When you go camping, you want to be able to make a campfire (where allowed). Being able to make a campfire allows you to cook food, boil water for coffee (or to make it safe to drink), tell ghost stories, to keep warm and of course, to roast marshmallows.
When camping, it’s important to have multiple ways to make a fire. Including being able to start a fire without matches or a lighter.
Follow the tips in this article to see how.
Start with a Tinder Nest
The first step is to focus on creating a full-fledged tinder nest.
This is a must for the campfire and has to be created with a high level of care. In general, you are going to want to find something that can be used as the foundation for your campfire. This can vary depending on what is around you.
The best options include leaves, bark, and/or dry grass.
Take the time to create this tinder nest and ensure it is enough for the campfire to burn properly.
While preparing the setup, you are going to work on a notch. The goal is to create a v-shaped notch that is going to allow you to create a meaningful campfire. This should include a small gap that is going to allow you to set up the bark.
Placement of the Bark
The bark has to be situated in the right spot for the results to be in line with your needs.
This means setting up the bark right under the notch that has been created. You are going to use this bark as a way to catch the ember that is being created using your fireboard and spindle.
Create the Friction
The only way to start a fire is to start rubbing the fireboard and spindle together.
You are going to want to take the spindle and set it up onto the fireboard. This is going to allow you to create enough friction for the spindle to generate ember for the fire.
Stay patient during this part of the process as it may take a bit of time to get things to work. You will notice the glowing ember appear once the friction has developed correctly.
Transfer the bark onto the tinder nest and begin to blow on it. This is going to create enough of a natural response that will lead to a proper campfire.
Manage the Campfire
It’s one thing to start a campfire and another to manage it wisely.
The goal is to ensure there is enough for the campfire to burn over the long-term. This can include adding enough leaves or other relevant burning material for the campfire to flourish.
Final Thoughts
This is how you go about starting a campfire without the requisite tools people are accustomed to. There is nothing better and more organic than taking this approach. It’s all about understanding what’s needed to make the campfire and then diligently going through the steps one by one. This is the only way to guarantee superior results while feeling good about what you produce.
You might need to create a fire without matches while on a dispersed camping trip as discussed in this Camping Forge blog post.