So let's begin. One of the most important points when laying a fire is the correct
choice of fuel. You should not cut down growing trees for firewood. This, firstly, harms nature, and, secondly, green branches produce more smoke than fire. Use dried branches and dead wood as fuel.
Try to collect birch or alder firewood, as well as firewood from resinous conifers (spruce, pine).
It is not advisable to use rowan, bird cherry, larch and aspen for a fire - they provide little heat.
If you are walking through an area where there are no trees, you can light a fire from peat, grass, or dung (dried dung).
Let's light a fire
The first step is to choose a place for the fire. At the halt, the area is cleared of dry grass and flammable debris. Take measures to prevent the fire from spreading to bushes and trees. If you are going to make a fire on snow or wet soil, do not forget to prepare a platform for it from stones or logs.
When lighting a fire important point is the choice of kindling. The faster and more steadily the kindling ignites, the more likely it is that the fire will burn quickly.
Typically, the following types of kindling are used for lighting:
Rotten things. Even in the rain, you can cut off the wet parts and there will be dry rot inside;
Down of plants and birds;
Pieces of bark;
Dried puffball mushrooms;
Lichens and ferns;
Chips and shavings of dry wood.
The kindling is piled up like a tent or between logs. Small branches are placed on it, and then larger branches.
Little tips
The most convenient way to light a fire is with matches. In order to protect matches from moisture before going on a trip, dip each match in paraffin or wax. After drying, it is convenient to carry such matches in a sleeve closed with a stopper.
To direct heat to in the right direction use a reflector. This could be a piece of tin or other non-flammable material. It will also help protect the fire from the wind.
It is safer to extinguish the fire at night, but the coals can be covered with ash. Then in the morning you can dig them out and fan the fire again.
A small fire is easier to build and maintain than a large one. Several small fires placed around will provide more warmth in cold weather than one large one.
Types of fires and their purpose
The design of the fire is selected depending on what is needed in at the moment- warm up, cook food, dry clothes or shoes, spend the night. It should be remembered that a fire only warms the surfaces facing it, so it would be a good idea to take care of reflective walls. The reflective wall not only reflects heat, but also causes smoke to rise upward. With the help of such a wall, the heating of a shelter built for an overnight stay is improved.
A small fire is easier to build and maintain than a large one. Several small fires arranged in a circle will provide more warmth in cold weather than one large one. A larger fire is made for heating, and a smaller one for cooking.
Maintaining a fire requires less effort than starting a new one. Quite often the fire has to be extinguished at night. In this case, cover the coals with ash. In the morning they will still smolder, and you can easily fan the fire.
“Hut” type fire
Bonfire type Hut. Master class by the fire with foxtravel
The simplest and most common type of fire. This type of fire is good for both cooking and providing warmth and light to the camp. Increasingly thicker logs and sticks are placed obliquely on the kindling, and a hole is left between them on the wind side. The result will be something similar to a hut. This fire is very voracious and requires constant feeding with portions of firewood; it burns hot.
"Star" type fire
Star type fire. Master class by the fire with foxtravel
An economical type of fire that requires hardwood logs. They are laid out in the shape of a star, and as they burn, they are moved towards the center. Good for maintaining a fire for a long time without constantly adding branches. Such a fire is indispensable at night: you just need to move the logs towards the center from time to time.
Bonfire "well"
Bonfire of the Well type. Master class by the fire with foxtravel
Logs stacked in a log house are the most common and simplest type of fire. Gives a low and wide flame. Indispensable if you need to cook food in a large bowl or dry wet clothes. Firewood in which is stacked like a log hut. In the “well” the fuel burns more slowly than in the “hut”; a lot of coals are formed, which create high temperature necessary for instant cooking food and drying clothes.
Nodya type fire. Master class by the fire with foxtravel
Used for overnight stays in cold weather. It is necessary to cut down 3 dead spruce logs with a diameter of about 30 cm, up to 3 m long, and trim them on one side along the entire length. Place two logs side by side, light a highly flammable material (thin dry twigs, birch bark) in the gap between them, then place the third log on top so that their hewn surfaces face one another. The node flares up slowly, but will burn all night and does not require adjustment. Although, if necessary, the heat can be slightly adjusted by spreading or moving the lower logs.
