From the outside, everything seems simple: gather dry branches, light them, add firewood and admire the flames. However, there are many types of fires and each serves a different purpose.
Hut
Very convenient for cooking or drying clothes. It is one of the most common types of fire. You need to stack the firewood in the shape of a house - a hut. An ignition is placed inside the structure. The first layer is made of thin branches, and when they burn out, it is necessary to add more firewood. This way the fire won't go out. But if you immediately put together a structure made of thick firewood, then a small ignition may not have time to allow it to flare up and the fire will go out. One of the disadvantages of this design is that it requires a lot of firewood and is not suitable for spending the night, since it constantly needs to be supplied with fuel.
Well
Suitable for heating and cooking. The well is folded into a square shape and kindling is placed in the middle. On the plus side, this type of design provides a directed flame, which is convenient to use. The downside is that only firewood of certain sizes is suitable.
Taiga or gun
Used to heat overnight parking. It provides a lot of warmth and is very resistant to ambient weather conditions. For breeding you need a saw or an ax. You need firewood that can burn for several hours. A thick tree is placed across the fire pit, and a couple of logs two to three meters long are laid on it. They are pushed forward and set on fire from below. This firewood should lie apart on the ground and be collected on top. Once every two to three hours you need to move the burnt logs. The downside is that you need to find thick logs and the structure periodically requires attention.
Finnish candle
To make a fire of this type, you need to have a dry log with a diameter of at least fifteen centimeters; any type will do. Depending on the purpose, you need to cut the log according to height. A thin and long log is suitable for lighting. If the purpose of the fire is to heat the parking lot, you need a thick and long log so that it burns as long as possible. In each part you need to remove the middle, then you will get a hole with a diameter of five to seven centimeters. Notches are made along the edges of the hole, going to the surface of the log. Four logs are folded into a single log. For these purposes, you can use wire. Thus, an even hollow log is obtained. You need to put ignition material in the hole in the middle. Such a fire is very convenient for cooking - dishes can be placed directly on it.
Nodya
It is a fire with a small flame. It works well for heating cold weather. With its help, you can sleep in winter without a tent or sleeping bag. The most important feature of this design is its long-lasting combustion. It does not require adding wood and burns all night. Usually two logs are used, stacked on top of each other. This design produces a little heat, but is superior to other designs in terms of burning time. You can also use three logs. Two of them are placed on the ground, the third on top. This option is easier to light and burns brighter. Unfortunately, it also burns out faster. There is an option for making this type of fire from one log. It is not completely split.
For a classic node, you need two large logs, with a diameter of at least a quarter of a meter. Where one log will touch another, you need to remove the bark, then place the logs on top of each other. There are several ways to secure them in this position. The first involves driving stakes inside the logs. You can also drive supports around the perimeter of the fire.
The log is lit in the following way: you need to put kindling on the bottom log and set it on fire. To form coals, you can add brushwood. Then a new log is placed on top. There is a trick to make ignition easier– you need to put a thin third log at the bottom. When the fire burns evenly, the third log can be removed.
Fireplace
This design is used to heat the overnight stay. It burns for a very long time and does not require special attention. In order to build such a structure, you need to place two support logs vertically and stack four logs horizontally on them. The result is a structure similar to a well, only with a back wall. An ignition is placed inside it. When the lower logs burn out, the upper ones roll down.
Fires and their types, what types of fires there are, the pros and cons of this or that fire. Today we will touch on an interesting topic that everyone who goes into the forest and cooks should be familiar with.
There are 7 main types of fires:
- Hut (also called pyramid)
- Well
- Taiga
- Dakota (closed fire) or Polynesian
- Nodya
- Star
- Mole (stove)
In order to understand all the pros and cons of the above types of fires, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with each of them in more detail.
1. Bonfire “Shalash”
A fairly common type of fire, I would say this type of fire is used by the vast majority of people. At least, I use this fire more often than others.
How to breed:
This type of fire is quite simple to make. You need to take firewood and stack it in the shape of a hut, put kindling inside the hut and set it on fire.
