Top tips when you're out and about

Building a campfire

Cooking over a campfire can be a really fun experience that feeds into our primal caveman nature. Make sure you enjoy a successful outdoor experience by following a few simple rules when it comes to building and lighting your campfire.

Prepare your site

Pick a location for your fire that is at least 16 ft away from bushes, flammable materials, or overhanging branches.
Make sure your fire is built downwind from your tent.
Use large rocks to make a round or U-shaped perimeter.
If it is windy, make sure that the back of the fire pit faces the wind so the wind carries any smoke to the back of the fire.
Make a chimney out of a large rock or several smaller rocks at the back of the fire pit to help direct smoke up and away.

Lay kindling

Fill your chosen fire area with paper or tinder and a couple of Zip™ fire starter blocks.
Lay kindling over the paper, alternating the orientation of the wood for each layer to create a lattice pattern. Some campers prefer to make a teepee shape.
Remember to light the fire starters with long safety matches, and keep a bucket of water or sand/dirt nearby to smother any unwanted flames.

Once lit

Once the kindling is fully lit, add firewood. Try to find wood that is similar in size.
Use hardwood when available, as it burns more slowly and reduces spitting.
When the flames have begun to die down, use a large, strong stick to push the cinders into a high concentration at the back of the fire and a lower concentration at the front. This gives you the option of high, medium, or low cooking temperatures.
To begin cooking, set the grill on the rocks. Place your food directly on the grill or in a pan and cook your meal in a truly authentic style.
When you’re finished cooking, add wood for the evening campfire, sit back and enjoy relaxing in the great outdoors while keeping warm.
Extinguish the fire completely with water before turning in for the night.

Now that you’ve read our campfire advice, we would love to hear your campfire pearls of wisdom. Share your very own tips for the perfect campfire on our Facebook page, tweet us, or send us an email and we will upload our favorites to this page!

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Top tips when you're out and about

Building a campfire

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