Thank you so much for explaining in this detail. Knowing the direction of heat and how it'll spread helps in making better decisions depending on need. Sincerely appreciate this from you!
if you’re out camping in like an area that holds moisture, teepee is absolutely the way to go because of how good it works with even with wet wood (i’ve been able to do bow drill fires with just grass fluff, soaked wood, and a bit of pine resin to give the tinder more time to catch). but i do have to admit that if you have like a wood shed or dry wood that the top down fire will burn long and hot, that being because it basically converts the wood to charcoal.
Thanks for sharing some valuable info on here and adding a good discussion point!! You’ll probs get a kick out of the full vid too : ua-cam.com/video/7v4twfXG2uY/v-deo.html
@@TheBearEssentials absolutely! thanks for responding. top down fire is also really great for making a lot of charcoal in a pinch, just make one in a pit with an air hole and then cover up both holes so the fire goes out
When i was a boyscout, we would build a small teepee in the middle, and place some firewood around it so we could convert it to a cabin type fire when the heat had dried our wood abit
I live in a swamp and don’t have a building or cover yet for my firewood so I tarp it on pallets but the ground always holds moisture so the wood is always a tad bit wet. The teepee method is how I have to start all my fires and it works every time even with fresh rained on wood as long as I have something to start the fire with.
Top down is also the least ignitable if any of your wood is even remotely damp. The cabin and teepee can still function if a peice here or there isn't bone dry. EDIT: wow! Thanks for the likes, folks!
@@saeedhossain6099 yes and no. It actually depends on how the wood ends up breaking into embers (whether it's a loose wood that will break apart easily early on into large pieces, or tight wood that will hold form until the embers are marble sized when it gives). Teepees tend to burn fastest. The top down ones are a close second but as mentioned before if the wood breaks into large chunks early on the embers can actually greatly inhibit airflow. Your "longest burning" fires would likely be "map marker fires" (where you lay the big logs in an * pattern with however many legs and build a smaller fire in the middle) but that requires regularly pushing the big logs into the center as they're consumed. Or what we called tombstone fires - you build a wall of heavy logs / big pieces (this doubles as a wind break), take two more big pieces and lay them perpendicular off the ends, shallow out the dirt a bit, then build a fire at the base of the wall. Done correctly, this fire will last days (depends on size and dryness of logs), provide a windbreak, and the wall of embering wood essentially acts like a radiant space heater.
Also depends on how much wood you got, what type and how dry it is depending on your current situation. I found the teepee is more easily ignited in an emergency situation or if the wood is not very dry. Then you can rearrange into a better hotter setup
Friendly reminder to all our campers not to use rocks found near rivers around your fire. There might be water inside of 'em, the fire can boil this water and cause the rock to explode, creating what's essentialy a hand grenade.
@@charlesstidham2788 Is this true for every rock type? I know some rocks shatter when put under stress. I don't know how they react to heat, but I'd be surprised if they broke differently than usual.
It's just flirs blended image mode. It is real thermal just overlaying a normal image. Flir does does it because their low end thermal sensors have worse resolution than a potato. @@peteressert5172
Such a really good information video. most of us know how to build a fire, but very few of us know how fireworks on a different build. over the years I’ve built many different builds, but until this day, never ever thought it would make a difference of how I built it. love this information fantastic video thank you and well done. 😊👊🔥
There is also an improvement to the log cabin style that borrows from rocket stove techniques. If you seal all the gaps except for the outlet and a small slit at ground level using logs, tree bark, or other organic material you can find (it can be damp too) then you can benefit from also causing an airflow that stokes the fire for you. You'll just need to make a starting fire inside the structure to get it going.
I was watching this video and then my neighbour came and we watched it together. He said that this video changed his life and touched his heart. I then went and rented a projector in a big field and my entire town watched it and it changed their lives too. We all are so grateful. Thank You for this video....
My preferred social fire is the teepee in a cabin in a teepee in a cabin in a teepee in a cabin in a teepee with plenty of branches piled outside the circle. I did that at a geologist retreat, and I friggin loooooove how because I started the fire, everyone assumed I’m the one to tend to the fire. Keeping the light and warmth for everyone was such a good feeling for me, seeing them chatting and laughing, bonding and talking science, and of course I joined because we were all geologists. I was just the fire master as well ☺️ But thanks for this!
The upside down fire is also best in a wood stove or fireplace as it also burns cleaner and has a more complete combustion resulting in less creosote in your chimney.
Definitely going to try this. I’m usually a teepee guy and then throwing large logs which require monitoring for a long time. I do enjoy watching the fire when all the kids go to bed though. The size of the wood pieces in this vid has me thinking more strategically about what I need to accomplish with the fire and how long I’ll need it for. I’m a snob about mallows and tell the family we have to wait for coals. Goal: get to coal stage faster. Ha ha.
i know that sick is term used for great now! i’m 77!! how come i know and some of you don’t. i love it. we used say “that’s cool, man.” and i still do. but groovy, does not work any more. and, yeah, this info is sick, man. :) 🪵🌷🌱
The best fire is the one you don't have to burn all your wood early. You want to get a good Cole base and set a larger log and cross it on one side the cross can be wetter as it will dry. Brake your smaller stuff as needed keep crossing it and every second one use wetter wood. Lay your wetter stuff around the fire to get a system of drying. Never burn all your good stuff at once.
