HOW TO MAKE CAMP FIRES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1007, 23 December 1910, Page 9

HOW TO MAKE CAMP FIRES.

A USEFUL ART. ■ At this time of the year, when so many people go oil' oil camping expeditions, a | few practical' hints upon . constructing camp fires may bo useful. Nothing in outdoor life adds so much to one's pleasure and comfort as a properly-built and correctly-handled fire. The amateur camper will quickly betray his ignorance if set to making' a fire, for there are several kinds, the particular one depending on the uso to be mndo of it. Anyone can start a'conflagration, and beginners usually do build that kind of fire; but to mako one that will do for you just what you want in tho best way, is another matter. Nine out of ten campers build fires entirely too large, and are compelled to wait until they burn down before they can use them. The fire in the open is tho only real fire. That in your stove or furnace is a servant, in prison; arid even the one in your fireplace is hedged about and confined. The Friendship Fire. This is. a fire built to give cheer, light, and warmth. Doing nil these, it provokes in those about it a feeling of real friendship. If you want a real friendship fire, be careful not to make it too big or too hot. If you do, the circle will be too. large and the real friendship feeling lost ' Understand always that a fire burns air and that, too, not from the outside only. There must be air passing up within the fire. This is ■ why tho pieces of'wood must be crossed somewhat —to make so many little chimneys for the supply of air. For tho ideal friendship fire I. use dead limbs of from one to four inches in diameter., cut into about hvo-foot lengths. Lay. them so that they point upwards ill the form of a cone, with plenty of chance for air to. get within the fire. Put up in this way the flames will blend into a single tongue. • Before you light your fire lay in enough- wood to last all the evening. It is so much easier to do this in daylight than in the ■ dusk. I usually placc a good-sized stone or chunk of wood asa starting-point for our fire. Around this placc the kindling. About that construct..your cone.. When you want the fire after supper touch it oil. Remember, do not make it too hot. Tho Heating Fire. This form of fire is intended for very cold weather to reflect bent into the open tent, which should be set eight to twelve feet with its open end to leeward. Thus the smoke will .bo Ij'own away, and only the heat - reflected into the tint. Four stakes aro driven solidly into the ground at au angle. Between • theso are piled logs from eight to four inches in diameter, and about four feet long. Lay a henry log between the tent and the lire, so that the fire cannot run into tho tent. About tho feet of tho stakes pile up sand or earth to prevent the fire burning them off too readily. All theso and stakes should bo of green or live timber, so thoy will be slow-burning. Now a fire of proper size is built of dry timber at first in front of this, reflecting back. When ready to turn in mix your fuel, part dry and part Ereen, so that the. fire will burn slowly. Have a supply of firewood at, hand so that if the fire burns do.wnin the night you can quickly set it' roing. With a little experience you will soon be ablo to fix this iiro so "that it will need no attention during the night. If the bottom log burns out, the next one slides down into its place, and so on,' a new one being added •to the top. . . • The Cook Fire. Here is where nearly all campers fail. I Locato your cook-fire to leownrd of your tent in cool weather and to the windward ljhejfc-mosquitoes or other pests are about.-'This for obvious reasons. Cut two logs about -six inches in diameter and foui' feet long from a" green or live tree.- Lay- them parallel:-to'eaoh-t'6thcr, about twelve inches apart at one end and six inches apart'at the other. Locate them so that tho wider end is toward the wind. _ Bed these logs into tho ground a bit or pack sand or earth next 7 the logs on the inside, and against them on -the outside. This is to prevent the firo getting under them.

Arranged in this way the wind blows the fire along between the logs. You can havo a good fire and yet you can get right up to the sides o£ it, having no smoke or heat to bother you. Before you begin to cook, gather a, big supply of dry wood. For this fir® use small pieces. AVo use pieces from tho size of a lead pencil up to an inch in thickness—rarely anything..larger. Cut it all into short lengths,' say six to ten inches long.- Begin "laying" your fire from the small end of the range, being careful to cross tho sticks so as to let in the air. Light it from tho wide end, and the wind will do the. rest.

Lot your fire ro out between meals. If you all leave.camp at any time be sure to put out thoroughly all fires. If your camp is only for a night your last duty before going on. is to look carefully to sco that no article is left behind; and then be sure that the fire-is thoroughly out. The .fire has served you—do not le't it bo a menaces to others. Like everything else —even we ourselves when our purpose is accomplished—let "taps" be sounded—"all lights out."

—By T. J. Kirkpatrick, in "Tho Outing Magazine."