A node can also be made from two logs placed on top of each other. In this case, in order to prevent them from falling, it is necessary to drive a pair of stakes at both ends. It is more convenient to light a log using coals from a fire, scattering them evenly over the entire upper surface of the lower log.
Bonfire with reflector
Bonfire with reflector. Master class by the fire with foxtravel
On the leeward side, two stakes are driven in with an inclination of 70-80° and several raw tree stumps 1 m long are placed horizontally on top of them to a height of 0.7-1 m. The tent is placed 1-2 m from the fire.
Safe night fire
Safe night fire. Master class by the fire with foxtravel
This type of fire is designed to keep the fire burning all night with minimal risk of logs falling out. It can be constructed with a heat reflector mounted on one side of the fire. The logs should be laid in such a way that there is not a large gap for air between them, then the flame will be low, and two logs laid obliquely at the edges will prevent the fire from spreading.
Pyramid type fire
Pyramid type fire. Master class by the fire with foxtravel
Place two logs parallel to one another, and a row of logs across - this will be the base. Place smaller logs on top and so on until there are very small ones at the top, on which you place kindling and light a fire. The fire will gradually go down. This type of fire burns for a long time and can be used as a night fire.
Polynesian fire
Polynesian fire. Master class by the fire with foxtravel
Invisible and produces a lot of coals and ash. For such a fire, a hole is dug, its walls are lined with stones (or covered with clay), and a fire is lit at the bottom. If possible, a place for it should be chosen under an overhanging rock or a dense tree crown - in this case it will be invisible not only from the sides, but also from above. No fire required large quantity firewood To ensure that the wood in the fire burns well and does not smoke, you need to dig another hole nearby with a narrow channel to the fire for air access.
LET YOUR FIRE BURN BRIGHT AND HOT!
You, who have been living on this planet for a long time (at least 20 years, right?), know how to lace your shoes, set up a tent, and build a fire. And you already feel like gray-haired dinosaurs, having eaten more than one bag of salt in such matters. But then a mushroom picker grandfather will come out to your clearing, glance at you from under his bushy eyebrows, and immediately realize: greenhorns. No, not because they are beardless. He just looks at your fire. And that’s it – the diagnosis is ready.
Because exactly according to type of fire one can judge the experience of the tourist. You won't cook soup from a full carcass, will you? Or make it from a parquet block? Right, each job has its own specifications, skills, tools and materials? This also applies very much to the fire. If your friend tells you that he has been on all the campaigns of the century, and at the same time makes one “pioneer” fire for cooking, and for drying things, and for heating, without skimping on firewood, according to the principle “the louder, the more musical,” this means only one thing: your friend is, to put it mildly, an incorrigible dreamer.
After all bonfire is a tool. It is different in every case. And if you learn to make fires based on your needs and capabilities, this skill will be very useful in life, and maybe even save it. Because a properly built fire will meet the stated requirements and will do the work that is assigned to it. I invite you to consider with me the most famous and effective types bonfires
Rest fires
You walk through the forest for a long time, following the route and schedule. The place to spend the night is still far away, but your legs are buzzing and your stomach will soon learn to say how hungry it is. You, all covered in cobwebs, pine needles, or just wet from the recent rain, suddenly suddenly go around the last tree, and here is a clearing where you can rest. Hooray! Down with the backpack. The organisms, suffering to sit by the fire, rushed like elk into the forest to collect twigs and branches. Halt.
Bonfire "Shalash"
If you're just going to relax burning flame, you will be quite satisfied with a “hut” type fire. It is done simply - smaller branches, and any dry plant dust is folded into a pile on the ground; above it, thicker branches and branches are placed in such a way that the upper ends converge at one point, while the lower ones are on the ground, and the middle rests on the inner pile for kindling. Such a fire produces a large and fast flame. You can warm up next to it. But it also burns out very quickly.
