Outdoors

Fire: The substitute for TV

Once you build a fire, your camp has a kitchen, dining room and rec room all in one spot.

By TERRY TOMALIN, Outdoors Editor
Published January 4, 2008

The best base for building a quick fire consists of dry tinder (such as Spanish moss) with a tepee of kindling (small sticks or split wood) erected over it.
	[KATHLEEN FLYNN | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT [KATHLEEN FLYNN | Times] Because it is harder to regulate the temperature of a fire, or because you don't want a face full of smoke first thing in the morning, sometimes that first cup of coffee is better off prepared on a propane camp stove. [KATHLEEN FLYNN | Times] Where do campers such as Outdoors Editor Terry Tomalin keep warm? And cook? And eat? And tell stories? And toast marshmallows? That's right, camp central is the fire.

DEAD RIVER PARK

Some people go camping for the solitude. Others go to bond with nature. Me? I go for the campfire.

Those of you in the non-camping public may think I'm a pyromaniac, but that is not true.

A person suffering from that classic disorder, according to Webster's dictionary, has "an irresistible impulse to start fires."

I not only like to start fires, I also enjoy cooking over them, sitting by them, sleeping by them, etc. I am an all-around, unabashed, unapologetic campfire aficionado.

But building a fire is as much an art as it is a science.

Read on for some hard-learned tips from the trail.

Location, location, location

In Jack London's classic short story, To Build a Fire, the protagonist makes the mistake of starting his fire beneath the snow-covered branches of a tree. The snow melts. The fire goes out. The man dies.

Fortunately, my fire-making mistakes have never had such grave consequences, though I have melted my share of tents in the past.

The first question a camper should ask before setting match to wood is "Are fires allowed?" Many state and local campgrounds do not allow open fires on the ground. And even in those parks that do, drought conditions often force officials to ban open fires to help prevent forest fires.

Most organized campgrounds have fire rings. It is always a good idea to bring a shovel to clean the old ashes out of the pit so air can circulate under the wood. If the campground doesn't have a fire pit, bring your own. Just cut off the bottom 12 inches of a 55-gallon drum and drill a few air holes in the side. As you pick your fire spot, be mindful of the surrounding and overhead vegetation.

Once the site for the fire has been established, set up the rest of the camp (tent, cooking area, etc.) upwind.

Fuel for thought

Don't count on finding dead wood on the ground to fuel the flames. In a popular campground, such as Fort De Soto Park at the southern tip of Pinellas County, the ground is likely to be picked clean by the thousands of campers that have been there before. That's not a good thing, since a downed log supports more life than a live tree.

It is much better to gather some wood at a brush site or to buy some split logs at the camp store or supermarket. Oak, and other hardwoods, will burn long and slow, and creates a long-lasting bed of coals. Softwoods, such as pine or spruce, burn quicker and hotter.

A grocery store bag of split wood costs about $5. It is always better to have too much wood than too little. If you think you will use two bags a night, buy four. Keep an extra bag in reserve.

The mechanics

The easiest and most effective way to make a fire is to build the classic "tepee."

Before you start, line up your ingredients: tinder, kindling and fuel. The tinder is the small, dry, easy-to-light stuff - such as newspaper, Spanish moss or dried palm fronds - that makes up the base.

In the wild, thin, dry twigs make great kindling. But in state parks, the rangers usually ask that fallen wood be left on the ground, where it can continue to play a role in the ecosystem.

Wood that has been split multiple times with a hatchet (be careful, my hands are covered with wood-splitting scars) and even soaked in some flammable liquid such as kerosene, makes great kindling. Now arrange the kindling in a tepee loosely enough around the tinder so air can circulate.

Finally, it's time for the fuel. Place the split wood (don't use round logs unless you need the fire for a week) upright, tip to tip, around the kindling.

Light the tinder, then fan it to build the flames. If you have done it right, the kindling should catch next, then the wood.