I like the reverse fire method but with two large logs on the bottom and tinder between them. It makes lighting easier and allows you to have a very long burning fire. If there is heavy wind you can angle it to shield the tinder or if the wind is light you can angle it to stoke the embers. When the upper layers burn down to coals you have the two large logs to keep pots eleveated or you can move them to expose more coals. Also refeeding the fire is as easy as laying additional layers since the base logs will still be entact.
@@TheBearEssentials You never know when you'll need it. I was 14 when a war suddenly broke out in my country. Prior to that - everyone laughed at my Mom for buying a wood stove. As soon as Serbs cut off electricity to the whole city - those people stopped laughing and started bringing bread to be baked (some would bring a log, some a bit of coal, whatever anyone had. Mom never refused anyone, even without that). Literally whole neighborhood was fed on our stove for 3.5yrs! All the fancy electric shit was useless.. especially after we used up every car battery & generator available. So big thanks @The Bear Essentials. 🤗 Request/suggestion: In Bosnian war, we used to make candles out of regular cooking oil caps...by filling them with little oil & water ... adding a bit of rope or something as a wick. I kinda forgot how exactly that went though, been in USA for 30yrs so I'm now just flipping switches or telling Alexa to turn on the lights. If you know this method, would you please post a guide on it? TYSM in advance!! It's a very tiny candle but can be made quickly and is sufficient in many cases when you need just a bit of light. It provides as much as a tea candle (if that's what those mini ones are called.. usually come in bags of 20 or so).
I was the Boy Scoutmaster of Troop 08 in Sausalito, of Marin County CA. I had that pleasure, and challenge for 12 years as my sons matured from Cub Scouts to wilderness survival skills, as girls became more important than the out of doors, or camp fires, I kept our troop together for another three years past their interest in outdoor adventures, I put together quiet a number of first aid, land navigation, and how to catch, and cook from rabits, to fish. I have never seen, or created a better guide for creating a campfire for filling the need of the moment, If you agree I'd be honored to sketch a reproduction of these three fire lays and the advantages of each. Well done, and thank you!
At first I wondered why this common sense was being stated…. Then I realized I was just lucky to have had a grandpa who shared so much of his knowledge with me
Great video and very informative! Just a friendly reminder to everyone watching: Please remember to only make campfires in designated fireplaces or areas specifically designed for this purpose. Avoid creating fires in random areas, especially pits, as this is one of the leading causes of accidental fires in the wild. Safety first for ourselves and the environment.
Top down only works well if you can get it hot enough to create a pillar of flame. I usually use this when using a incinerator, usually I create a guide path with cardboard/dry leaves.
Fun lil story! I made the 3rd fire shown in our back yard with my dad one day. He and I are both responsible pyromaniacs. He brought home a couple skids from work, we used 3 for some diy projects, had about 11 left. He told me to stack them, and fill them. We had a really big yard we were fixing up (no grass), no power lines overhead, and a crap ton of dry rotted firewood. 😈 The flames were at least 50ft high. After it was all burnt the flames were hot enough to melt a pop can
Thanks for the options if I want to be an outdoorsman in the future. If I could, I'd use all three versions for the purposes you described. Once again, thanks!
Link to a more detailed (saveable) vid if interested. ua-cam.com/video/7v4twfXG2uY/v-deo.html DJ's Gear List on Amazon www.amazon.com/shop/thebearessentials
Can you do a test to see which will warm you the quickest? Maybe you could stick a damp cloth a couple of Meters/Yards away and put the thermal cam on it, waiting for it to get warm.
The spread of the heat just depends on the amount of fire at once. See heat has 3 different ways of propagating: Conduction (via physical objects which is not the case in a fire), Convection (hot air is less dense so heat goes up or towards the direction of wind that moves the hot air around) and radiation (which spreads everywhere from the hot object's surface). Therefore, the only way to make wood spread more towards the sides is to increase the heat or heated surface so the radiation is also increased. EDIT: not to make wood spread, but heat from the fire
I like stoking and tending to a fire so I never do a stacked style fire. Plus those styles need perfectly cut wood, my fires have a longer log put in the middle to burn in half and then I move the 2 separate parts onto the fire to burn. Much less chopping before the fire and gives you something to do while the fire burns.