Hunter's Hearth
If you want to refresh yourself with sandwiches at a rest stop, then you don’t need to stuff them into yourself dry - make tea. And it’s better to boil a kettle on a fire, which we call “ hunter's hearth" We place 2 not very thick logs in parallel at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other. And between them are small branches and kindling, which we light. It’s very convenient to place a kettle or pot on the logs, and then you’re ready aromatic tea, which will quickly restore strength and lift your spirits.
We rested, chewed, and were on our way. Many more interesting things await you along the way, which you will discuss in the camp, when setting up tents, preparing dinner and evening gatherings around the fire. After all, here you will already build a professional fire, like experienced tourists, with all the subtleties and conventions. For example, as “kitchen”.
Cooking fires
Kitchen fire
Breed kitchen fire you start with a “hut” fire, only larger. When the fire is already well lit, place 2 dry logs on both sides of it in parallel with a distance of 10 cm from each other at one end and 20 cm at the other. It is convenient to place teapots and coffee pots on the narrow “wall”, and pots and pans on the wide one. This way you can cook several dishes at once, just like at home on a multi-burner stove. By tossing branches or raking coals, you can create different temperatures combustion: it's like turning on the gas on a stove.
Bonfire "Trench"
But this variety bonfire very comfortable on open area in windy weather. For it, you dig a groove in the ground (see the length and width yourself) in such a way that you can hang camp boilers over it. It is recommended to dig a groove along the wind vector, with a slightly widened end towards it - this way your flame will always be “in good shape”. The walls of the trench will prevent the coals from disintegrating far, and you can regulate the bubbling in the pots by increasing or decreasing the height of the dishes above the fire.
Bonfire "Pit"
By the name you already understand that here you need to dig a hole. Bottom and bottom row It would be correct to line the walls with stones. This helps conserve heat, thus saving firewood, and options for using such bonfire– here you can not only boil water, but also bake, for example, potatoes in the ashes. Do you like potatoes baked in the fire? And a spit on a spit, installed above the pit, will even help you bake fish or meat.
If on the way to your overnight stay you get caught in the rain or catch a cloud on a pass in the mountains (a common occurrence in the Carpathians), you will definitely need to dry your clothes and warm up so that your further journey is not overshadowed by a cold or in general. The following types of fires will help you with heat therapy.
Fires for heating and drying
Bonfire " "
Such bonfire very popular in the northern regions and taiga. They are usually used hunters And trappers. Meter pegs are driven into the ground in pairs. The first 2 with a distance of 10-30 cm between each other. The second pair is located in the same way, but at a distance of 1-2 meters, and maybe more, from the first. This depends on the length of the logs that you will use for the fire, by the way, as well as the distance inside a pair of pegs - on the thickness of these logs. These notorious logs need to be placed between the pegs in the form of a wall. Have you warmed up yet? That's not all! You set fire from below and create a clothes dryer for yourself. It burns for a long time, enough for everyone.
Reflector fire
In principle, technically, this is a symbiosis of the fires of Nodya and the Hunter’s Hearth, already known to you. Only Nodya is small, and acts as a reflective wall, reflecting the heat of the fire in the right direction. The wall is located close to fire pit, and at an angle of 90° to the surface.
This reflective fire provides a lot of heat, which is very convenient for small companies. And being alone is simply an irreplaceable option for overnight stays in the forest. Make a second wall-reflector behind your back or behind your place of lying, and even with a small flame you will be very warm and cozy.
Bonfire "Pyramid"
The basis for this bonfire Two thick, dry logs are used, which are used here instead of the first row of firewood. On top of them, perpendicularly - in the form of lattice rods - thinner logs are placed quite tightly to each other. On them - perpendicular to the 2nd floor - lay out the third floor, etc. Rising in height, the walls gradually narrow, forming a kind of cone of square cross-section.
A type of Pyramid can be called a fire, where the outer walls are like in the Pyramid, and the inside is a fire-hut. By alternating the number of floors of the walls with wet and, you can achieve long-term burning without adding firewood.
Bonfire "Star"
This fire requires 5-10 thick, dry logs. Do you remember how kids draw the sun? We make rays from logs, and the kindling itself will be our sun. As the firewood burns, it moves toward the center, providing warmth, light and a feeling of security for a long time.
