You leave the part of the fire that is facing you,unearthed so the heat radiates towards you.I only have a cheap Argos sleeping bag and carry no body fat,but have never been cold useing a fire like this.
It Works.
It Works.
How do u make the fire burn all night when ur camping out?
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Oops, missed the second post(i.e. missed the point
).
Sory for the unnecessary fishy story.
Partialy rotten birch still does ok as an extender though, mixed with something that'll actualy burn. I mix in a couple of logs if I'm away from the fire for a couple of hours, just to stop it all burning away.
).Sory for the unnecessary fishy story.
Partialy rotten birch still does ok as an extender though, mixed with something that'll actualy burn. I mix in a couple of logs if I'm away from the fire for a couple of hours, just to stop it all burning away.
The good old Star fire will help you,
but it'll mean a few shuffles during the night. SImply build a fire with one long log within arms reach of where you are sleeping. Then every few hours push another few feet of that log over/into the fire too keep it going. Also, collect a good tinder bundle before you go to bed, then even if you drift off into a deep sleep in the early hours, you should have sufficient embers and tinder to rekindle when you awake.
ATB
Ogri the trog
but it'll mean a few shuffles during the night. SImply build a fire with one long log within arms reach of where you are sleeping. Then every few hours push another few feet of that log over/into the fire too keep it going. Also, collect a good tinder bundle before you go to bed, then even if you drift off into a deep sleep in the early hours, you should have sufficient embers and tinder to rekindle when you awake.
ATB
Ogri the trog
That sounds cool then, I'll give this one a go myself sometime, thanks!
No,its warm all night.
I think it's pretty irresponsible to keep a fire going all night long in the uk as it's unattended when you are sleeping. 
When the wind gets up or changes direction there will be sparks everywhere. Not good and a waste of valuable fuel too. [/COLOR]
When the wind gets up or changes direction there will be sparks everywhere. Not good and a waste of valuable fuel too. [/COLOR]
if you actually sleep on a raised bed of spruce next to the fire without a sleeping bag the fire does the work for you when i first tried it i was scepticle having done it under various conditions it does work ? when the fire burns low you wake (never failed to do so yet) and you add further wood then drop back off , most off the time you dont even remember getting up. This has been carried out even in poring rain in scotland
I use 3 long stacked logs about 3 ft on a bed of embers (pref long burning wood ember) with small green stakes to stop anything rolling off. If sleeping close to a fire i allways pop some stakes in the floor to stop me inching may way to the fire in the night .
I also make sure there is extra fuel close to hand but thanks to Ogri the trog ill now use be using a long stick to push the extra fuel in, nice one
. I also make sure there is extra fuel close to hand but thanks to Ogri the trog ill now use be using a long stick to push the extra fuel in, nice one
I know it may not be exactly what you are looking for... wbut why not just buy a warmer sleeping bag?
I know it may not be exactly what you are looking for... wbut why not just buy a warmer sleeping bag?
Ah but that's like someone posting a 'Can I Eat These Mushrooms?' thread and getting told to just go to Tesco's
Usually the larger the wood the longer it burns. But denser wood seems to burn longer too.
My favorites in Hawaii are kiawe (a local mesquite) and mango. The kiawe especially burns a good long time and makes a fantastic bed of coals for cooking.
My favorites in Hawaii are kiawe (a local mesquite) and mango. The kiawe especially burns a good long time and makes a fantastic bed of coals for cooking.
Ah but that's like someone posting a 'Can I Eat These Mushrooms?' thread and getting told to just go to Tesco's
good point
Just use green logs, slows the burn right down, and you should only have to tend it at least once during the night.
Here's a picture of Nessmuk's method of keeping warm all night. The logs work to reflect the heat as well as feeding the fire.
And this is how we did it: We first felled a thrifty butternut tree
ten inches in diameter, cut off three lengths at five feet each, and carried them to
camp. These were the back logs. Two stout stakes were driven at the back of the
fire, and the logs, on top of each other, were laid firmly against the stakes. The
latter were slanted a little back, and the largest log placed at bottom, the smallest
on top, to prevent tipping forward. A couple of short, thick sticks were laid with
the ends against the bottom log by way of fire dogs; a fore stick, five feet long
and five inches in diameter; a well built pyramid of bark, knots and small logs
completed the camp-fire, which sent a pleasant glow of warmth and heat to the
furthest corner of the shanty. For "night-wood," we cut a dozen birch and ash
poles from four to six inches across, trimmed them to the tips, and dragged them
to camp. Then we denuded a dry hemlock of its bark; and, by the aid of ten-foot
poles, flattened at one end, and packed the bark to camp. We had a bright,
cheery fire from the early evening until morning, and four tired hunters never
slept more soundly.