Tbh we have to make the best of whats to hand.. Meaning weather conditions, wood type.. Any fire is a life saver an any info is great fully taken.. Thank you
The last one is how I build my fires, gets a nice bed of embers going in the middle and just falls in on itself, teepee can slip and fall sideways, the cabin stack.. if all sides are not the same size wood one side falls first
My dad always told me the first way was the only way to start a fire. Once I started lighting fires the reverse way he never started the fire again. Said "You do it better, so do it your way" 🤣
The teepee works best in inclement weather when you don't want to mess around. The log cabin is great when you have a little more time to spend building your fire. Notice the cabin is built around a teepee. The reverse fire is when you have decent weather and have the time to make a leisurly fire. All 3 are great fires and all will, eventually, make a nice, even, hot fire with great cooking coals. My personal favorite is the pile of tinder and wood with a nice garnish of gasoline! 😊
Can confirm 100%. Reverse fire is also the easiest to build... you don't even have to place anything properly, just toss in several handfuls each of lil twigs, then big twigs, then lil sticks, then big sticks, then lil logs etc. I learned this the hard / interesting way ... very low on rest and energy / blood sugar.
The method I've developed over the years as a scout was to make a hybrid lean-to/cabin fire with a solid 1" thick stick base. I used this method with great success in wetter environments that made starting a fire difficult. The lean-to would use a large log (preferably split) with a bird's nest next to it on top of the wood base. As the fire would first start, it would be easy to slowly add kindling and tinder depending on the spread of the fire. The heat would then be soaked into the log and the embers would rest on the stick" floor. Eventually as the fire grew, it would become more of a cabin as a second log would be placed parrallel to the first and medium sized sticks placed between them depending on needs of the fire and people using it.
Will say I use top down method every day to lightht my furnace. Works great. As far as teepee method goes I only ever use it to get the fire going. Once it's up and going I just add logs as usual.
My favourite is the lean-to-fire, where you put one big log sideways on the ground, place smaller sticks to lean to the side on the big log, and light the fire under those sticks. It's great if you want most of the heat facing a specific direction, like when sleeping in a "laavu".
More and more new woodstoves need the top down technique to start properly. Customers always say their teepee fires are better but complain their stoves don't start
I usually use a leaning hut sort of deal. one large piece and then tinder,paper next to and lay kindling slanted using the big piece as the support. I've had this start every time and works great in wood stoves where you don't have much room to build a log cabin.
Thanks so much this was/is really helpful I always knew that there were more ways to build a fire but I kinda was relying on the social fire I really don't know why I never tried doing it in a deferent way soo thx much appreciated
I always Lincoln stack (log cabin stack). I've never had it fail on me and it is so simple to do. Even if it's pretty windy it holds up pretty well. I've never had much luck with the upside down stack/reverse stack.
First fire building technique is the most energy efficient as the heat from the fire inside isn’t escaping the logs its burning and the heat from the burning logs around it radiates
You’d be surprised actually, check out the full video to see the in depth results, it’s actually the least efficient ua-cam.com/video/7v4twfXG2uY/v-deo.html
Nice video. Good info. For me when thinking of the perfect fire (depending on needs or conditions) , will try to make it so can light with only one match but mostly it's about least to no smoke when burning. Again nice video.
I think this would yield different results when you have a hot bed of coals to work around. The IR heat, not the heat from the flames, radiated by the coals will be affected differently between teepee and log cabin style stacking. Coals radiate IR heat outwards and around the fire through the spaces within a teepee and only vertically with log cabin. Since log cabin stacking usually surrounds the coals, the logs will block any IR heat from radiating outwards.
We used the reverse fire to build our end of the summer bonfire at camp. 25' high and 20' across at the base. You could still cook on it the next morning.
@@skinnflint no, I keep building the "log cabin" as it burns and turns into a bed of coals I build another one right on top and the hot coals help it catch faster.
Have you ever tried to do a hybrid/combination fire? Like for instance, building a teepee fire in the center, but then stacking logs/sticks in a square/log cabin fire around it?!?! That would be fairly interesting to see with the thermal camera!! Would you mind experimenting with that in a future video pretty please?!?!? I'm super interested to see what that'd be like on the thermal camera with what the thermal dispersion looks like!!! Please do itttt!!! Thanks brother!!! 🤠✌️
@@TheBearEssentialsCool beans!!! Or rather, HOT LOGS!!! LOL 😆👍 I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing a video of some hybrid/combo fires with your fancy pants thermal camera!!!! 😜 🔥🔥Your loyal subjects require fire!!!!🔥🔥
We relied on fire to warm our house in minus korean winters. I was si surprised that the reverse fire worked so well. Didn't have to keep feeding it. This method went against every fire making experience. Try it you will love it.
reverse fire is my go to as it usually (when done well) completely smokeless while it is burning, but it requires more set up as it is harder to get going.
I stack mine. As long as it has airflow, you're good. Had a fire last night and it barely put off smoke. I used a few fire rope pieces and that was the best way to start it, I used one inch thick well seasoned sticks broken down to 6inches long and they made a perfect coal base.
