dakota hole fire

[tommy the cat]

Whilst on the subject of low level fires, I thought I'd post alink to the Winter Scout Pit, which is basically a Scout Pit, with a fire at one end.

Another way of describing it may be that its a large Dakota Fire Hole, with the air channel dug to accomodate an adult!

First link is to the Scout Pit build, the second is to illustrate the Winter Scout Pit.

http://wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/shelter/scoutpit/ygas.html

http://wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/shelter/scoutpit/jlwinterscoutpit.html

I'd have thought that sleeping with the head facing the direction of the air hole and feet towards the fire would be better, and the entry point above the head!

Agree with that I would say anyone who has a death wish on here have a go at that!!!!
Kind of reminds me on the crematorium.
Dave

 

[dogwood]

novemberRain: These were built out on the Great Plains to help avoid the risk of a prairie fire. Wisdom dictated to put the fire in a hole away from the surrounding grass.

Quite right, Chinkapin!

Beyond the fire risk, hole fires were commonly used (still used for that matter) to smoke hides after brain tanning.

There are several ways of smoking deer hides because they're smaller and easier to manage. But because of their size, buffalo hides required that the Plains Indians use one (or more) hole fires so that they could smoke the hide without burning it.

 

[Ex Member - Sidney Bounty]

looks like the original Rocket Stove to me...

 

[Chinkapin]

There is a great old tale from the frontier days of a fur trapper who was chased by several Indians all day. He finally got far enough ahead to stop for the night. There was snow on the ground and it was bitter cold. He dug a small Dakota fire pit and just used twigs. He claimed he built it under a large conifer so that what little smoke there was would dissipate as it traveled through the tree. He said that he was able to sit, leaned up against the tree with the bottom of his long coat surrounding the fire pit and trapping all the heat inside. I don't see how he stood the smoke, but there may have been very little, once he had a coal bed established. True or not I cant say, but interesting.

 

[weaver]

Looks to me like maybe too much wood stuffed in to start with, thus not enough air being drawn in to feed the fire. Maybe start with fewer pieces and very dry wood so it will burn hotter and produce less smoke.

On the Western plains a small fire can be seen for 20 miles or more, A small fire in a hole is well hidden. That is the biggest advantage of this system. Smoke is not visible at night, so a man on the run or evading hostile locals may cook a meal, boil water or keep warm without broadcasting his location.