Do you want to know more about survival fires? Anyone thinking of becoming a survivalist or prepper should know at least a few different types of survival fires on hand.
Not every survival fire is the same. Some types are more practical in situation X than in situation Y. True survivalists would want to have at least several types of survival fires in the back of their heads to be ready to tackle any situation that could occur.
This article will explain the three main uses of survival fires, as well as give you the top nine best survival campfire types that all survivalists should know if they want to be prepared for any situation.
Are you ready?
Let’s dive in.
Why You Should Know Different Types of Survival Fires
A common misconception is that all campfires work the same That is simply false.
The truth is, survival fires can serve multiple purposes, and depending on what your intent is, it can significantly alter the way you approach building a fire.
Below are the three main uses of survival fires.
Warmth
Obviously, campfires can provide warmth in the cold. Universally, all fires can do this, but some builds can provide better heat than others.
The key to building a great fire for warmth is to allow enough air to flow into your fire pit. That means you will want to arrange the logs so that there is enough open space in which air can freely move in and out.
Cooking
Can’t cook a meal without heat. Believe it or not, some survival fires are better equipped for cooking than others.
When it comes to cooking, you would want to avoid a build that produces a lot of flames. Yes, having a fire with a roaring flame is pretty to look at, but the matter of fact is it will burn or scorch your food.
If you want to build a fire for cooking, go for a build that helps with containing the heat from the coals and with fewer flames.
Signaling
Throughout history, fire has also been used as a means of communication. Cultures from the past, such as the Native Americans, used smoke signals to communicate between neighboring camps of their status. Two puffs of smoke meant safety, while three meant danger.
Signal fires are still considered viable to this day. If you are serious about being a survivalist, you will want to know at least a few types of signal fires under your belt. Learning how to construct a sigal fire will greatly increase your survival odds.
The important thing to know about signal fires is that it is all about volume. It requires a lot of contained space, tall flames, and tinder that generates a lot of smoke.
Now that you know the three main uses of survival fires, you will be introduced to the top nine types of survival fires that every survivalist should know.
1. The Tepee
Most beginners start with the tepee technique. As you would expect, this fire style gets its name from the structure and shape resembling closely of a teepee tent. It is one of the most common and long-practiced types among survivalists because of its simplicity.
The tepee requires few resources and is easy to assemble. Simply acquire your dry tinder and place it into your firepit. You will then need to gather at least three to four logs that are medium to large size. Place the logs parallel to each other over the dry tinder, and start the fire.
The great thing about the tepee is that it can be a jack of all trades. While it generally is used for warmth, it can be modified for cooking or signaling. This type is all-around a good one to know for its flexibility.
2. The Log Cabin
Like the tepee, the log cabin acquired its name based on its structural foundation. This fire type is built to look like a log cabin with logs placed crisscrossed from each other to form a square house-like structure. Inside is the tinder, with a roof of small branches and twigs.
This style is well-suited for cooking, as it can contain the heat from the coals inside the walls. A good log cabin would also be strong enough to lay a cooking pot on top of it. With enough heat stored, your pot or skillet should get warm in a matter of minutes.
The log cabin can also have the potential of being a really good signal fire. However, the work necessary to build one large enough may not be worth it as easier methods are available.
3. The Star
If you are camped in an area with a limited wood supply, the star survival fire is a good way to go. This build requires you to lay your logs in the form of a star, with the center being where you burn your tinder and kindling.
This method is really useful if you want to have a small fire that can be easily managed throughout the day. Once the tips of the logs burn and become coals, you slide the other parts of the logs that form the star inward to continue fueling the fire.
This type of survival fire is more useful if you plan on staying in the area for a while. It is best suited for cooking but can still function in warmth and signaling if needed.
4. The Upside-Down Pyramid
Are you camping in a wet or snow-covered environment? The upside-down fire is for you! The quirk of the survival fire is that you build your fire in the form of an inverted pyramid. You start with your largest logs as a base and add medium logs in the middle and the tinder on top.