I actually live in a tipi and have a fire twice a day, (all day this time od year!) These are good fires. Swedish stove is by far the most efficient for cooking on as it uses much less fuel and can be easily adjusted for different cooking temperatures. As far as keeping yourself warm and throwing heat out in a single direction (keeping yourself warm) is to use a large 'feeder' log at the back of the fire. This chars on the outside to create a wall of glowing embers that throws out a lot of heat. Try these methods with your thermal camera. 😊👍
well i knew that but thank you for sharing this knowledge and for the thermal imagery never saw those fires compared before with a thermal cam little tip you can check the heat spread with your hands and there are way more fires than those
I typically build a top down fire, but I always start it with a teepee tinder fire at the top . Best of both worlds. A teepee fire lights the easiest and quickest, and establishes a huge amount of heat super fast. Plus the tinder smoke shoots upwards instead of horizontally.. like a chimney. Also, the square outside pieces at the top of the top-down create a cradled foundation to stop the bottom of the teepee from blowing out at the base while constructing. Been doing this… like forever 🤷🏻♂️ Your welcome 😆
Thank you so much for explaining in this detail. Knowing the direction of heat and how it'll spread helps in making better decisions depending on need. Sincerely appreciate this from you!
Thank you so much for the kind words!! If you wanted to see the Full in depth video - its a really cool one: ua-cam.com/video/7v4twfXG2uY/v-deo.html
@@TheBearEssentials my pleasure and thank you for an even more detailed version! Will definitely check it out 👍
Very useful
Exactly what I was thinking!!
The thermal vision was a great detail!! 👍🏽
When I go camping, we usually do the “toss a bunch of wood into a pile” fire lol
Ikr
exactly me
Yup
I use the "light some small branches first and then just toss in bigger peaces as you need to" method
@@dusannestorovic5699 this how you i do it.
Smaller branches are for quick intense fire and bigger logs keep the fire burning for longer period.
Don't forget the "blow on fire unnecessarily and move some sticks and logs at times to show that u actually know what u r doing" step.
if you’re out camping in like an area that holds moisture, teepee is absolutely the way to go because of how good it works with even with wet wood (i’ve been able to do bow drill fires with just grass fluff, soaked wood, and a bit of pine resin to give the tinder more time to catch). but i do have to admit that if you have like a wood shed or dry wood that the top down fire will burn long and hot, that being because it basically converts the wood to charcoal.
Thanks for sharing some valuable info on here and adding a good discussion point!! You’ll probs get a kick out of the full vid too : ua-cam.com/video/7v4twfXG2uY/v-deo.html
@@TheBearEssentials absolutely! thanks for responding. top down fire is also really great for making a lot of charcoal in a pinch, just make one in a pit with an air hole and then cover up both holes so the fire goes out
When i was a boyscout, we would build a small teepee in the middle, and place some firewood around it so we could convert it to a cabin type fire when the heat had dried our wood abit
I live in a swamp and don’t have a building or cover yet for my firewood so I tarp it on pallets but the ground always holds moisture so the wood is always a tad bit wet. The teepee method is how I have to start all my fires and it works every time even with fresh rained on wood as long as I have something to start the fire with.
Yup !!
Top down is also the least ignitable if any of your wood is even remotely damp. The cabin and teepee can still function if a peice here or there isn't bone dry.
EDIT: wow! Thanks for the likes, folks!
Exactly.
does the top down also burn though the material faster? seems to me if it burns hotter and wider spread, it's going to run out faster
@@saeedhossain6099 Not if the wood is damp.
@@saeedhossain6099 yes and no. It actually depends on how the wood ends up breaking into embers (whether it's a loose wood that will break apart easily early on into large pieces, or tight wood that will hold form until the embers are marble sized when it gives).
Teepees tend to burn fastest. The top down ones are a close second but as mentioned before if the wood breaks into large chunks early on the embers can actually greatly inhibit airflow.
Your "longest burning" fires would likely be "map marker fires" (where you lay the big logs in an * pattern with however many legs and build a smaller fire in the middle) but that requires regularly pushing the big logs into the center as they're consumed. Or what we called tombstone fires - you build a wall of heavy logs / big pieces (this doubles as a wind break), take two more big pieces and lay them perpendicular off the ends, shallow out the dirt a bit, then build a fire at the base of the wall. Done correctly, this fire will last days (depends on size and dryness of logs), provide a windbreak, and the wall of embering wood essentially acts like a radiant space heater.
Yep. While the reverse fire might work better once it gets going, the teepee fire is the easiest type to build and get going in an emergency.
Also depends on how much wood you got, what type and how dry it is depending on your current situation. I found the teepee is more easily ignited in an emergency situation or if the wood is not very dry. Then you can rearrange into a better hotter setup
I always thought building a log cabin around a teepee was the best
Friendly reminder to all our campers not to use rocks found near rivers around your fire. There might be water inside of 'em, the fire can boil this water and cause the rock to explode, creating what's essentialy a hand grenade.
Not something I would ever think of, but thanks, I'll keep that in mind
...for dnd
Ranatoki you just explained a good part of my favorite Verne book (Mysterious Island).
That, and generally it's not great to needlessly disturb the habitat of small animals like salamanders that live under and around river rocks.
