help with star fires

[drewdunnrespect]

i am currently reading Mors' Northern Bushcraft and am reading all about star fires and how they work now i get the theory but i don't understand his method of building it before lighting because how do you build a tower on top of the four logs that are crossed.

now the reason i say this is i usually when lighting a fire use the tower construction method and then either place my tinder underneath it or put a hexi cube in it and well i am stuck on how to do it for the star method.

the only way i can think of doing it is to build a tea pee round the four crossed logs and then light it but how to light it using tinder is beyond me because were do u put the tinder so that the teepee catches and you can then carry on pushing the logs of the star in to the fire

drew

 

[Chiseller]

Have you finished mastering the long log fire already Drew?

 

[Bodge]

Drew, just light a normal fire and build up a bed of embers and then introduce the long logs.
you can add smaller stuff in the gap between the long logs if you need a bit more heat to start off with. you control the heat of the fire by sliding the logs in and out to suit.

 

[Shewie]

I've only done the star method a couple of times, we just built a fire and when it was established laid three long pieces across the middle and burnt them through. Then you can just feed the ends in as needed, adding smaller fuel as well if you need it.

Same as iawoodsman shows at the end of this vid ..

[video=youtube;8YdadJ5Cb94]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YdadJ5Cb94[/video]

 

[Bodge]

Also Drew, you can use 3 logs which work just as well imo. Don't forget to allow some gaps between the logs so you get a good draw of air through the fire.

 

[Bushwhacker]

I reckon the star construction is just perfect for tripping over logs whilst trying to walk around the campfire!

 

[Bardster]

Dont forget Drew, Mors makes his fires from the top down. We tend to sart with tinder, small stuff and bigger added on top, light from bottom. I believe Mors advocates big stuff on the bottom, working gradually smaller and tinder on top, not small amounts either, armfuls and hug fulls. Light the tinder on top and as it burns, embers and stuff fall down and ignite the stuff underneath.

 

[Harvestman]

That video is really good, especially the way he prepares his fires beforehand. I could learn from that.

 

[addo]

Drew, just light a normal fire and build up a bed of embers and then introduce the long logs.
you can add smaller stuff in the gap between the long logs if you need a bit more heat to start off with. you control the heat of the fire by sliding the logs in and out to suit.

What he said.

Its just a case of managing your main fuel once the fire is lit, and you have reached that stage.

 

[the interceptor boy]

drew come and see at the moot, I show you so many ways of lighting a fire.
cheers the interceptor boy.
stick with parallel fire / Swedish fire or star fire, that is all you need.

 

[woodstock]

When I was living in the tipi, if we needed a fire to burn through the night we would use what we called a keeper log or logs, these would be large chunks of oak or similar and the fire would be banked onto the side most of the time they would be smoldering in the morning so we could relight the fire with ease.

 

[dwardo]

What he said.

Its just a case of managing your main fuel once the fire is lit, and you have reached that stage.

Me three.
Use one a lot in summer when staying put for a few days. Much easier in summer as it takes very little if any topping up to keep it going and is easy to re-light.
Not much good in winter mind.

 

[Teepee]

Chicken Phall or Vindaloo always works well

 

[drewdunnrespect]

Dont forget Drew, Mors makes his fires from the top down. We tend to sart with tinder, small stuff and bigger added on top, light from bottom. I believe Mors advocates big stuff on the bottom, working gradually smaller and tinder on top, not small amounts either, armfuls and hug fulls. Light the tinder on top and as it burns, embers and stuff fall down and ignite the stuff underneath.

now this makes total sense and now i understand how it works

 

[calgarychef]

Lighting the fire on top also results in a lot less smoke from the fire and in your eyes.