This bonfire It’s also convenient when you don’t want to or don’t have anything to chop wood with - just find required quantity fallen young tree trunks birch trees or pine trees.
Taiga fire
Such a fire is indispensable when needed long lasting warmth and there is a canopy overhead - maybe a rocky ledge, or you came across a hunting canopy on a hike, and there is slush and wetness all around. We separate the initial bonfire- yes, at least a hut. While we are waiting for coals, we prepare a long thick log, which we place near the coals along the canopy. We place thinner logs on it, star-shaped and on the leeward side. This fire is good because it burns for a long time without adding firewood and “gives off” the heat widely - over a large area.
Regardless of the type of fire you intend to build, you should ALWAYS adhere to the following rules:
- The fire follows protect from strong wind;
- The fire must be provided air access, otherwise it will burn poorly and smoke;
- For heating it is better to dilute wide fire, and for cooking - a small cone-shaped one;
- Never don't leave unattended fire.
That, perhaps, is all the wisdom in kostrology for beginners. I hope this knowledge will help you feel much more confident in the difficult hiking life. And so that such extensive letter descriptions do not evaporate the romance in your souls, I will finally read you a poem Mikhail Treger about the fire.
BONFIRE
To light a fire
It's not enough to take out the matches,
To light a fire
It's not enough to take firewood,
A real fire is cunning
He hides his habits
How the crafty devil hides
Where the “fire-grass” burns.
To light a fire
I need cold, and I need evening,
This means that you need one
Who is cold and dark,
And the fire continues to argue,
Where there is nothing else to save,
Well, who will light it up?
It's basically the same.
Continents can be confused
Confusing division with multiplication
Life is fun, big lyceum
Everything will be fixed, but
Despite all alchemists
Don’t confuse decay with burning,
It will only show in the end
There is no room for improvement.
And now it’s definitely goodbye. Yes, and be healthy to me!
The article was prepared specifically for the 7th issue of the magazine .
Bonfires and their types, what types of fires there are, the pros and cons of this or that fire. Today we’ll touch on interesting topic, with which everyone who goes into the forest and cooks should be familiar with.
There are 7 main types of fires:
- Hut (also called pyramid)
- Well
- Taiga
- Dakota (closed fire) or Polynesian
- Nodya
- Star
- Mole (stove)
In order to understand all the pros and cons of the above types of fires, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with each of them in more detail.
1. Bonfire “Shalash”
Quite common type of fire, I I would say this type of fire is used by the vast majority of people. At least, I use this fire more often than others.
How to breed:
This type of fire is quite simple to make. You need to take firewood and stack it in the shape of a hut, put kindling inside the hut and set it on fire.
Attention! The first row of the fire is made of thin branches; when they start to burn, we add firewood larger size(we put firewood to form a hut). In this way, we will protect ourselves from the fire going out. Because if we immediately build a hut from thick firewood, the kindling may go out before the wood starts to burn. (my personal opinion. From experience)
This is a “Hot” fire that can be used both for cooking and drying clothes, and for lighting and heating the parking lot.
It is not advisable to use this fire for heating a parking lot at night, as it requires a lot of firewood and frequent addition of it.
Pros: Hot, even and large flame.
Good for cooking food and drying clothes
Can be used to illuminate a parking lot as it lights up brightly
Cons:Not suitable for spending the night, as it requires frequent adding of wood to the fire and, accordingly, the presence of a person on duty.
It requires a lot of wood to burn for a long time.
2. Bonfire “Well”
I would put this type of fire as the next most popular type of fire.
This fire is simply great for cooking, it produces great heat and a directed flame.
How to breed:
We stack the firewood prepared in advance in a well, put kindling in the center and set it on fire.
Pros: Directional flame suitable for cooking or drying clothes
Cons: For such a fire, the required wood is approximately same size.This is not a problem in principle.
Another disadvantage is that this type of fire cannot be used to heat a bivouac, as it produces a directed flame, which is more suitable for cooking.
3. Bonfire “Taiga”
This is an excellent camp fire (that is, used to heat the camp).