Doesn't explode hard enough to hurt anyone, they just jump slightly and split into a few pieces.
@@charlesstidham2788 Is this true for every rock type? I know some rocks shatter when put under stress. I don't know how they react to heat, but I'd be surprised if they broke differently than usual.
Using a thermal camera to determine the "best" campfire method is peak techbro
Haha, next level nerd
Helps if you have it in your phone or toolbag for job reasons. Or maybe its on your head as a soldier trying to keep warm in a winter fight.
@@TheBearEssentials My kind of nerd! 😁👍
That was just a collier overlay. Thermal cameras don't function like that. It was all for show
It's just flirs blended image mode. It is real thermal just overlaying a normal image. Flir does does it because their low end thermal sensors have worse resolution than a potato. @@peteressert5172
Such a really good information video. most of us know how to build a fire, but very few of us know how fireworks on a different build.
over the years I’ve built many different builds, but until this day, never ever thought it would make a difference of how I built it. love this information fantastic video thank you and well done. 😊👊🔥
Thanks you so so much!
You can see the really in depth version here if youd like - some great info!:
ua-cam.com/video/7v4twfXG2uY/v-deo.html
my method is a "top-down"/(descending size lattice [bigger at bottom*])"/+ "log cabin" (exterior/square stack*)
😁👍🏻
There is also an improvement to the log cabin style that borrows from rocket stove techniques. If you seal all the gaps except for the outlet and a small slit at ground level using logs, tree bark, or other organic material you can find (it can be damp too) then you can benefit from also causing an airflow that stokes the fire for you. You'll just need to make a starting fire inside the structure to get it going.
I was watching this video and then my neighbour came and we watched it together. He said that this video changed his life and touched his heart. I then went and rented a projector in a big field and my entire town watched it and it changed their lives too. We all are so grateful.
Thank You for this video....
😐 😄
Sometimes the UA-cam shorts are EXCELLENT. Everything about this one is great. Would’ve never even considered this.
My preferred social fire is the teepee in a cabin in a teepee in a cabin in a teepee in a cabin in a teepee with plenty of branches piled outside the circle.
I did that at a geologist retreat, and I friggin loooooove how because I started the fire, everyone assumed I’m the one to tend to the fire. Keeping the light and warmth for everyone was such a good feeling for me, seeing them chatting and laughing, bonding and talking science, and of course I joined because we were all geologists. I was just the fire master as well ☺️
But thanks for this!
The upside down fire is also best in a wood stove or fireplace as it also burns cleaner and has a more complete combustion resulting in less creosote in your chimney.
You’re 100% right!!
Definitely going to try this. I’m usually a teepee guy and then throwing large logs which require monitoring for a long time. I do enjoy watching the fire when all the kids go to bed though. The size of the wood pieces in this vid has me thinking more strategically about what I need to accomplish with the fire and how long I’ll need it for. I’m a snob about mallows and tell the family we have to wait for coals. Goal: get to coal stage faster. Ha ha.
Last one is also Friendship Fire as it burns from top down much slower than Teepee.
These infos are sick..thanks bro
My pleasure!!! Thx for writing!
sick or SLICK?
You need some medicine for your info?
@@utkdimebag hahaha..i like you, you're funny 😂
i know that sick is term used for great now! i’m 77!! how come i know and some of you don’t. i love it. we used say “that’s cool, man.” and i still do. but groovy, does not work any more. and, yeah, this info is sick, man. :) 🪵🌷🌱
The reverse fire is perfect and it burns long without too much smoke!👌🏼
agreed!
The best fire is the one you don't have to burn all your wood early. You want to get a good Cole base and set a larger log and cross it on one side the cross can be wetter as it will dry. Brake your smaller stuff as needed keep crossing it and every second one use wetter wood. Lay your wetter stuff around the fire to get a system of drying. Never burn all your good stuff at once.
Mmm lean-to fire
I like the reverse fire method but with two large logs on the bottom and tinder between them. It makes lighting easier and allows you to have a very long burning fire. If there is heavy wind you can angle it to shield the tinder or if the wind is light you can angle it to stoke the embers. When the upper layers burn down to coals you have the two large logs to keep pots eleveated or you can move them to expose more coals. Also refeeding the fire is as easy as laying additional layers since the base logs will still be entact.
We might need this knowledge in the close future so thanks.
youre very welcome, always good to know!
@@TheBearEssentials
You never know when you'll need it. I was 14 when a war suddenly broke out in my country. Prior to that - everyone laughed at my Mom for buying a wood stove. As soon as Serbs cut off electricity to the whole city - those people stopped laughing and started bringing bread to be baked (some would bring a log, some a bit of coal, whatever anyone had. Mom never refused anyone, even without that). Literally whole neighborhood was fed on our stove for 3.5yrs! All the fancy electric shit was useless.. especially after we used up every car battery & generator available.