Attention! The first row of the fire is made of thin branches; when they start to burn, add firewood larger size(we put firewood to form a hut). In this way, we will protect ourselves from the fire going out. Because if we immediately build a hut from thick firewood, the kindling may go out before the wood starts to burn. (my personal opinion. From experience)
This is a “Hot” fire that can be used both for cooking and drying clothes, and for lighting and heating the parking lot.
It is not advisable to use this fire for heating a parking lot at night, as it requires a lot of firewood and frequent addition of it.
Pros: Hot, even and large flame.
Good for cooking food and drying clothes
Can be used to illuminate a parking lot as it lights up brightly
Cons:Not suitable for spending the night, as it requires frequent adding of wood to the fire and, accordingly, the presence of a person on duty.
It requires a lot of wood to burn for a long time.
2. Bonfire “Well”
I would put this type of fire as the next most popular type of fire.
This fire is simply great for cooking, it produces great heat and a directed flame.
How to breed:
We stack the firewood prepared in advance in a well, put kindling in the center and set it on fire.
Pros: Directional flame suitable for cooking or drying clothes
Cons: For such a fire, firewood of approximately the same size is desirable. In principle, this is not a problem.
Another disadvantage is that this type of fire cannot be used to heat a bivouac, as it produces a directed flame, which is more suitable for cooking.
3. Bonfire “Taiga”
This is an excellent camp fire (that is, used to heat the camp).
This fire gives a lot of heat and is made quite simply, of course, if you have firewood (logs) of the required diameter. You can sleep by a properly made taiga fire even in winter. bonfire Can light in the snow, the fire is very stable in weather conditions
How to breed:
As mentioned above, to make this fire, you need to have either a saw or an ax (at least an ax). Since this fire is a camp fire, you need appropriate firewood (logs) so that it can burn for 6-8 hours.
We fell thick dead trees and saw or cut them into several pieces, about 2 meters each.
A thick tree is placed across the place where you will spend the night( subjurlok 2.3 logs 2 meters long are placed on the poyurlok (log). The logs are pushed forward a little and set on fire from below.
Attention! On the sub-jurlock, 3 logs should lie together, and on the ground separately (see the picture above). This is done so that the part of the logs that is not extended beyond the sub-jurlock does not catch fire.
As the logs burn through, they will need to be moved. As a rule, standing up 1.2 times per night is enough.
Pros:
This is a wonderful campfire that will provide you with a warm overnight stay, even in winter.
Cons:
Thick logs required
You need to wake up 1.2 times a night to move the logs
4. Bonfire "Dakota"
This type of fire is not as common as the above, but it has certain advantages. These types of fires are practically invisible and at the same time produce a lot of coals. These types of hearth fires are also good in bad weather if you make a canopy over them.
The “Dakota” fire is still a little different from the “Polynesian”. The “Dakota” has a draft hole, but the Polynesian does not.
How to divorce: We dig a cone-shaped hole half a meter deep and line the walls with “logs” and build a fire (Polynesian) at the bottom.
To make a “Dakota” fire, you additionally need to dig a ventilation draft hole (to do this, we dig a small hole half a meter from the fire, deepen it and connect the hole with an underground passage to the fire pit).
Pros: A fire is very convenient for cooking.
Can be used in bad weather (rain) if you first make a canopy over the fire.
The fire is almost invisible to “outsiders”
Cons: It is necessary to dig a hole, which is difficult in the absence of a shovel (or, for example, in winter).
The fire is highly specialized and can only be used for cooking.
5. Bonfire “Nodya”
This is a typical campfire, used for spending the night in the forest during the cold season.
How to breed: For nodes you need dry logs 2-3 meters in length and 25 cm in diameter.
There are two varieties of nodya, these are 2-log and 3-log “nodya”. As for me, nodya
3 logs are much easier to build and burn hotter.
How to breed:
If you make a fire in winter, you need to clear the area under the “node” of snow or put crossbars, then put 2 lower logs and build a uniform fire on them along the entire length. When the logs “take up” the fire, you need to put a third one on them.
