Lakeshore RV Center
Take everything you know about building a campfire and forget it! We're going to show you a new way to get a roaring campfire going! When building a fire, most of us typically start with small tinder and kindling, then work our way up in size as it's burning until we get to the large logs that keep it going. We use the driest wood we can find, because everyone knows that wet wood won't burn. But what if we told you that you can build your fire backwards, and you can even use wet wood! Yes, it's true! Read on to learn how to make an upside down fire!
Build It!
The first step in building an upside down fire is to gather all your firewood. You will need the following: large pieces of firewood, branches, small sticks, even smaller sticks, and kindling. You will also want to try and find two good-sized pieces of wood such as fallen trees to help keep your fire up off the ground. When packing, it's a good idea to include some DIY fire starters to aid in getting your fire up and roaring. Examples of these are wax, cotton balls, shredded paper, and more. While searching for your firewood, see what other camping treasures you can find in the woods.
Place your two large pieces of wood next to each other with a little space in between them. Place a layer of your large firewood down across the trees as close to one another as possible. Stack another layer facing the opposite direction on top of that. Continue layers of large pieces, alternating directions, until you get your pile to the size you want it. Start placing the smaller branches in the same manner next. Then add your kindling and tinder, along with your DIY fire starter if you choose to use one, on top. Once you have this built, light it, and sit back and relax!!! You actually may want to keep an eye on the top layer, especially if you're working with wet wood on the bottom, just to be sure it stays burning long enough to heat and dry the wood beneath it. Once it begins to burn that first layer of large sticks, you can enjoy the beautiful upside down fire you've built.
How It Works
The reason this works, as stated above, is that the smaller wood on top burns and heats up the wood under it, essentially drying it out before it starts on fire. Each layer dries out the next and then begins to burn it. There's also less risk of the fire tipping over as it burns because you're not burning the bottom foundation first that is holding it up.
Don't let a little rain put a damper on your camping trip! Just because your firewood is wet doesn't mean that you can't build a fire to illuminate your campsite and bring some warmth to your nights. So gather some firewood, set up some camping chairs, and get the good times roaring with an upside down fire! Use it as a backdrop for an intriguing game of Campfire Mafia or use it to make some Firepit Jerky for a delicious snack.
How do you make a fire with wet firewood? Tell us in the comments.