So big thanks @The Bear Essentials. 🤗
Request/suggestion:
In Bosnian war, we used to make candles out of regular cooking oil caps...by filling them with little oil & water ... adding a bit of rope or something as a wick. I kinda forgot how exactly that went though, been in USA for 30yrs so I'm now just flipping switches or telling Alexa to turn on the lights. If you know this method, would you please post a guide on it? TYSM in advance!! It's a very tiny candle but can be made quickly and is sufficient in many cases when you need just a bit of light. It provides as much as a tea candle (if that's what those mini ones are called.. usually come in bags of 20 or so).
I was the Boy Scoutmaster of Troop 08 in Sausalito, of Marin County CA. I had that pleasure, and challenge for 12 years as my sons matured from Cub Scouts to wilderness survival skills, as girls became more important than the out of doors, or camp fires, I kept our troop together for another three years past their interest in outdoor adventures,
I put together quiet a number of first aid, land navigation, and how to catch, and cook from rabits, to fish. I have never seen, or created a better guide for creating a campfire for filling the need of the moment, If you agree I'd be honored to sketch a reproduction of these three fire lays and the advantages of each.
Well done, and thank you!
Bruh and here I was thinking Charizard was the most popular fire type
🔥🔥
🤦♂️
🗿
California.
@@A_Ducky the “bruh” ruined this comment
The reverse fire was how I was taught in my earliest campfire days...cool
At first I wondered why this common sense was being stated…. Then I realized I was just lucky to have had a grandpa who shared so much of his knowledge with me
Ya!! You’re really fortunate to have learned this as passed down wisdom. I only learned it later in life
Fire nakes heat. It is common sense bruh
The reverse fire made no sense when I first heard about it (a few weeks ago) so this is something I needed. Thank you.
That's because its actually BS
Past year i really started liking the top down fire
Me too!
@@TheBearEssentials the fortune five hundred fire
Great video and very informative! Just a friendly reminder to everyone watching: Please remember to only make campfires in designated fireplaces or areas specifically designed for this purpose. Avoid creating fires in random areas, especially pits, as this is one of the leading causes of accidental fires in the wild. Safety first for ourselves and the environment.
I usually start with the teepee until its burning strong . then push them flat . great info showing the direction of heat 👍
Now that's a decent shorty. Good job young man
Top down only works well if you can get it hot enough to create a pillar of flame.
I usually use this when using a incinerator, usually I create a guide path with cardboard/dry leaves.
GOOD TO KNOW 👍😮😊
Thanks G! Full vid here if you wanted to watch : ua-cam.com/video/7v4twfXG2uY/v-deo.html
Wow, that's so cool! Different fires for different occasions. Thank you so much
This is really interesting nice
Thanks!!
Fun lil story! I made the 3rd fire shown in our back yard with my dad one day. He and I are both responsible pyromaniacs. He brought home a couple skids from work, we used 3 for some diy projects, had about 11 left. He told me to stack them, and fill them. We had a really big yard we were fixing up (no grass), no power lines overhead, and a crap ton of dry rotted firewood. 😈 The flames were at least 50ft high. After it was all burnt the flames were hot enough to melt a pop can
Cub Scout/Boy Scout for almost 9 years, probably the best information on fire building I've ever seen
Huh? There was almost no valuable information here.
@@ObservationofLimits everyone processes information differently, read between the lines and don't be a troll.
Thank you so much for sharing this. This is so super useful and I cannot wait for my next camping trip to try these out.
Apparently in the scouts a reverse fire is called a “council fire”
Ah I’ve never heard that before. Thx for sharing! Are you in scouts?? You might like the full vid of this one: ua-cam.com/video/7v4twfXG2uY/v-deo.html
Thanks for the options if I want to be an outdoorsman in the future. If I could, I'd use all three versions for the purposes you described. Once again, thanks!
Link to a more detailed (saveable) vid if interested.
ua-cam.com/video/7v4twfXG2uY/v-deo.html
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Wow thx this is helpful
@@KingBobforever my pleasure!
@@TheBearEssentials thank you I normally use the first method with some dry tinder in the middle and slowly get thicker
@@TheBearEssentials changing shorts to watch in the url also works.
Can you do a test to see which will warm you the quickest? Maybe you could stick a damp cloth a couple of Meters/Yards away and put the thermal cam on it, waiting for it to get warm.
Absolutely, in the longer version of the video I cover this with a wet wool sock:
ua-cam.com/video/7v4twfXG2uY/v-deo.html
The spread of the heat just depends on the amount of fire at once. See heat has 3 different ways of propagating: Conduction (via physical objects which is not the case in a fire), Convection (hot air is less dense so heat goes up or towards the direction of wind that moves the hot air around) and radiation (which spreads everywhere from the hot object's surface). Therefore, the only way to make wood spread more towards the sides is to increase the heat or heated surface so the radiation is also increased.
EDIT: not to make wood spread, but heat from the fire
Why isn't the pile with extension to the sides the hottest one? The fire coming from the top down doesn't make sense to me to be hotter.
