into the embers. Normally there is no water nearby. Therefore, it is good to bring a larger bottle of water in order to extinguish the fire. It is definitely going to be easier, if there is a river or lake nearby.
If you want to extinguish your fireplace without any further aids, it is best to let it go out in a controlled manner. Simply by not adding any more fuel to the fireplace. Alternatively, you can place the fuel in a different manner so it burns faster. If there are larger logs, which are not yet burning, it’s better to remove them directly.
Go for it!
A fireplace offers cosiness and makes at the same time your camping holidays more fun. Nevertheless, the risks should not be underestimated. You should always keep a distance safety from the flames, while making sure that children and pets do not get near the fireplace. This way you’ll spark your holiday without setting the whole forest in flames.