Campfires
add a certain charm to any canoe trip. They do cause
environmental damage and should be used sparingly with
safeguards to reduce their impact. Fires should always be
no larger than necessary for the purpose.
Wet
rocks and fires are dangerous. Some porous rocks like
limestone can absorb water which gets trapped in air
pockets with the rock. As the rock heats up, the trapped
water will turn to steam and exert tremendous pressure.
This can cause a rock to burst apart with explosive
force. You shouldn't pull rocks from the river or lake to
use in a fire ring.
Hardwoods
like maple and oak are excellent when available. They
burn a long time, produce excellent coals for cooking and
don't generate a lot of sparks or ash. Softwoods like
cedar usually burn quicker, but are easier to start.
There
are three categories of fuel needed for a fire: Tinder,
very small highly flamable materials used to start the
fire, Kindling, small, thin sticks to generate flames
after the tinder has caught, and finally Firewood, the
stick and logs used to keep the fire going.
An
excellent source for firewood is to look under the canopy
of a mature hardwood forest. Saplings here usually grow
tall and thin with few branches. These saplings often die
from lack of light and once dead, they will air dry and
season standing straight up. The bases often decompose
and the tree is often very easy to push over so you don't
have to leave a saw mark in the forest.
A
good way to start fires in the wind is to look for a
birch limb that's been lying on the ground for a while.
The bark will still be in good condition, but the insides
will be rotten enough that they can be knocked out
easily. Hollow out a chunk of bark about the size of your
clenched fist. Put this in your fire pit in an upright
position, proping up the bottom a bit to let air in. Fill
this "chimney" with tinider and light it from underneath.
The bark tube will protect the tinder from wind and once
the tinder heats up, it will ignite the bark, making it
easier to start your kindling.
