One of the core bushcraft and survival skills is making a good campfire. Here’s how I do it:
(1 min. 13 sec. video shot on 19 Oct 2025 in Lelystad, the Netherlands).
Tips
- Collect tinder as you walk. When you find good tinder — like dry grass, birch bark, dead reed, ferns, or cleavers (as in the video) — put it in your pocket. If it’s a bit damp, your body heat will help dry it until you need it.
- Choose a safe spot. Pick a level area where your fire won’t damage trees, bushes, or roots. Clear the forest floor in a wide circle down to bare soil so you don’t burn the forest debris.
- Stack your firewood off the ground. Lay down two thick sticks to stack your firewood on. This keeps it away from damp ground.
- Gather plenty of dry wood. Start with thin twigs, then medium sticks, and finally thicker logs. Dry wood is key — look for dead branches still hanging on trees or raised off the ground. Collect more than you think you’ll need; the thin stuff burns fast.
- Build a base. Make a small platform from thumb-thick sticks. This protects your fire from wet soil, lets air reach it from below, and adds extra fuel.
- Prepare and light your tinder. Place your tinder on the platform and check the wind direction — that’s where the flames will go. Light the tinder carefully. (In the video I use a firesteel — your tinder must be very dry for that to work.)
- Feed it gradually. Once the flames catch, gently add a handful of the smallest sticks. As they burn through, keep adding slightly larger pieces.
- Maintain the fire. Continue adding wood in stages as the flames grow. Keep an eye on airflow. If necessary, you can increase this by blowing.
- Extinguish and clean up. When you’re done, let the fire burn out completely so only small coals and ash remain. Spread them out and wait until they’re cold to the touch. To speed things up, add water. Once everything is cool, cover the spot with forest debris again. Remember the bushcraft motto: “Leave no trace.” 🙂
When it’s wet
When it’s wet in the woods — for example, right after rain — making a fire becomes trickier, but it’s still possible. Here’s how I do it:
(Video shot on 20 Oct 2025 in Lelystad, the Netherlands)
Tips
- Find a dead standing tree. Dead wood that’s still upright usually stays drier inside, since rain doesn’t soak it as much as wood lying on the ground.
- Section the tree. Push the tree over and break it into sections (or use a saw or axe). You can break off pieces by wedging the top in a sturdy tree fork and pushing the base sideways — using the trunk as a long lever.
- Split the wood. Use your knife and a baton (or an axe if you have one) to split the sections until you reach the dry inner wood.
- Make feathersticks. Shave thin pieces of dry wood into 6–8 feathersticks. The fine curls will catch fire easily even when conditions are damp.
- Build a platform. Clear a wide circle of forest debris down to bare earth to prevent accidental fires. Then lay down a small platform of thumb-thick sticks to keep your fire off the wet ground. Arrange the feathersticks on top, with the curls overlapping. If there’s wind, face the feathers toward it — that’s where the flames will go.
- Light the fire. Gently ignite the feathersticks. Once the curls catch, start adding small dry pieces to build up the fire.
- Dry more wood as you go. If you need a longer fire, place damp pieces near the flames so the heat can dry them before you use them.
Happy burning!
Other fire-related posts
- How to suspend your pot over a campfire (23 Dec 2015)
- Sami long log fire (28 Jul 2011)
- How to make fire with the bow drill (1 Apr 2004)