RV Tips: Learn How to Build the Best Campfire Below

Being able to build a reliable, strong fire at the campground is a must! Whether you’re a veteran camper or you’re just starting your RVing lifestyle, learning how to make the perfect fire in no time is a great way to improve your camping experience. Get these east RV tips for building a great campfire below.

Use the Fire Pit

If you’re staying at a campground, you’ll likely have a firepit as a part of your campsite. This is where you should build your fire every time. It’s designed to be a safe spot that is far enough from your camper to prevent potential problems, and it will already be set up to keep the fire contained safely.
If you are boondocking, you’ll need to either skip the fire for the night or find a safe place that is clear of debris and build a fire ring from stones to keep the fire contained.

Make Sure You Have Tinder

Tinder is the smallest part of your campfire. It’s what you’ll want to put in the base of your firepit. It’s easy to catch fire, but it burns quickly. Some good options for tinder are:

Saw dustCardboardDry leavesCardboardDryer lintPine needlesScrap paper

Gather Kindling

Kindling is the next step up from tinder. It’s slightly larger, takes a little longer to catch fire, and burns a bit longer. Having the right amount of kindling helps you to build a strong enough flame to catch the firewood before the flame dies.

Kindling Options:

BarkLarger twigsSmall branchesWood shavings

Stock Up on Firewood

Most campgrounds require you to purchase your firewood at their store. You’ll want to make sure you have more firewood than you think you’ll need before you start your fire because you’ll burn through the firewood pretty quickly.

A Way to Start Your Fire

Whether you’re going to use matches, a lighter, or flint and steel, you’ll want to have it ready to go before you start building your fire. Flint and steel is a great way to make a flame, but it requires some practice, while the other methods are quick and easy.

How to Build a Fire:

The first thing you’ll need to do is to clean out the firepit, so there is no leftover ash to suffocate your flame.Next, set up a bit of tinder and layer the kindling over the top so that you can easily light the tinder, but the flames will catch the kindling. The kindling should be layered by placing two twigs on either side of the tinder, parallel to each other.Next, set four twigs across the two to create a box-like shape with the twigs cross over the tinder.Next, layer thicker twigs going in the opposite direction again.Set two of the large pieces of firewood along the edges of the firepit, but close enough to be moved into the flames when they are strong enough.Carefully light the tinder. Continue to feed tinder to the flame until the kindling catches.Once the kindling catches, start adding more kindling, increasing the size of the kindling as the flame grows.When the kindling is burning strongly, add the firewood in the same cross-way pattern.Continue to add firewood until the fire is burning to your desired level, and lower the firepit’s protective grate.

Fire Safety Tips:

A few things to remember to ensure you keep yourself and others safe while enjoying your campfire:

Never leave your fire unattended. Douse it completely before heading to bed. Remove anything that could catch fire from the area before starting your fire.Do not leave flammable things near the firepit even when there is no fire. Pay attention to wind and weather conditions to ensure you won’t lose control of the flames.

If you’re looking for a great RV to take you to the campground, shop the RVs for sale at RVingPlanet.com!