This fire produces a lot of heat and is made quite simply, of course, if you have firewood (logs) required diameter.You can sleep by a properly made taiga fire even in winter. bonfire Can light in the snow, the fire is very stable in weather conditions
How to breed:
As mentioned above, to make this fire, you need to have either a saw or an ax (at least an ax). Since this fire is a camp fire, you need appropriate firewood (logs) so that it can burn for 6-8 hours.
We fell thick dead trees and saw or cut them into several pieces, about 2 meters each.
A thick tree is placed across the place where you will spend the night( subjurlok 2.3 logs 2 meters long are placed on the poyurlok (log). The logs are pushed forward a little and set on fire from below.
Attention! On the sub-jurlock, 3 logs should lie together, and on the ground separately (see the picture above). This is done so that the part of the logs that is not extended beyond the sub-jurlock does not catch fire.
As the logs burn through, they will need to be moved. As a rule, standing up 1.2 times per night is enough.
Pros:
This is a wonderful campfire that will provide you with a warm overnight stay, even in winter.
Cons:
Thick logs required
You need to wake up 1.2 times a night to move the logs
4. Bonfire "Dakota"
This type of fire is not as common as the above, but it has certain advantages. These types of fires are practically invisible and at the same time produce a lot of coals. These types of hearth fires are also good in bad weather if you make a canopy over them.
The “Dakota” fire is still a little different from the “Polynesian”. The “Dakota” has a draft hole, but the Polynesian one does not.
How to divorce: We dig a cone-shaped hole half a meter deep and line the walls with “logs” and build a fire (Polynesian) at the bottom.
To make a “Dakota” fire, you additionally need to dig a ventilation draft hole (to do this, we dig a small hole half a meter from the fire, deepen it and connect the hole with an underground passage to the fire pit).
Pros: A fire is very convenient for cooking.
Can be used in bad weather (rain) if you first make a canopy over the fire.
The fire is almost invisible to “outsiders”
Cons: It is necessary to dig a hole, which is difficult in the absence of a shovel (or, for example, in winter).
The fire is highly specialized and can only be used for cooking.
5. Bonfire “Nodya”
This is a typical campfire, used for spending the night in the forest during the cold season.
How to breed: For nodes you need dry logs 2-3 meters in length and 25 cm in diameter.
There are two varieties of nodya, these are 2-log and 3-log “nodya”. As for me, nodya
3 logs are much easier to build and burn hotter.
How to breed:
If you make a fire in winter, you need to clear the area under the “node” of snow or put crossbars, then put 2 lower logs and build a uniform fire on them along the entire length. When the logs “take up” the fire, you need to put a third one on them.
When spending the night with a “node”, it is advisable to make a reflective screen out of tarpaulin or snow. The heat from the node will be reflected from the screen and warm you.
The “turning out” of wood can also serve as a heat shield.
Nodya should be located at least a meter away from your sleeping place.
To make the logs ignite better, you can first make notches on them, so the fire will ignite the wood faster.
Pros: This is a fire for spending the night, you can sleep next to it even in severe frost and get a good night's sleep.
Can heat a group of people at once
Cons:It takes quite a lot of time to create it, but it's worth it.
This fire requires you to have an ax or saw.
6. Bonfire “Starry”
This fire is quite common among the indigenous people of Siberia
How to breed:
Several logs (3-5 pieces) are placed in a star shape in the center and a fire is lit. As the logs burn, they are moved forward. This fire is very hot, you can spend the night near it even in winter.
Pros:
Very hot fire, gives a lot of heat
Cons: It is necessary to move the logs towards the center as they burn.
Thick logs are required, as in fact for any type of bivouac fires.
7. Bonfire “Mole”
This type of fire belongs to the type of hearth fires. I have not used such a fire.
In order to make this fire, you need to dig a hole in a steep slope and bring the hole out at the top of the slope.
I only know one thing, such a fire makes an excellent smokehouse for fish. Construction of a camp smokehouse:
- Bonfire "Mole"
- There's a fish hanging at the top
- Firewood: Juniper, cherry or alder
That’s probably all I wanted to say about the types of fires. If anything is unclear, write in the comments. Of course, you can do without a fire if you have sleeping bag. read the link
A campfire on a bivouac is wonderful. It allows you to fully enjoy unity with nature. Probably every man at least once was drawn to the forest, to a fire, to nature. Sitting by the fire, you imagine yourself as a primitive hunter who sits by the fire, after a successful hunt, eating juicy meat. Fire protects a person from animals, gives him light and warmth.