Finally not a "feel" answer but a fact answer
Thank you, someone who actually knows what they're talking about
Didn't know the last method and your explanation really helped
I like stoking and tending to a fire so I never do a stacked style fire. Plus those styles need perfectly cut wood, my fires have a longer log put in the middle to burn in half and then I move the 2 separate parts onto the fire to burn. Much less chopping before the fire and gives you something to do while the fire burns.
Tbh we have to make the best of whats to hand.. Meaning weather conditions, wood type.. Any fire is a life saver an any info is great fully taken.. Thank you
I prefer wearing the clothes wet and then setting myself on fire , this way it is wayyy more efficient and its dries up quickly
There's another strategy ?
This is the universally preferred method.
😂😂😂
The last one is how I build my fires, gets a nice bed of embers going in the middle and just falls in on itself, teepee can slip and fall sideways, the cabin stack.. if all sides are not the same size wood one side falls first
My dad always told me the first way was the only way to start a fire. Once I started lighting fires the reverse way he never started the fire again. Said "You do it better, so do it your way" 🤣
TFW ur elders learn from you and are nice about it.
Well that's first one is old school boy scouts. That was everywhere. I did it too lol
@@Hybridsixtynine TFW the reverse way only works with seasoned/dry wood.
The teepee works best in inclement weather when you don't want to mess around.
The log cabin is great when you have a little more time to spend building your fire. Notice the cabin is built around a teepee.
The reverse fire is when you have decent weather and have the time to make a leisurly fire.
All 3 are great fires and all will, eventually, make a nice, even, hot fire with great cooking coals.
My personal favorite is the pile of tinder and wood with a nice garnish of gasoline! 😊
Wow man, this channel is a blessing. Keep it up
Thanks so much Jo! Will do
Can confirm 100%. Reverse fire is also the easiest to build... you don't even have to place anything properly, just toss in several handfuls each of lil twigs, then big twigs, then lil sticks, then big sticks, then lil logs etc. I learned this the hard / interesting way ... very low on rest and energy / blood sugar.
Useful interesting information
Awesome!
I use the top down method for a month now. Absolutely love it
This is so professional.
Thanks so much! Full and more detailed vid is here if your interested:
ua-cam.com/video/7v4twfXG2uY/v-deo.html
@@TheBearEssentials appreciate it.
I'm pro liento fire. I like that it kicks back the fire. It gets your Fuel started early.
I'm a boy scout, so this helps
Sweet, thx Connor, if you liked this and want a more thorough understanding this may help you too: ua-cam.com/video/7v4twfXG2uY/v-deo.html
The method I've developed over the years as a scout was to make a hybrid lean-to/cabin fire with a solid 1" thick stick base. I used this method with great success in wetter environments that made starting a fire difficult. The lean-to would use a large log (preferably split) with a bird's nest next to it on top of the wood base. As the fire would first start, it would be easy to slowly add kindling and tinder depending on the spread of the fire. The heat would then be soaked into the log and the embers would rest on the stick" floor. Eventually as the fire grew, it would become more of a cabin as a second log would be placed parrallel to the first and medium sized sticks placed between them depending on needs of the fire and people using it.
The Waffle House has found it's new host.
The Waffle House has found it's new host.
Game changer. Solid advice. Gonna try that upside down fire next chance I get.
Will say I use top down method every day to lightht my furnace. Works great.
As far as teepee method goes I only ever use it to get the fire going. Once it's up and going I just add logs as usual.
The waffle house has found its new host
The Waffle House Has Found Its New Host
The Waffle House has found its new host
My favourite is the lean-to-fire, where you put one big log sideways on the ground, place smaller sticks to lean to the side on the big log, and light the fire under those sticks. It's great if you want most of the heat facing a specific direction, like when sleeping in a "laavu".
More and more new woodstoves need the top down technique to start properly. Customers always say their teepee fires are better but complain their stoves don't start
I'm a boyscout and I've never made a reverse fire. We were always taught to lit the fire from the bottom. But I gotta try it!
I prefer the 91-octane fire, which can be lit from any direction, has a distinct "swoosh" sound when lit, and doesn't care about log placement.
This is brilliant..I'm about to undertake my own outdoor adventures and this is perfect..
I usually use a leaning hut sort of deal. one large piece and then tinder,paper next to and lay kindling slanted using the big piece as the support. I've had this start every time and works great in wood stoves where you don't have much room to build a log cabin.
Nice info. Triangular log cabin fire with upright logs inside the triangle is my method even burns wet wood. Would like to see it under that camera
Thanks so much this was/is really helpful I always knew that there were more ways to build a fire but I kinda was relying on the social fire I really don't know why I never tried doing it in a deferent way soo thx much appreciated
You’re so welcome! The teepee / social is a great one. But the others have some cool unique functions if you can master em!
I always Lincoln stack (log cabin stack). I've never had it fail on me and it is so simple to do. Even if it's pretty windy it holds up pretty well. I've never had much luck with the upside down stack/reverse stack.
