

What You'll Need:

  • Matches. Obviously, you'll need these to start the fire. Of course, you don't need matches—any fire starter will do. Matches are generally the most convenient.
  • Tinder. This is what you'll use to start your fire. Outdoors, this means small, dry sticks and twigs, while indoors newspaper will work just fine.
  • Kindling. This is wood that's slightly larger than tinder, usually a bit less than an inch in diameter. This will burn easily and get your fire going, building a coal bed under your larger wood. Make sure this is dry.
  • Logs. You know what these look like. Usually a few inches in diameter, this is the wood that will go on your fire last, that'll build it up to the right size and keep it burning for awhile. Again, you'll want to make sure this is dry before you use it.
  • Water. You've heard Smokey the Bear say it a million times, so I won't bore you, but make sure you have some water handy to put out the fire when you're done. Only you can prevent forest fires.

Note that lighter fluid is nowhere on the list. It's looked down on by many as dangerous, and frankly, you just don't need it. At best, you'll have some weird tasting marshmallows, and at worst, you could burn down your house. All you need for this is some good old-fashioned wood, and if done right, you'll have a solid fire going in no time.

Building an Outdoor Campfire

If you're building a fire outdoors, you'll need to be a bit more resourceful than if you had the comfort of a fireplace. This means you'll need to find the wood, kindling, and tinder, and you'll need to build a small fire pit if you don't already have one. Also, since you don't have a grate, you'll need to put a bit more work into structuring the fire. Check out the above video from Howcast to see it in action, or follow along with the steps below.



  1. Make sure you're away from trees, bushes, or anything that burns. You don't want to be starting any forest fires. Also, if you're at a campsite, double-check that fires are permitted in the area.
  2. Build a small fire pit. To protect the wood from falling apart into the area where you're sitting, dig a small hole and surround it with rocks. If your campsite already has a fire pit (or you've built a backyard one yourself), you can obviously skip this step.
  3. Put some tinder in the center of your fire pit. Remember, tinder are the small sticks, twigs, and leaves you're going to use to get your fire burning, so the easier it burns, the better.
  4. Stack your kindling on top of the tinder in a "teepee" structure. Make sure to leave an opening on the side you're going to light. In general, you'll want more wood on the downwind side so you can shield people on that side of the fire.
  5. At this point, you have a fire-ready structure. You can build this as big as you want (be careful!), and the structure doesn't matter as much. Some people like to build large teepees with their bigger logs, while others like to build a square structure around their small teepee. Generally, the square "log cabin" structure is better for letting out heat, but a teepee is easier to make into a large bonfire.

That's it! You should have a roaring campfire in no time, and if you've remembered to save a few of those sticks, you can get your 'mallow roasting on. Be sure to put out your fire completely when you're done!

Building an Indoor Fire

Once Winter comes and you start building indoor fires, you'll have to change up your technique a little bit. We'll assume you already have all of your wood, but you'll also need to deal with the flue, make sure you have a quality grate, and a fire extinguisher nearby (you know, just in case). Check out the video to the left from MonkeySee and follow along with the instructions below.

  1. Before you do anything, open the flue and make sure it works correctly. You'll usually be able to feel the cold air coming from outside if it's open. The last thing you need is a house full of smoke!
  3. Stack some of your kindling on top of the newspaper. Make sure you leave enough room in there for oxygen to circulate, as your fire will need it to burn. You don't need too rigid a structure, here, since you have the grate and screen to keep the fire put together.
  4. Light your fire. Again, you'll want to light the tinder (newspaper, in this case) in a few different spots to get it burning quickly. Your kindling should catch fire pretty easily. You can add a bit more kindling once it starts to create a nice coal bed.



Obviously, everyone has their own methods for building fires, and there's no one way to do it. If you've got your own favorite methods or tips, whether for outdoor or indoor fires, be sure to share them with us in the comments.