The best part about this build is that it can burn wet wood. The key is to layer your pyramid with the wet wood on the bottom and use the easy-to-burn stuff on top. Eventually, the slow fire will dry the wet logs in the bottom, causing them to ignite.
This type of fire is known to have big flames, so it has great potential for signaling. It’s also viable for warmth as it will produce a large amount of hot coals if you are patient.
5. The Trench Fire
This survival fire requires digging a small, shallow trench. Inside the trench, you lay your tinder and kindling along with some small logs. Ignite your tinder, and you should be good to go!
The benefit of the trench is it can protect your flame and coals from the wind. It also makes it easier to maintain and reduces the chances of it becoming a wildfire.
This fire is really good for cooking. If you want to use a pot or skillet, simply find two to three small size logs and set them diagonally above the trench. In addition, it provides decent warmth.
Check out the video below if you want to see a trench pit assembled.
6. The Keyhole Fire
This build is considered to be more advanced due to the amount of effort it takes. For this build, you arrange your fire pit into a shape that resembles a keyhole.
The idea is that the large open space is for your fire, and the little space at the bottom is where you move your coals for cooking. It’s really beneficial for those who want to get organized and if you are in a group with others that want to sit around a large pit.
This survival fire takes time to build but pays off in the end. It excels in cooking, provides excellent warmth, and has great potential for signaling.
7. The Long Fire
Speaking of being in a group with others, the log fire is another great setup for being with friends. It utilizes the benefits of using long logs by creating a wide fire bed that can be shared easily among a large group. It’s also nice because it removes the need for chopping or gathering smaller log pieces.
It’s simple to start too. You will want about three long logs stacked parallel to each other. Gather your tinder and place it in between the spaces of the long logs and ignite.
Aside from sharing warmth in a group, this build can offer the ability to cook multiple things simultaneously. In addition, it offers good warmth and good potential for signaling if you can continue to feed it kindling.
8. The Dakota Fire Hole
At this point, we are starting to enter high-level survival fires that are more advanced. The Dakota fire hole requires a lot of digging, requiring multiple holes and a tunnel linking them.
To get started, you must dig a hole at least one foot deep (this will be where your fire pit will be). About 10 inches away from your fire pit hole, you will want to create another angled hole for catching upwind. This hole will be turned into a tunnel that leads into your fire pit.
If done correctly, the airflow that goes through the second hole leading into your fire pit will help generate heat for coals.
While it may not sound practical to have your fire deep in a hole, the result from the airflow creates a very good source of heat that can be used for cooking and warmth.
Check out the video below if you want to see it made in action.
9. The Swedish Fire Torch
Another advanced and labor-intensive fire type is the Swedish log torch. It’s important to note that this fire type is meant primarily for cooking and doesn’t offer very much in terms of warmth or signaling. This does require you to have a bore drill tool as well, which may not be practical.
The process for creating the Swedish fire torch involves you acquiring a thick log that is both short and wide. You would need to take your dilling tool and make a cole on top of the center of the log. After that, create another hole on the side that tunnels into the center of the log.
Once all that is done, you place the tinder and kindling inside the hole and ignite. At that point, the log will eventually spew a lot of heat out of the top hole, which will be your designated cooking spot.
This method is nice because you can create a cooking fire with little resources involved, but in exchange, you will need to put in some labor.
Check out this video guide below if you want more details about creating a Swedish fire torch.
Final Words
At this point, you should now know that survival fires are more complex than they are believed to be.
The truth is, if you want to maximize your chances of surviving in the wilderness, then you must know how to create and utilize the different types of survival fires to be prepared to take on any survival situation.
Consider starting off with the more basic types first, such as the tepee build. Once you get the hang of it, you can begin to gradually go for more advanced level types that allow you to go further in developing your survival skills.