Take care of nature!
What types of fires are there, their pros and cons
To choose the right design for a fire, you first need to identify the purposes for which it is needed:
- Heating
- Cooking food
- Drying clothes and shoes
- Overnight
It should be remembered that a fire only warms the surfaces facing it, so it would be useful to take care of reflective walls. The reflective wall not only reflects heat, but also causes smoke to rise upward. With the help of such a wall, the heating of a shelter built for an overnight stay is improved.
A small fire is easier to build and maintain than a large one. Several small fires arranged in a circle will provide more warmth in cold weather than one large one. A larger fire is made for heating, and a smaller one for cooking.
Maintaining a fire requires less effort than starting a new one. Quite often the fire has to be extinguished at night. In this case, cover the coals with ash. In the morning they will still smolder, and you can easily fan the fire.
Fuel selection:
- You should not cut down growing trees for firewood. This, firstly, harms nature, and, secondly, green branches produce more smoke than fire. Use dried branches and dead wood as fuel.
- Try to collect birch or alder firewood, as well as firewood from resinous conifers (spruce, pine). It is not advisable to use rowan, bird cherry, larch and aspen for a fire - they provide little heat.
- If you are walking through an area where there are no trees, you can light a fire from peat, grass, or dung (dried dung).
So, let's move on to the types of fires. We have selected seven of the most useful and frequently encountered ones:
- Hut
- Well
- Nodya
- Star
- Taiga
- Fireplace
- Polynesian
Hut
One of the most common types of fire.
How to breed: Firewood is stacked like a hut or house. Kindling is placed below. It is advisable to lay the first row of the fire from thin branches; when they start to burn, we add larger firewood (we put firewood to form a hut). This way the fire will not go out. If you build a fire straight from thick wood, the kindling may go out faster than the wood will catch fire.
Pros:
- Gives a large and even flame
- Convenient for cooking food and drying clothes
- Can be used for lighting as it burns brightly
Cons:
- It is not suitable for spending the night, as it requires frequent addition of firewood to the fire and, accordingly, the presence of a person on duty.
- It requires a lot of wood to burn for a long time.
Well
It is a quadrangular fire made of thick logs. Sometimes, if a large (holiday) fire is required, long logs are used instead of logs.
How to breed: We stack the firewood prepared in advance in the shape of a log house, put kindling in the center and set it on fire.
Pros:
- Directional flame is great for cooking or drying clothes
Cons:
- The firewood should be approximately the same size. In principle, this is not a big problem.
- It cannot be used to heat a parking area, as it produces a directed flame, which is more suitable for cooking.
Nodya
It is made of coniferous logs up to three meters long and more than thirty centimeters in diameter. A very reliable long-lasting fire, usually used by hunters in the taiga and northern regions for overnight stays in cold weather.
How to breed: There are two types of nodes: 2-log and 3-log. In both cases, it is advisable to make a reflective screen from tarpaulin or snow. The heat from the node will be reflected from the screen and warm you. The “turning out” of wood can also serve as a heat shield. Nodya should be located at a distance of at least a meter from your sleeping place. To make the logs ignite better, you can first make notches on them, so the fire will ignite the wood faster.
Nodya in two logs: Take three dead spruce logs, 30-40 cm thick and up to 2-3 m long. To make the tree burn faster, before laying it along the entire length of the log, you need to make sastrugi with an ax, without removing the shavings completely. Two logs are placed on top of each other and secured on both sides with pegs. The lower log is hewn (the groove is usually made lengthwise). Between the logs where the kindling is placed, narrow spacers are made (two logs located near the pegs). The third log is placed on the ground, not far from the fire. Its purpose is to regulate traction.
Nodya in three logs: If a fire is lit in winter, then it is necessary to clear the area of snow, or lay it crosswise. Two logs are laid parallel on the ground. A fire is lit over the entire surface of the logs. When the logs are engulfed in flames, a third one is placed on top. This creates a flow of air, and in addition it is easier to lay kindling. Often a node is piled up on the site of a dying fire that has produced a lot of coals. The coals are raked along the entire length of the logs.