First fire building technique is the most energy efficient as the heat from the fire inside isn’t escaping the logs its burning and the heat from the burning logs around it radiates
You’d be surprised actually, check out the full video to see the in depth results, it’s actually the least efficient
ua-cam.com/video/7v4twfXG2uY/v-deo.html
The reverse has been my go to for a long time, definitely my favourite
Nice video. Good info.
For me when thinking of the perfect fire (depending on needs or conditions) , will try to make it so can light with only one match but mostly it's about least to no smoke when burning.
Again nice video.
This is the fire I use in my wood stove. It makes the best heating fire, IMO
Well thanks for the information, now I can put this knowledge in my "I'll never remember it when I'll need it" drawer. Have a nice day wise man.
I think this would yield different results when you have a hot bed of coals to work around. The IR heat, not the heat from the flames, radiated by the coals will be affected differently between teepee and log cabin style stacking. Coals radiate IR heat outwards and around the fire through the spaces within a teepee and only vertically with log cabin. Since log cabin stacking usually surrounds the coals, the logs will block any IR heat from radiating outwards.
We used the reverse fire to build our end of the summer bonfire at camp. 25' high and 20' across at the base. You could still cook on it the next morning.
I like trench fires for cooking. Nice level surface and fun to use
Log cabin for the win, I build my fires to give off warmth to myself and my friends around the fire, I'm not necessarily worried about cooking coals.
Nice!! ya I love the log cabin!
@@skinnflint no, I keep building the "log cabin" as it burns and turns into a bed of coals I build another one right on top and the hot coals help it catch faster.
I love how he said the third one is the most rare one, yet its the one everyone uses XD
Have you ever tried to do a hybrid/combination fire? Like for instance, building a teepee fire in the center, but then stacking logs/sticks in a square/log cabin fire around it?!?!
That would be fairly interesting to see with the thermal camera!!
Would you mind experimenting with that in a future video pretty please?!?!?
I'm super interested to see what that'd be like on the thermal camera with what the thermal dispersion looks like!!! Please do itttt!!! Thanks brother!!! 🤠✌️
Ofcourse!! Combinations are some of the best versions of these. Lots of people do the one you mention.
@@TheBearEssentialsCool beans!!! Or rather, HOT LOGS!!! LOL 😆👍
I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing a video of some hybrid/combo fires with your fancy pants thermal camera!!!! 😜
🔥🔥Your loyal subjects require fire!!!!🔥🔥
Thank you I'm going camping this weekend and I'm definitely going to try this. My camp fires have been fairly crap
The reverse fire is also the best for indoor fireplaces.
My grandma taught me how to make all kinds of camp and cook fires. It’s cool to see what you can normally only feel.
That's really helpful. I always built the log cabins, thought they were pretty close to perfect. I'm going upside down now.
Reverse is and has been for some time, been my go to fire
We relied on fire to warm our house in minus korean winters. I was si surprised that the reverse fire worked so well. Didn't have to keep feeding it. This method went against every fire making experience. Try it you will love it.
reverse fire is my go to as it usually (when done well) completely smokeless while it is burning, but it requires more set up as it is harder to get going.
Thanks for explaining. Will try this next time.
Works in a insert for a fireplace very well
As we barrel towards a dystopian hellscape, information like this has never been more important.
I stack mine. As long as it has airflow, you're good. Had a fire last night and it barely put off smoke. I used a few fire rope pieces and that was the best way to start it, I used one inch thick well seasoned sticks broken down to 6inches long and they made a perfect coal base.
I actually live in a tipi and have a fire twice a day, (all day this time od year!) These are good fires. Swedish stove is by far the most efficient for cooking on as it uses much less fuel and can be easily adjusted for different cooking temperatures. As far as keeping yourself warm and throwing heat out in a single direction (keeping yourself warm) is to use a large 'feeder' log at the back of the fire. This chars on the outside to create a wall of glowing embers that throws out a lot of heat. Try these methods with your thermal camera. 😊👍
Good to know a few different ways to burn. Each having their use
I learned this a few months ago. Easy in wood stove. A lot less smoke
Never heard of the reverse fire but damn can't argue with the results!
I generally do the reverse fire because it is so easy and reliable.
well i knew that but thank you for sharing this knowledge and for the thermal imagery never saw those fires compared before with a thermal cam little tip you can check the heat spread with your hands and there are way more fires than those
Teepee: Social Events
Log Cabin: Roasting or warming up evenly 360°
Reverse Fire: Boiling stews or firing clay.
I typically build a top down fire, but I always start it with a teepee tinder fire at the top . Best of both worlds. A teepee fire lights the easiest and quickest, and establishes a huge amount of heat super fast. Plus the tinder smoke shoots upwards instead of horizontally.. like a chimney. Also, the square outside pieces at the top of the top-down create a cradled foundation to stop the bottom of the teepee from blowing out at the base while constructing.
Been doing this… like forever 🤷🏻♂️
Your welcome 😆