Setting up the tent, building a campfire, roasting food and enjoying marshmallows are only some of the activities which a camping trip can promise. Only a few experienced campers truly know how to build the perfect campfire which can provide warmth, cook your food and act as a central piece of the camp.
There are many others however who tend to make some little mistakes that can totally ruin not just the campfire but sometimes even the camping trip. In order to avoid making these mistakes, you must be aware of what the most common mistakes are. This is why we have come up with the list of the 5 most common mistakes to avoid when building a campfire:
Not Having any Fire Wood
The biggest and the most common mistakes people make when building a campfire is not having any fire wood which will keep it going. It is very important that you first gather some wood from the camping area before you start building the fire. Also, always gather more wood than you think would be required since often, some of it is moist and not worth using. Also, make sure you head out to gather wood much before the sun sets to avoid getting lost in the camp.
Smothering the Fire with a Large Piece of Wood
Another common mistake related to building a campfire that people tend to make is to smother the fire with a very large piece of wood when the fire has just gotten going. It is important to use a tinder bundle when starting a fire because initially, the flames are too small. Keep adding a few twigs and branches before adding a big piece of log into it.
Not Tending to the Fire
Another mistake people make is that they forget to tend to the fire after starting it initially. It is important for one of the people in the camp to tend to it to make sure it keeps going on rather than fizzing off. The fire must be checked periodically to make sure that there is enough fuel in it and that the wind does not carry sparks too far. People can be assigned duties to check the fire every once in a while to avoid facing any troubles.
Letting Children go to Close
When building a campfire, you must ensure that children, toddlers and others do not venture too close to it. Children must be kept out of reach to avoid any accidents and should not be allowed to make the fire. Toddlers must be kept a close watch on to ensure they don’t crawl too near the fire.
Building the Wrong Fire Pit
Building a fire pit is an art which only a few have mastered. Digging the fire pit incorrectly can lead to an improper campfire. To make the fire pit, you will need a shovel to dig out a large bowl-shaped hole in the ground. Put some rocks around in the shape of a circle or a square and then build the fire on top.