Pros:
- The campfire is ideal for spending the night. You can sleep next to it even in severe frost.
- Can heat a group of people at once
Cons:
- It takes a lot of time to create it, but it's worth it.
- This fire requires you to have an ax or saw.
Star
Long lasting bonfire. Distributed in Siberia.
How to breed: The fire is made from 5-10 large logs up to three meters long. The ends of the logs are folded together like a star. As they burn, the logs are moved towards the center.
Pros:
- A very hot fire gives off a lot of heat.
- You can camp around it for the night even in winter.
- It produces a hot, narrow flame, making it convenient to cook food in one pot.
Cons:
- It is necessary to move the logs towards the center as they burn.
- Thick logs are required, as in fact for any type of bivouac fires.
Taiga
A long-lasting fire used to heat a camp. This fire produces a lot of heat and is made quite simply, of course, if you have firewood (logs) of the required diameter. Done right taiga fire you can sleep even in winter. Such a fire can be made in the snow; the fire is very stable in weather conditions.
How to breed: To make this fire, you must have either a saw or an ax (at least an axe). Since this fire is an overnight fire, you need appropriate firewood (logs) to burn for 6-8 hours. We fell thick dead trees and saw or cut them into several pieces, about 2 meters each. A thick tree (heap, sub-urlok) is placed across the place where you will spend the night. 2.3 logs 2 meters long are placed on the poyurlok (log). The logs are pushed forward a little and set on fire from below. On the sub-jurlok, 3 logs should lie together, and on the ground apart (see the picture above) and on the leeward side. This is done so that the part of the logs that is not extended beyond the yurlock does not catch fire. As the logs burn through, they will need to be moved. As a rule, it is enough to get up 1-2 times a night.
Pros:
- Wonderful campfire where you can spend the night large group even in winter.
- It produces a large hot flame and a lot of coals, so it is good for cooking food in several dishes and drying clothes.
Cons:
- Thick logs required
- You need to wake up 1-2 times a night to move the logs
Fireplace
Used for night heating.
How to breed: Four short logs are used to make a well, inside which a fire is built. On one side of the well they make inclined wall- drive in two thick stakes inclined outward. Large logs or logs are placed on stakes. As the lower logs burn out, the upper ones roll down.
Pros:
- It can burn for a very long time. Used for night heating.
Cons:
- Not the simplest design
- It will take a lot of logs
Polynesian
Not a very common type of fire. Almost invisible, yet produces a lot of coals. Indispensable in windy and rainy weather.
How to breed: We dig a cone-shaped hole half a meter deep (up to a meter is possible) and line the walls with logs. We make a fire at the bottom
Pros:
- A fire is very convenient for cooking.
- Can be used in bad weather (rain) if you first make a canopy over the fire.
- The fire is almost invisible from the outside
Cons:
- It is necessary to dig a hole, which is difficult in the absence of a shovel (or, for example, in winter).
- The fire is highly specialized and can only be used for cooking.
No matter how far we are from camping life, each of us, at least once, has had to deal with making a fire. And if you go fishing, hunting or hiking, then you just need to remember the basic rules for making a fire and their types, this will be especially useful in bad weather. There are various types fires, depending on their purpose and the method of laying branches and logs.
1. "Hut"
This type of fire is the most common; it is most often used on camping trips for quick kindling and cooking in one container. You can quickly boil water for tea, since the flames of this type of fire are hot and concentrated in one place. For such a fire, the logs are laid obliquely towards the center, the firewood burns quickly in the upper part of the fire and the main coals are collected in the center.
2. "Well"
But if you need to secure several containers over a fire at the same time, then the best type of fire is a “well”; it is most often used for cooking. To build it, you need to lay two long logs parallel to each other, but at a short distance, lay 2 more logs on top, across the bottom ones, and in this sequence we continue to stack the firewood to the height we need. With this arrangement of firewood, there is excellent access of oxygen to the fire and the fire burns evenly along the entire length of the logs. This way you can cook several dishes at the same time.
