- 1). Choose a fire site away from tents, brush or overhanging trees. Clear the ground down to bare dirt and construct a fire ring with rocks. If you’re camping at a campground, use any fire pit or ring that is already at the site. Have a bucket of water nearby for extinguishing the fire.
- 2). Gather tinder, kindling and fuel before starting the fire. Tinder is anything small that ignites immediately but burns out quickly. Gather several handfuls of pine needles, dry leaves or small twigs. Dryer lint or shredded paper works as well. Tinder is any dry wood 1 inch or less in diameter that will burn for a short time, but not sustain a fire. Fuel is split logs or larger branches, which may burn for several hours depending on the type of wood.
- 3). Lay a foundation of kindling in the center of the fire ring. Crisscross several similar-sized pieces of kindling in a 6-inch square as a base for the tinder. Place a generous handful of loose tinder on the kindling. Have more tinder close by and a good supply of kindling ready to add to the fire.
- 4). Place your back to the wind and light your match. Protect the flame with cupped hand and light the fire at the base of the tinder, if possible in several places and underneath the tinder.
- 5). Add kindling when the tinder has ignited but before it has burned out. Start with smaller twigs and add them evenly around and across the flame. Avoid adding too much too quickly as this can smother the fire or knock the tinder apart. Keep adding progressively larger kindling until the fire is established.
- 6). Add larger pieces of fuel by either crisscrossing them over the fire or leaning them against each other teepee-fashion. Start with smaller fuel logs and work up to larger pieces as the fire burns down. Periodically, carefully push the unburned portions of the logs toward the center of the fire.
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