We stayed in that camp a week; and, though the weather was rough and
cold, the little pocket-axes kept us well in firewood. We selected butternut for
backlogs, because, when green, it burns very slowly and lasts a long time. And
we dragged our smaller wood to camp in lengths of twenty to thirty feet, because
it was easier to lay them on the fire and burn them in two than to cut them
shorter with light hatchets. With a heavy axe, we should have cut them to
lengths of five or six feet.
And this is how we did it: We first felled a thrifty butternut tree
ten inches in diameter, cut off three lengths at five feet each, and carried them to
camp. These were the back logs. Two stout stakes were driven at the back of the
fire, and the logs, on top of each other, were laid firmly against the stakes. The
latter were slanted a little back, and the largest log placed at bottom, the smallest
on top, to prevent tipping forward. A couple of short, thick sticks were laid with
the ends against the bottom log by way of fire dogs; a fore stick, five feet long
and five inches in diameter; a well built pyramid of bark, knots and small logs
completed the camp-fire, which sent a pleasant glow of warmth and heat to the
furthest corner of the shanty. For "night-wood," we cut a dozen birch and ash
poles from four to six inches across, trimmed them to the tips, and dragged them
to camp. Then we denuded a dry hemlock of its bark; and, by the aid of ten-foot
poles, flattened at one end, and packed the bark to camp. We had a bright,
cheery fire from the early evening until morning, and four tired hunters never
slept more soundly.
We stayed in that camp a week; and, though the weather was rough and
cold, the little pocket-axes kept us well in firewood. We selected butternut for
backlogs, because, when green, it burns very slowly and lasts a long time. And
we dragged our smaller wood to camp in lengths of twenty to thirty feet, because
it was easier to lay them on the fire and burn them in two than to cut them
shorter with light hatchets. With a heavy axe, we should have cut them to
lengths of five or six feet.
Thats one book i need to get hold of, looks really goods i think i had a quick look at Grahams before.
The original light weight backpacker, but far from leave no trace. Learn from him and improve upon his knowledge and experience.
I have used a completely banked fire using turves before now (similar to an old fashioned charcoal burners mound). Sytacked well tith thick loggs and some smaller stuff as in Bushwacker Bobs Post and them covered in cut turf (erathside down). It smoulders rather than burns but still puts out appreciable warmth which is better than the "fry and freeze" of stacking and burning down a fire. A reflector is a must but thats true of all good fires.
Its hardly "leave no trace" and certainly not something to do on someone elses land, but, having read the theory in the seminal English Bushcraft work (Swallows and Amazons
), it had to be tried. Not suitable for snow, but it does add some warmth and sure keeps the fire in!
Red
Its hardly "leave no trace" and certainly not something to do on someone elses land, but, having read the theory in the seminal English Bushcraft work (Swallows and Amazons
), it had to be tried. Not suitable for snow, but it does add some warmth and sure keeps the fire in!Red
I have used a completely banked fire using turves before now (similar to an old fashioned charcoal burners mound). Sytacked well tith thick loggs and some smaller stuff as in Bushwacker Bobs Post and them covered in cut turf (erathside down). It smoulders rather than burns but still puts out appreciable warmth which is better than the "fry and freeze" of stacking and burning down a fire. A reflector is a must but thats true of all good fires.
Its hardly "leave no trace" and certainly not something to do on someone elses land, but, having read the theory in the seminal English Bushcraft work (Swallows and Amazons
Red
Exactly what I was thinking of!
Conversely, having the additional body fat that I carry glumly around with me, I am seldom cold during the night.
My solution - in all seriousness - is to ensure that once you have established a hot fire with plenty of embers, pack large pieces of wood tightly about and on it. This will self-insulate the fire, and prevent it from burning away too quickly.
Mungo
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