How to Ruin a Fire...

[missj]

How to ruin a fire...

I don't claim to be an expert at many things....but I know a thing or two about THIS topic.

I've gotten much better over the last 10 years; but I still make bonehead mistakes from time to time.

Any of you care to share your bonehead mistakes so that I may avoid them in the future?

I'll start with what will probably be a common theme in all of the "ruin a fire" methods:

IMPATIENCE!!! plain and simple

ok here's a story....I was making a campfire/bonfire for a big group over 4th of July of 2012. Kinda felt pressured because I'm a girl and normally a dude would want to do that, but none of the dudes were stepping up to the plate and the sun was starting to set...

Once I got started, I could tell a couple of the dudes wanted to take over, but DANGIT it was MY fire. I'd been gathering tinder all day while they were drinking beer (OK....I was drinking beer too...I was just gathering tinder at the same time) ;D

....anyways long story short....I get a nice little teepee going...maybe about the size of a can of soup or a little bigger and it's going nice and good. I've got my small/medium sized wood ready to add in stages and then some dim-wad drunk dude comes up and drops a baseball-bat sized branch on top of my teepee and KAPUT! fire ruined.

.....well....girls can't make fire anyways....so they weren't too shocked!

[WILL]

That..... and peeing on the fire. Man that smells sooo bad. I keep telling the women not to pee on the fire, but they always do it!

[mountainmark]

Ummmmm............Not bringing enough gasoline? ;D

Edit: Will, that is too funny

[swamprat1]

+1 on having patience. I have found it is a must when building a fire.
Also, not just having your materials on hand, but the right materials. Have your large wood split and ready. Make sure you have dry tinder, not slightly damp or "green". Everything needs to be good and dry.
If some of your larger stuff is damp from rain or just laying on the ground, once you get the fire going it helps to place the items next to the fire. Not close enough to burn, but close enough to dry off so that it will be ready when you need it.

[missj]

agreed swamprat.

having all the materials ready is still one of the things that I sometimes rush through and I regret it every time.

So often I am trying to build a fire right at dusk....so I'm scrambling. I usually do really well in gathering lots of small, dry tinder. It is usually the next size up wood that I don't get enough of...

then I manage to get a nice little fire going and I ruin it by not having the next sized wood fast enough, or by getting IMPATIENT and trying to put too big a piece on a fire that is going really well....

[ncguy]

You should have hit him the the wood he dropped on the fire!

[offtrail]

Aug 18, 2012 15:01:12 GMT -7 missj said:

agreed swamprat.

having all the materials ready is still one of the things that I sometimes rush through and I regret it every time.

So often I am trying to build a fire right at dusk....so I'm scrambling. I usually do really well in gathering lots of small, dry tinder. It is usually the next size up wood that I don't get enough of...

then I manage to get a nice little fire going and I ruin it by not having the next sized wood fast enough, or by getting IMPATIENT and trying to put too big a piece on a fire that is going really well....

Your doing it the old fashion way honey build it all at once. Lay down a branch and stack your tinder on this branch, it keeps your tinder off the ground and forums an air pocket. Next add your kindling and so on and so on. Make sure you leave an open space so you can light your tinder. Once the wood is about a foot high, go ahead and light your tinder. If done right your fire will grow all by it's self Check out this video and see how much wood is already stacked on top before lighting. This is a great way to get a fire going, hope this helps

[xwing]

fASTEST WAY TO RUIN A GOOD FIRE....OPENNING A BOTTLE OF ANYTHING BUT CROWN ROYAL AROUND IT!

[oldcoothillbilly]

Not only the right size a tinders an such, but more en enough of it! Always have more en ya thin it gonna take.

Cause sure as heck yer gonna need it!

[Redneckidokie]

Kerosene is your friend. LOL