When spending the night with a “node”, it is advisable to make a reflective screen out of tarpaulin or snow. The heat from the node will be reflected from the screen and warm you.
The “turning out” of wood can also serve as a heat shield.
Nodya should be located at a distance of at least a meter from your sleeping place.
To make the logs ignite better, you can first make notches on them, so the fire will ignite the wood faster.
Pros: This is a fire for spending the night, you can sleep next to it even in severe frost and get a good night's sleep.
Can heat a group of people at once
Cons:It takes quite a lot of time to create it, but it's worth it.
This fire requires you to have an ax or saw.
6. Bonfire “Starry”
This fire is quite common among the indigenous people of Siberia
How to breed:
Several logs (3-5 pieces) are placed in a star shape in the center and a fire is lit. As the logs burn, they are moved forward. This fire is very hot, you can spend the night near it even in winter.
Pros:
Very hot fire, gives a lot of heat
Cons: It is necessary to move the logs towards the center as they burn.
Thick logs are required, as in fact for any type of bivouac fires.
7. Bonfire “Mole”
This type of fire belongs to the type of hearth fires. I have not used such a fire.
In order to make this fire, you need to dig a hole in a steep slope and bring the hole out at the top of the slope.
I only know one thing, such a fire makes an excellent smokehouse for fish. Construction of a camp smokehouse:
- Bonfire "Mole"
- There's a fish hanging at the top
- Firewood: Juniper, cherry or alder
That’s probably all I wanted to say about the types of fires. If anything is unclear, write in the comments. Of course, you can do without a fire if you have a sleeping bag. read the link
A campfire on a bivouac is wonderful. It allows you to fully enjoy unity with nature. Probably every man at least once was drawn to the forest, to a fire, to nature. Sitting by the fire, you imagine yourself as a primitive hunter who sits by the fire, after a successful hunt, eating juicy meat. Fire protects a person from animals, gives him light and warmth.
Take care of nature!
What types of fires are there, their pros and cons
To choose the right design for a fire, you first need to identify the purposes for which it is needed:
- Heating
- Cooking food
- Drying clothes and shoes
- Overnight
It should be remembered that a fire only warms the surfaces facing it, so it would be useful to take care of reflective walls. The reflective wall not only reflects heat, but also causes smoke to rise upward. With the help of such a wall, the heating of a shelter built for an overnight stay is improved.
A small fire is easier to build and maintain than a large one. Several small fires arranged in a circle will provide more warmth in cold weather than one large one. A larger fire is made for heating, and a smaller one for cooking.
Maintaining a fire requires less effort than starting a new one. Quite often the fire has to be extinguished at night. In this case, cover the coals with ash. In the morning they will still smolder, and you can easily fan the fire.
Fuel selection:
- You should not cut down growing trees for firewood. This, firstly, harms nature, and, secondly, green branches produce more smoke than fire. Use dried branches and dead wood as fuel.
- Try to collect birch or alder firewood, as well as firewood from resinous conifers (spruce, pine). It is not advisable to use rowan, bird cherry, larch and aspen for a fire - they provide little heat.
- If you are walking through an area where there are no trees, you can light a fire from peat, grass, or dung (dried dung).
So, let's move on to the types of fires. We have selected seven of the most useful and frequently encountered ones:
- Hut
- Well
- Nodya
- Star
- Taiga
- Fireplace
- Polynesian
Hut
One of the most common types of fire.
How to breed: Firewood is stacked like a hut or house. Kindling is placed below. It is advisable to lay the first row of the fire from thin branches; when they start to burn, we add larger firewood (we put firewood to form a hut). This way the fire will not go out. If you build a fire straight from thick wood, the kindling may go out faster than the wood will catch fire.
Pros:
- Gives a large and even flame
- Convenient for cooking food and drying clothes
- Can be used for lighting as it burns brightly
Cons:
- It is not suitable for spending the night, as it requires frequent addition of firewood to the fire and, accordingly, the presence of a person on duty.
- It requires a lot of wood to burn for a long time.
Well
It is a quadrangular fire made of thick logs. Sometimes, if a large (holiday) fire is required, long logs are used instead of logs.
