Essential Elements

Good sources of tinder include, dry moss, grasses, and especially birch bark when available. Birch bark makes for great tinder because it is often very dry and contains oils that burn especially well. When seeking birch bark, avoid living trees. Removing bark from a live tree, even a paper birch, could damage or even kill the tree.

Once tinder is gathered, make sure it is as small as possible. Remember, the key the tinder is dry and small. You can do this by ripping it up, cutting, or shaving pieces very finely.

The purpose of tinder is to catch the spark and create a flame hot enough for the kindling to ignite. Kindling should be about the size of your thumb around. You can find sticks to fit or split larger dry logs to achieve this size.

The main fuel you use can be anything larger than your thumb. Wilderness camping usually requires only enough fuel to boil water and cook food. Sitting around a large fire with your friends for hours is enjoyable, but in many wilderness areas it isn’t the most prudent way to leave no trace. Using only what you need, you can leave your campsite and surrounding environment with enough fuel for the next camper!

The log cabin fire is constructed by stacking larger pieces of fuel on top of one another forming a square as shown in the diagram. It is a good and solid ‘go-to’ construction.

Advantages - The log cabin is good for windy conditions, as it shelters the tinder and kindling well. It’s also good for Dutch oven style cooking because it quickly creates a very hot and wide bed of coals.

The Tipi structure involves propping kindling and larger fuel against other kindling and larger fuel.

Advantages - The tipi fire is good for getting a lot of wood going in a short period of time. It is also easy to build, throws off a relatively large amount of light, and helps to direct the smoke upwards.

The simplest and most efficient stove-style cooking fire uses wood no bigger than your wrist in diameter or even smaller. Start by making a U shape with non-sedimentary rocks about a foot or two on each side with a back wall three to four feet wide. (Sedimentary rocks may explode when heated!) Set up the wood in a flat, mat-like arrangement. If using a convection oven, set it up opposite to the back wall of the rocks. The heat will then be channeled and trapped between the walls and the oven, making it a more efficient use of heat.

Advantages - The cooking stove is the best way to get the most out of your fuel in scarce conditions or at times when you are trying hard to leave shallow footprints. While not giving you the pleasure of sitting around a campfire, the cooking stove also saves time and energy due to the fact that you don’t need to gather as much wood.