| Camping is always associated with fire. Beside for the | | | | Kindling a fire |
| cooking purpose, this fire will keep us warm in the | | | | This is almost like a game of skill. First, clean the site |
| night and to shoo the wild animals away. Find out the | | | | where you are going to lay your fire, and scrape the |
| tips to make the fire for camping. | | | | ground all around it so that you leave nothing that |
| Around the Fire | | | | may be ignited by a flying spark. Then, start with |
| From books and moving pictures we all know that | | | | paper, dried grass or reeds, dried leaves and twigs, |
| Indians had the ability to maintain smokeless fires, | | | | birch bark or paper thin shavings. Set up a little |
| and that trapper could blot out the sites of their fires | | | | pyramid of the thinnest, driest twigs over this. Then, |
| without leaving the slightest trace behind. But we're | | | | to get a strong flame, lay brittle softwood branches |
| not always able to imitate these models. We gaily | | | | on top of the pile. Finally, to produce effective heat |
| follow the recipe take some wood and light it. But | | | | and a good glow, add pieces of root and thick |
| there's far more to it than that. | | | | hardwood sticks. |
| Finding the Right Type of Wood | | | | The hardwoods include oak, beech, poplar, birch and |
| Before you build a fire, you must first have a good | | | | hickory. Hazel, spruce, pine and fir are all softwoods. |
| supply of firewood on hand. It's embarrassing to | | | | The paper thin outer layer of birch bark is ideal for |
| realize that there's no more wood when your hot | | | | kindling. |
| dog is only half done. For a smokeless fire you need | | | | Set fire to the core of the pyramid only when it is |
| completely dry, brittle wood. The driest branches are | | | | finished. If kindling piles are skillfully built, it is possible |
| those that have lost their bark and never feel cold; | | | | to light them with a magnifying glass if the sun is out |
| cold wood is damp and heavy, and it is useless to | | | | brightly. As long ago as 278 B.C. the inventive |
| you unless you want to dry it out at a fire first. You | | | | Archimedes saved the Sicilian city of Syracuse with |
| can find dry brittle wood even after a rain. Look for | | | | this principle. He erected a huge reflector on the city |
| branches under dense shrubbery (that's a bit of old | | | | wall and set fire to the enemy fleet with it. Soon the |
| gypsy lore) or find the lowest dead branches of | | | | fleet was swimming in bright flames on the sea. I |
| young pine trees, which are especially suitable for | | | | wasn't there myself, but I have often lighted a well |
| starting fires. | | | | prepared, dry kindling pyramid with my pocket |
| Only a greenhorn would start a fire with wood that | | | | burning glass. |
| still has green leaves hanging on it. Such wood is | | | | Before making the fire, search for the right type of |
| usable only if you already have a strong fire. Thick, | | | | wood which is dry, so easy it will be easy to burn. |
| dead limbs of old oaks, dried roots and trunks make | | | | Arrange the woods in a pyramid form to produce |
| good heating material. In rainy weather, cut away the | | | | such level of heat to warm the night. |
| top layer of wet sticks; the center will be dry. | | | | |