How to breed: We stack the firewood prepared in advance in the shape of a log house, put kindling in the center and set it on fire.
Pros:
- Directional flame is great for cooking or drying clothes
Cons:
- The firewood should be approximately the same size. In principle, this is not a big problem.
- It cannot be used to heat a parking area, as it produces a directed flame, which is more suitable for cooking.
Nodya
It is made of coniferous logs up to three meters long and more than thirty centimeters in diameter. A very reliable long-lasting fire, usually used by hunters in the taiga and northern regions for overnight stays in cold weather.
How to breed: There are two types of nodes: 2-log and 3-log. In both cases, it is advisable to make a reflective screen from tarpaulin or snow. The heat from the node will be reflected from the screen and warm you. The “turning out” of wood can also serve as a heat shield. Nodya should be located at a distance of at least a meter from your sleeping place. To make the logs ignite better, you can first make notches on them, so the fire will ignite the wood faster.
Nodya in two logs: Take three dead spruce logs, 30-40 cm thick and up to 2-3 m long. To make the tree burn faster, before laying it along the entire length of the log, you need to make sastrugi with an ax, without removing the shavings completely. Two logs are placed on top of each other and secured on both sides with pegs. The lower log is hewn (the groove is usually made lengthwise). Between the logs where the kindling is placed, narrow spacers are made (two logs located near the pegs). The third log is placed on the ground, not far from the fire. Its purpose is to regulate traction.
Nodya in three logs: If a fire is made in winter, then it is necessary to clear the area of snow, or lay it crosswise. Two logs are laid parallel on the ground. A fire is lit over the entire surface of the logs. When the logs are engulfed in flames, a third one is placed on top. This creates a flow of air, and in addition it is easier to lay kindling. Often a node is piled up on the site of a dying fire that has produced a lot of coals. The coals are raked along the entire length of the logs.
Pros:
- The campfire is ideal for spending the night. You can sleep next to it even in severe frost.
- Can heat a group of people at once
Cons:
- It takes a lot of time to create it, but it's worth it.
- This fire requires you to have an ax or saw.
Star
Long lasting bonfire. Distributed in Siberia.
How to breed: The fire is made from 5-10 large logs up to three meters long. The ends of the logs are folded together like a star. As they burn, the logs are moved towards the center.
Pros:
- A very hot fire gives off a lot of heat.
- You can camp around it for the night even in winter.
- It produces a hot, narrow flame, making it convenient to cook food in one pot.
Cons:
- It is necessary to move the logs towards the center as they burn.
- Thick logs are required, as in fact for any type of bivouac fires.
Taiga
A long-lasting fire used to heat a camp. This fire produces a lot of heat and is made quite simply, of course, if you have firewood (logs) of the required diameter. You can sleep by a properly made taiga fire even in winter. Such a fire can be made in the snow; the fire is very stable in weather conditions.
How to breed: To make this fire, you must have either a saw or an ax (at least an axe). Since this fire is an overnight fire, you need appropriate firewood (logs) to burn for 6-8 hours. We fell thick dead trees and saw or cut them into several pieces, about 2 meters each. A thick tree (heap, sub-urlok) is placed across the place where you will spend the night. 2.3 logs 2 meters long are placed on the poyurlok (log). The logs are pushed forward a little and set on fire from below. On the subsurface, 3 logs should lie together, and on the ground apart (see picture above) and on the leeward side. This is done so that the part of the logs that is not extended beyond the yurlock does not catch fire. As the logs burn through, they will need to be moved. As a rule, it is enough to get up 1-2 times a night.
Pros:
- A wonderful campfire, near which you can spend the night in a large group even in winter.
- It produces a large hot flame and a lot of coals, so it is good for cooking food in several dishes and drying clothes.
Cons:
- Thick logs required
- You need to wake up 1-2 times a night to move the logs
Fireplace
Used for night heating.
How to breed: Four short logs are used to make a well, inside which a fire is made. On one side of the well they make an inclined wall - they drive in two thick stakes inclined outward. Large logs or logs are placed on stakes. As the lower logs burn out, the upper ones roll down.