3. "Taiga"
Another type is the “taiga” fire. It is constructed from thick long logs in two rows, in each row we place 2-3 logs, both of these rows should intersect under small angle. The intersection of the two rows should be above the coals, that is, directly at the main combustion site. The first row is laid close to each other, directly on the coals, and the second row on top, at an angle. Combustion occurs along the entire length of the logs, but the hottest and most intense combustion occurs at the intersection of the logs. Mutual heating and strong combustion are achieved due to vertical draft. This fire provides a lot of heat and burns for a long time.
4. “Three logs” or “nodya”
This type of fire consists of three large and long logs. The length of the logs should be at least two, two and a half meters, so it will take a little more strength to build such a fire. But your efforts will give you the opportunity not to add firewood all night, and the fire will provide enough heat and burn until the morning. To kindle such a fire you will need coals, which can be obtained from a simpler fire, the coals should be poured under the entire length of the log, in a compact strip, and brushwood or spruce paws should be poured on top, as soon as the small branches flare up well, then on both sides, at a short distance put 2 prepared logs into the fire. In order for the logs to quickly flare up, you need to make notches on them with an ax, as if you were trimming a log, then roll them into the fire with the notches inward, so they will quickly flare up. As soon as these two logs are occupied, you need to put a third log on top, with the same notches, with which you need to put the log towards the fire. If the diameter of the logs is at least 35 centimeters, then they can burn all night. Such a fire will help you even on very cold winter days.
5. "Fireplace"
Most often, this type of fire is used as a night fire to heat your camp during the cold season. Such a fire burns for a long time, the upper logs, as the lower logs burn, roll into the fire. A fireplace “fireplace” of four short logs is laid in the form of a well, and a wall is built on one of its sides. For the wall, 2 stakes are driven in, inclined outward, and logs are stacked on top of them. They keep the fire going all night, because as the lower logs burn, they roll down, and the fire itself is built inside the well.
6. "Polynesian"
Most likely, this species received such an exotic name from the fact that it is most often used in rainy, damp weather, that is, in a fairly humid climate. To build it, you will need a pit in the form of a cone, tapering towards the bottom; the depth of such a pit reaches one meter. Its walls are lined with logs and a fire is lit at the very bottom; it is this type that produces a lot of coals and is convenient not only in rainy weather, but also during strong winds.
7. "Star" or "stellar"
Logs are laid out on the coals lengthwise, from the center, along the radius of the fire. This fire is very economical, but requires constant supervision, since the main fire burns in the center, and as the logs burn, they need to be moved from the circle to the center of the fire. This type is convenient for maintaining a fire and slow burning. In place of the dying logs, close to the old ones, you can put new ones so that their edges have time to flare up. This type of fire is convenient when there is a small amount of firewood.
8. "Cannon"
A thick log is placed right next to the prepared coals, and several logs are placed on it with only one end, then the coals are directly under them and the logs flare up well and burn for a long time. As the logs burn, you can add new ones, resting them on a thick log. The fire holds heat well and burns long enough.
9. "Pyramid"
Another type of fire that can be used as a night fire is a “pyramid”. To do this, you need to lay two thick logs parallel to each other, and several more of the same logs across, so we will build the base of the fire. Now place smaller logs in the same order on top, and then even smaller logs, until there are very small twigs on top that can be used for kindling. Once the fire is lit, you can safely spend the night by the fire without adding more wood.
10. "Wigwam"
This type of fire is universal, you can cook food on it and it retains heat perfectly. It’s not at all difficult to do - we strengthen an inclined branch above the kindling, to which we attach, also inclined, other logs and branches, tightly to each other, and on the windy side we leave a hole for oxygen access. When lighting the kindling, stand on the windy side, with your back to the wind. This type of fire is hot and great for cooking and drying things near it.
To summarize, we can say that all types of fires only temporarily look like in the pictures, and then turn into a pile of coals. By adjusting your fire, you can independently find new look stacking logs. And all fires do not have to be built from solid logs; depending on the situation, you can use split logs for all types of fires. The main thing is that your hikes are successful, your nights are warm, and communication with nature brings you joy!