Building a campfire is part art, part science.
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There, arguably, isn’t a more salient turning point in our history than the control of fire. It allowed us to cook food and stay warm; expanding where we could live and increased the size of our brains through increased calorie intake. It was a seismic shift in human history and it all started with building a fire.
Fast forward to present day and we’re still fascinated with fire. Sit at a work meeting, staring blankly at the wall and people will call you words like “checked out” and “antisocial.” Stare blankly at a campfire, luminous flames dancing to an imaginary beat, you instantly turn into a philosopher. Cares seem to melt away and you are living in the moment. It’s the only thing in our lives where we can do absolutely nothing and not feel guilty.
Not only is a campfire the center of your camp, it’s the center point in a turning world. A place to reflect, relax, and rejuvenate.
In the infographic below from Zippo, you’ll find everything you need to know about building a campfire from scratch. We cover the nuts and bolts of tinder, kindling, and fuel wood to make sure you spend less time building and maintaining your campfire and more time enjoying it. Make sure to check out the tips for each step!
*Remember, longer lasting tinder like birch bark or Zippo’s cedar puck are going to make the process much easier. If you want to make sure you’re covered no matter what, take a look at Zippo’s emergency fire starter. It includes both a flint wheel and wax tinder sticks, and performed very well in our field tests.