Pros:
- It can burn for a very long time. Used for night heating.
Cons:
- Not the simplest design
- It will take a lot of logs
Polynesian
Not a very common type of fire. Almost invisible, yet produces a lot of coals. Indispensable in windy and rainy weather.
How to breed: We dig a cone-shaped hole half a meter deep (up to a meter is possible) and line the walls with logs. We make a fire at the bottom
Pros:
- A fire is very convenient for cooking.
- Can be used in bad weather (rain) if you first make a canopy over the fire.
- The fire is almost invisible from the outside
Cons:
- It is necessary to dig a hole, which is difficult in the absence of a shovel (or, for example, in winter).
- The fire is highly specialized and can only be used for cooking.
Once in the forest, it doesn’t matter if it’s hunting or hiking trip, a person is faced with the need to start a fire. Depending on the season and need, there are several types of fires. There are very popular ones, for example, “hut”, and there are those that are very rarely bred - “Polynesian”.
Ignition rules
Before you start lighting a fire, you need to choose a place and make sure that the flame does not spread to vegetation. If it is winter or the ground is simply wet, then you need to prepare a base of stones or logs for the fire.
This is followed by the kindling stage, for which the following materials can be used:
- tree bark;
- rotten mushrooms, even if they are wet, the inside will always be dry;
- dry wood chips;
- fluff from both plants and birds is suitable;
- puffball mushrooms, but only dried ones.
The kindling material is laid out in a tent or placed between the logs.
Types and purpose
Depending on the need, the type of fire is selected; it may be necessary to cook food or dry clothes. Don't forget that a fire can only warm or dry the objects facing it, so a reflector may be needed. In addition, the reflector will cause the smoke to rise upward. It is easier to maintain a fire in a fire than to start it again. It is better not to leave the fire at night, but sprinkle the coals with ash, then it will be easier to light the fire in the morning.
Types of fires and their purpose:
- Fiery, that is, having a high temperature and requiring constant attention, these are “hut”, “Finnish candle” and “well”.
- Heat lamps that do not require constant monitoring. Such a fire burns for a long time and allows you to dry clothes and quickly warm up. This is a taiga species and “Nodya”.
- Signal or smoke. Used to give signals or to scare away annoying insects.
Hut
This is the most popular look fire. Photos of such a fire pit can be seen in every family archive, as it helps to keep warm and is convenient for cooking. It is very easy to mix and burns quickly. However, the temperature of such a fire is very high, it burns out quickly, so it will require a lot of firewood to maintain it.
It is constructed very simply; the firewood is laid out like a hut. The “entrance” to the fire must be located on the windy side.
Star
Quite a popular type due to its versatility and ease of construction. Thick logs should be laid out in a star shape around the kindling material. As they burn through, the logs are moved closer to the center. Ideal for cooking and heating. It is better to choose a log from hardwood, birch, oak or maple.
The disadvantages of this type of fire include the fact that it is afraid of rain. It also requires fairly thick logs, which require a tool, saw or ax to obtain, but this is a very economical fire.
Fireplace
Ideal solution for night heating. To build a “fireplace” you will need 4 short logs. They are placed in a circle and a fire is lit inside. On one side you will need to make an inclined wall and drive in two pegs that tilt outward. Logs and logs are laid out on these stakes. As the lower logs burn out, the upper ones roll down, thus maintaining the fire for a long time. The disadvantages include the fact that you will need enough large number wood, and to build the structure - certain skills.
Pyramid or lattice
This type is suitable for almost all cases, you can warm up and spend the night near it, there is a lot of light from it.
The structure consists of logs laid in transverse layers in the shape of a pyramid. Ignition is carried out from above. The main advantage is long burning, but only on condition that there are thick logs. Therefore, you will have to take blanks or tools into the forest.
With reflector
The main difference between this type of fire is that mainly a hill or stone is used as a reflector. Be sure to plant it on the leeward side. The reflector can be made from logs, preferably wet ones. This way you can dry the logs and direct the heat of the fire in the desired direction.
