A campfire is somewhat an integral part of any outdoor get-together or picnic or excursion but making one is not everyone’s cup of tea . Since I had to face this difficulty several times in the past , I decided to make a list of tips to make it easy for you .
You get guys around a campfire , and they start telling their stories . That’s the fellowship they want to be in . ~ John Eldredge
Requirements :
- Timber or wood or coal or charcoal ( whatever is your fuel of choice! ) .
- Few twigs and ample amount of dry leaves or wood shavings .
- 2 – 3 newspaper or large cartons .
- Any combustible liquid ( preferably kerosene ) .
- Rags ( torn clothes ).
- Matchbox or lighter .
Procedure :
Choose an open space preferably away from trees or houses which is not very windy . Clear the nearby area of any other combustible item like clothes , plastic , paper etc . Make a neat pile of the leaves or wood shavings on top of a sheet of newspaper or a torn carton . Stack the twigs on top of that . Then arrange the wood like a hollow pyramid with the rest inside it .
Wet a piece of cloth in the combustible fluid and put it inside that pyramid (do not make it dripping wet ). Also sprinkle a little bit if the fluid on the wood . Light it with the matches or lighter with your body as far as possible from it (stretch you hand as far as you can) .
The fuel burns of quickly and light s up the leaves and twigs and heats up the wood which starts burning cause of the burning cloth and twigs . If it doesn’t burn in one go , put more newspaper and cartons and light it again . Fan it slowly with a torn carton and it will burn like magic . Coal and charcoal are harder to ignite to do not give them in the beginning itself , add it on top of the wood . And there you have your perfect campfire to sit around it and share tales .
Make sure to have a bucket of water handy in case of emergency . Once it is lit , make sure to either put the remaining combustible liquid in the fire itself or store it at a distance . It is always preferable to wear cotton clothes near any kind of fire . And be extra careful if you are consuming alcohol because it can catch fire !!!
Please make sure to pour water on the ashes after you are done .
Happy camping …