How Do You Build a Teepee Fire?

Answer:

Chilly evenings camping call for cozy warm campfires. A teepee fire is the very best fire for quick lighting. It puts out a tremendous amount of heat, even with a relatively small fire, and is quite easy to maintain around your campsite.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Remove a square of turf and put it to one side. Lay a platform of green sticks in the square hole.

Step 2: Begin building a teepee shape by balancing four upright sticks against each other, their top ends meeting in a point. The teepee does not need to be very big to start a good blaze.

Step 3: Build up the teepee gradually, trying to make it as stable and sturdy as possible — it should not collapse until it is burning fiercely. Build the teepee tall enough to create a space inside and accommodate your tinder. Also leave a space at the side through which you can introduce a match.

Step 4: Put a generous amount of your tinder on the floor of the teepee. Strike a match and shelter the flame inside your cupped hands, allowing the flame to burn down the stem. Hold the match to the tinder until the tinder catches fire. Leave the match in place, and add more tinder, followed by leaves and twigs, taking care not to knock over the teepee.

Step 5: As the heat builds up, the teepee catches fire and eventually collapses in on itself. This creates a hot bed of embers that can either be fed more fuel for a warming fire, or used for cooking purposes.

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