Just like there’s more than one way to skin a cat and more than one way to crack an egg, there’s more than one way to make a campfire. Popular campfire styles include the lean-to, teepee, log cabin, Swedish torch, platform, the star and more.
The big question is, which style will make the perfect campfire? Well, thanks to mechanical engineer, Adrian Bejan and his team at Duke University, we now know the answer. His paper on why humans build fires shaped the same way will not please the lean-to and log cabin builders. However, the teepee builders will be nodding smugly as according to the research, the teepee is tops.
Why does the teepee make the perfect campfire?
Well according to this research, the best fires are about as wide as they are tall. Bejan argues that getting the fire going and keeping it going is more about ratios than fuel. He compared air flows through common types of fire structures and how much heat was lost in the process. It turns out that fires that are taller or shorter than their width lose more heat in relation to fuel usage.
The results reinforce that the pyramid shape that humans have been using for centuries is indeed the perfect way to make a campfire. The teepee (or equilateral triangle if we’re being specific) that’s as tall as it is wide creates that sweet spot of not too much airflow and not too little.
While this finding is probably obvious to many, at least now you can sprout the science to back it up.
So, how do I actually make a teepee campfire?
Good question. You’ll need to gather these things first:
- Fire starting device (matches or a lighter)
- Tinder (material that is easily ignited such as dried grass)
- Kindling (twigs or very small branches)
- Firewood (thick branches and logs)
It goes without saying that all of this should be as dry as possible.
Here’s how to make the perfect teepee campfire
- Start by clearing the firepit area and dig a depression in the ground and/or ring the area with rocks to help contain the fire once it starts.
- Place a large wad of tinder smack in the middle of your campfire area. The more tinder the better.
- Lean your kindling upright against the tinder in a classic teepee shape.
- Grab your firewood and lean 3 pieces against the tinder and kindling in a teepee shape. It works well if you place one at 12 o’clock, one at four o’clock and one at eight o’clock to begin with. Remember, the structure needs to be as tall as it is wide. Of course, you don’t need to bring the measuring tape, just eyeball it.
- Reach in and light the tinder with your matches or lighter. If your tinder wad is big enough you shouldn’t have to do anything else except wait.
Top tip: Leave an opening in your kindling on the side the wind is blowing against as this allows you to reach in and light the tinder. It also ensures your fire gets the air it needs to blow the flames onto the kindling.
Here’s what to do next
Pull up a chair and do nothing. After a while, the structure will kind of collapse in on itself but the fire is going awesome by then so you can just keep crisscrossing more firewood over the coals as needed.
