How to build a campfire, in the winter or snow,
in your backyard.
1. Benefits of a campfire – relaxing, brings people together, stay warm, eat and talk, acoustic guitar or a harmonica are popular musical instruments around a fire, soothing, etc.
2. Why it’s important to learn HOW to build a campfire: prepares you for an emergency, source of heat, a great alternative way to cook food, survival skills, helps you improve your camping skills
3. Why you would want or need to build a fire in your BACKYARD: warmth, survival, improving camping skills or emergency purposes.
4. What you should and should NOT wear when building a fire: gloves, no loose clothing, clothing that can’t be replaced since hot ashes can jump out and put a hole in your clothes, etc. Clothes you don’t want to smell smoky afterwards.
5. Campfire SMELL – some people don’t like campfires because they smell like smoke.
6. People who should NOT be near a fire – people who have been drinking, especially little children, people who like to play games with fire and don’t respect fire, etc.
7. Type of Wood to use – Any type of wood will burn,
8. Types of Wood NOT to use: lumber w/ nails, treated wood,
9. Types of matches or fire starters – starter fluid, gas,
10. How much wood to bring
11. Where to store fuels
12. Types of kindling – newspaper, dried grass, pine needles
13. How much wood should you store?
14. Where to store wood – using a tarp to cover it, big plastic bin,
15. How to cut the wood and how big of pieces should you cut the wood into?
16. What is the best way to stack wood
17. How do you find out if it’s legal to start a fire in your own community or backyard? Talk with a fire department in your community.
18. Types of objects that are used to contain a fire: 55 gal barrel cut in half, end of a propane tank, rocks, big tire rim, etc.
19. What are the requirements of a container? It needs to be something that won’t burn, keeps the fire contained, keeps people out of the fire space
20. Why you need a container – a fire can spread easily without a container
21. Basic Supplies needed to start a fire: fire source like matches or a lighter, kindling, wood,
22. Other helpful tools – shovel, ax, screen, pie tin, water container
23. Portable supply kit – ax, shovel, wedge, matches, kindling, newspaper, water container, pie tin for fanning, etc.
24. Why paper will not keep a fire going -
25. Safety factors to consider before starting a fire: nearby surroundings,
26. To do list before STARTING a fire: clean out fire pit, clean out snow, get all supplies together, check your surroundings, make sure you are able to put it out once you get it started, make sure you have the time to start a fire and to stay with it AND put it out. You can’t start it and leave it.
27. Things to do before LEAVING a fire: clean up mess, put out the fire w/ dirt or water, smother the fire completely.
28. How to keep the fire going, maintain, fanning,
29. Identifying the “hottest” part of the fire
30. How to cook food in a campfire - using coals off the to the side
31. How to cook common foods like roasting marshmallows, cooking hot dogs and hobo dinners in a campfire,