Suitable for night heating and can even be lit in a lean-to hut. You can light a fire near the tent, but at a safe distance.
Taiga
This type also includes the Tunguska fire, the “cannon” and the “hunter’s hearth”; they all have the same design. The burning duration can reach 8 hours.
On a thick log, which is called a subyurlok, 2-3 smaller ones are placed, slightly pushing them forward. Then they create something like a fan, with the wide part at the bottom. The hearth is located at the bottom; as it burns, the logs are moved closer to the hearth. Such a fire can be made even on ground covered with snow.
Nodya
What types of fires are still often used? “Nodya”, which can consist of 1 log or 2, 3 or even four. It is built on the ground if it is dry, but if the weather is wet or snowy, then it is necessary to lay transverse logs. Thick logs (about 30 cm in diameter) and long ones (2-3 meters) are placed at a distance of 10 centimeters, and a fire is lit between them. Small brushwood or dry leaves and branches are used for ignition. To prevent the logs from rolling down, it is recommended to drive stakes between them.
As soon as the logs begin to burn, another one is placed on them, a second one, and so on. Such a fire can burn for up to 36 hours, and several people can warm up around it. If necessary, you can build a screen.
Special types of fires
Special fires are called fires that are only a modification of the main structures, or are combined.
"Finnish candle". Such a fire involves the creation of a “chamber” where the combustion process will take place inside the log itself.
One option: the log is split into several parts, the core is scraped off and a small groove is cut out at the bottom of the workpiece. Before lighting a fire inside the log, the structure is tied together with wire.
The second option is to make cross cuts in the workpiece, approximately ¾ of the entire length. This type of fire is ideal for cooking.
"Lazy Candle" This is actually a modification of the “Finnish candle”. 3 identical logs are selected and notches are made. The blanks are placed vertically and tightly to each other. The fire is lit from above.
"Kamelek" An ideal solution for places where it is difficult to find suitable logs. The fire must be surrounded on three sides with stones. Suitable for heating water and cooking food in small quantities.
"Trench". Such a fire will allow you to cook food for a large company. It can be lit in a field in windy weather. To do this, you will need to dig a ditch, approximately 1 meter long, 30 centimeters deep, and approximately 500 centimeters wide. The bottom of the trench must be lined with stones, building something like a barbecue. Firewood is stacked on top.
Signal
Types of fires and their names used to give a distress signal:
- Smoke. The main task of such a fire apparatus is maximum quantity smoke, which can be visible even from an airplane. It is necessary to lay out the logs in the form of a hut, light a fire and cover it with branches of evergreens or, in the absence of them, with long grass or leaves.
- Pioneer. Known for their bright flames, they are constructed in the form of a tripod or triangle from long logs. All wood is installed vertically. This design always produces a high flame, but you will need to add grass and branches to create a lot of smoke.
A little exotic
Of course, many types of fires and their names with photos can be found on the Internet, but descriptions and images of Polynesian fires are rare. Such a fire pit is very rarely built on the territory of our country, since such a structure is of very little use.
For the construction, you will need to dig a hole with a depth of about 30 centimeters, and line the walls with stones. The logs are installed vertically below. Such a fire is practically invisible and is not afraid of rain. Such a fire burns for a long time and does not require much wood. To avoid a lot of smoke, they usually dig another hole nearby and connect both with a trench.
Lighting a fire without matches
It is not always possible to keep matches dry, and very often the lighter fails. In this case, you can use a magnifying glass or glasses, or the same camera lens, to start a fire. For ignition in such a situation, you should use dry crushed leaves, bark with resin, moss and even bird down.
To store matches on a long journey, you can use ziplock bags; these bags can hold the entire package of matches. You can use airtight containers or an ordinary jar.
You can use paraffin or wax to protect matches. In this case, you should cover not only the head, but also the wood. To cover the match, the wax is melted in a metal bowl. It is best to use a steam bath and do not overheat the paraffin; the water should be on the verge of boiling.
If the matches do get wet, you can dry them even on own body, in the liver area or on the neck. You can wrap them in toilet paper, which will quickly absorb moisture.
