Tactical Tuesday: Be a Pyro!

Two Words for you people: Brr.

I remember oh so recently melting on my way out to my car every afternoon. Oh how the tables have turned. As I write this my fingers feel full of frozen sand because my thermostat is set at a pleasantly economic 60 degrees.

So, I felt compelled to share with you the basics of setting a fire. In a wholey non-illegal, life saving, marshmellow roasting kind of way. ahem.

To make a fire you will need Four things:
1) A way to ignite your fire
2) Tinder--small, fluffy flamable stuff like newspaper, wood shavings, dried grass etc. 3) Kindling--small sticks, twigs etc. I go with the finger method--if it's bigger than your pinky, it's don't use it for kindling.
4) Fuel--anything bigger than kindling. Make sure it is as dry as possible.

Before you start your fire exploits remember to:
1) Clear away anything you don't want to burn e.g. clothing, people, pets, ignitable objects like your tent, food, sleeping bags and of course your fuel, tinder and kindling

2) keep methods of extinguishing your fire close at hand: water and a shovel. If you don't have water to spare (this is post Apocalypse, water may be scarce) a shovel full of earth or sand over your fire will extinguish it, albeit more inefficiently than water).

Let's get to it. There are a couple of different structures for campfires, each with its own merits:
1) Teepee Method
2) Log Cabin Method
3) Cross or A-Frame Fire

1) A Teepee Style fire structure is probably the one most are familiar with seeing if not making.  Begin by placing a small pile of kindling and tinder on the ground.  Around this tindling construct a teepee with smaller pieces of kindling at first, then moving on to fuel pieces that are slightly larger. Don't get excited and remember: oxygen is needed to make fire just as much as wood. Leave a space in your teepee away from any breeze that may be blowing. It is from this space you will light the tinder. Once you get that ignited, watch carefully for the kindling to ignite. Since the upshooting flames are coming directly in contact with the fuel wood, they will most likely ignite with little manipulation.
    This type of fire structure is most useful for quick fires, since once constructed it ignites relatively quickly and easily. Also, the strength, size and heat of the fire is manageable simply by controlling the wood you put on; if you want a small fire you can have a small fire.  The downside to this kind of fire is that as the logs burn they can become unstable and topple over. This simply means you'll have to watch the fire as it burns to insure that doesn't happen. Along that same vein, this fire is not recommended without a fire pit or circle for that same reason. The shape of the fire is also difficult to cook over even though it does provide rather consistent and abundant heat.

2) The Log Cabin Method is basically a teeny tiny funeral pyre. Place two fuel logs, the biggest you plan on burning, parallel on either side of the tinder pile.  Next place two more logs going the opposite direction (it'll look like a tic tac toe board with kindling in the middle). Continue this, selecting smaller and smaller fuel; the size of the pile depends on the size of the fire you want...obviously.  Once your little cabin is constructed, place some kindling and tinder to one side of the inside of your cabin. Ignite the little pile of tinder and kindling so it causes one of the sides of your cabin to ignite.
     The main draw to this kind of fire is that it is easy to maintain and is very stable to burn and to cook on. The cabin's construction also lets a large amount of oxygen to the flame. It is however, not very quick to ignite and also due to the way it is constructed carries a lot of the heat upward, although most of the smoke goes up with it too. I would use this if you were in a shelter with a hole in the roof for smoke, or to cook on during warm months where the fire's heat isn't your sole means of keeping warm.

3) The A-Frame or Cross fire is a variation on the log cabin method.  It is constructed in a similar way. Basically? Just make an "A" on the ground with two larger logs set at 4 inches apart at one end and 8 or so inches apart at the other. Then take a 3rd fuel log and place it across the end set wider apart.  It's an A! Next take kindling and smaller piece of fuel across the crossbar of the A, just make sure to not overcrowd the kindling. It should look like a lean-to. Next place tinder underneath the little lean-to and ignite it.
    The draw to this kind of fire is that it is ideal for cooking and also provides a decent amount of heat to keep warm.


There you go my darlings!! Be safe!! Don't Die!!