Now comes the fun part: the ghost story.

Spirits in the night

Gather your troop, pack, gang, tribe or family around the fire and make sure everybody has a comfy chair. Make Uncle Henry, the big-mouth who eats and drinks too much at Christmas dinner, sit on the smoky side.

Do not begin until everyone is quiet. All flashlights should be off. Keep yours handy in case you want to illuminate your face during particularly scary parts.

As far as content, always blend fact with fiction. For example, on my recent trip to Dead River County Park, a good portion of my story focused on the river's name. In reality, the river pretty much goes nowhere, but it makes a better campfire story to associated the name with an untimely demise. Fail-safe themes: swamp creatures, mythical or legendary beasts, the ghosts of old soldiers, cowboys, explorers, etc.

Make sure your stories are age appropriate. If there are little ones mixed in the crowd, I usually pull them aside and let them in on the secret and ask that they help scare the "big kids."

Most of my stories end with me being eaten or killed, then the kids pause, "Hey, wait a minute ..."

Fire safety

Never leave a fire unattended. A ring of rocks around the fire should be clearly established as a "no kid zone." Be watchful of your sparks. Keep a bucket of water handy to put out the fire when you are done. Dirt works even better.

But a word of caution: I once thought I had put out a fire I had made on the pine forest floor in Maine. I took off to go fishing but came home that evening to discover that the fire had burned down through the ground and resurfaced under my tent, burning a 2-foot wide hole under my tent.

S'mores

This classic campfire treat is easy to make. Start with a bag of marshmallows, a box of graham crackers and a package of Hershey's chocolate bars.

There are two ways to make s'mores.

The first method, favored by my 4-year-old daughter, is to toast the marshmallow until it is a delicate golden brown. She then gently places the marshmallow on a graham cracker, adds the chocolate and covers it with another graham cracker. Then she gently squeezes the crackers together, waits until the marshmallow has cooled, and eats carefully.

My 6-year-old son has a slightly different technique. He sticks his marshmallow in the fire, waits until it bursts into flames, pretends it is a torch, then grabs a handful of chocolate, which he gobbles down in one bite.

Fire starters

1) Coghlan's wind and waterproof matches

Extra-large windproof, waterproof head. Waterproof striking surface on the box. Two boxes per package, 20 matches per box. $2.98

2) Coghlan's fire paste

For quick fire starting without flare-up or splashing. Not affected by heat or cold. Useful for campfires, fireplaces or for priming stoves in cold weather. Squeeze the paste on top of several pieces of wood. Light the paste and place additional wood on top. The intense heat will ignite even damp wood. 3.75 ounces. $3.50

3) Coghlan's fire sticks

These sticks are non-toxic, leave no odor, burn completely and even light after being submerged in water. Break sticks in half and insert two or three pieces under loosely stacked wood. Burn inside a tin can for light and warmth, light one stick as flare. 12 sticks per pack. $1.89

4) Coghlan's fire lighters

No more matches, paper, or kindling. Break off a fire lighter and strike like a match. Wait for stick to light, then place it under your fuel. Stick burns for about seven minutes. 20 sticks per pack. www.coghlans.com. $1.98

5) Ultimate Survival Wetfire tinder

These cubes work, even when wet, to light a fire or prewarm a backpacker stove. Scrape the cube with the blade of a knife or other sharp object and create a small pile of shavings. Use entire cube if adding damp fire materials. Use matches or blast match to light. Eight cubes per box. www.ultimatesurvival.com. $4

6) Spark-lite firestarter and Tinder-Quik.

Tinder-Quick is waterproof and burns for two to three minutes, giving you plenty of time to light a fire. The multipurpose Spark-lite firestarter can be used for starting camp stoves and wood fires. This official military firestater can be used with just one hand and is tested for more than 1,000 sparks. Four tinders per pack with firestarter. http://adventuremedicalkits.com. $9.90

[Last modified January 4, 2008, 07:37:08]