Campfires 101: Essential Tips for Beginner Campers

Want to learn how to build a campfire like a PRO? This is A VISUAL tutorial on building 3 of the best bushcraft campfires and most common survival fires. Comparing the Tipi Fire VS The Log Cabin Fire Vs The Upside Down Fire. Not just HOW to build them but WHEN to use each one! This Campfire Tutorial uses a Thermal Camera to see what the Naked Eye can't.
Comparing the Tipi Fire VS The Log Cabin Fire Vs The Upside Down Fire
And cover and compare the following topics:
•*Ease of Lighting*
•*Heat Distribution*
•*How much Maintenance is Required*
•*When it Collapses*
•*And the Quality of Cooking Coals* - Via a Water Boil Test
MY GEAR
Thermal Camera used: (Flir One)
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Gloves Used: Hestra Falt Guider Gloves ( Backcountry.com link)
bit.ly/3idZSPH
DJ's Gear List on Amazon
www.amazon.com/shop/thebeares...
The Bear Essentials Handmade Gear:
bearessentialsoutdoors.ca/
DJ's Gear Recommendations (Not from Amazon)
bearessentialsoutdoors.ca/col...
As seen in this video:
PACK POUCH
bearessentialsoutdoors.ca/pro...
FJALLRAVEN ANORAK
➡ Moosejaw bit.ly/Fjallraven-Anorak-Moos...
➡ Backcountry bit.ly/Fjallraven-No-8-backco...
00:00 Introduction
00:18 How to build The Teepee (Tipi) Fire
03:47 How to build The Log Cabin Fire
06:49 How to build The Reverse Fire (Upside Down Fire)
The art of making a campfire seems to be a lost one. With so many levels - what tinder and kindling to use, how to harvest and find dry wood, what types of wood to use, and ofcourse which fire lay to use. It can all get so confusing! I hope to bring some visual knowledge and clarification on these!
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[@TheBearEssentials]

Hey Everyone, thanks for watching. Feel free to introduce yourself and let me know what type of camping knowledge you'd like to see covered in Visual format. I'm planning my 2023 Video Topics and Schedule now! I try to respond personally to as many of these messages as I can before it gets overwhelming. - Your friend, DJ My Gear List: www.amazon.com/shop/thebearessentials The Bear Essentials Handmade Gear: bearessentialsoutdoors.ca/ DJ's Gear Recommendations (Not from Amazon) bearessentialsoutdoors.ca/collections/djs-gear-recommendations

[@TheBearEssentials]

@@xrzeropoint7989 Sure thing! I will do an advanced fire vid like this!

[@Eliza.--.]

This is maybe too broad a question, but could you cover some handy improvisations, or things you would rather make for yourself than buy and lug around with you? I'm thinking along the lines of using folded clothing instead of a camp pillow, but more technical and more practical.

[@Eliza.--.]

@@xrzeropoint7989 I find that rolled-up clothes make a good enough pillow for me, it was more as an example of little things someone might not know a simple alternative for. Thanks for the information though :) That does sound like a cool piece of gear.

[@D9everything]

Man I've said it before - you have the best outdoor/bushcrafting/skillset videos around. Not only the quality of your cinematography and editing skills, but unique applications and solid data. Can't remember seeing anyone use a moisture meter in a fire test comparison video before. The only thing in your way now is time for the algorithm to catch up, so just don't quit - gonna be some views, some views, some views, BAM!!! Even if it takes a year.

[@TheBearEssentials]

Thanks so much for saying this. It’s some good motivation and feedback to keep going. Made my day!

[@MoonLoverThe]

I agree with the stranger, the quality in this one is amazing!

[@woroGaming]

The algorithm just brought me here 😁 Really liked this video!

[@traeza777]

And more and more views 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@justindibbens4934]

​@@MoonLoverThe mì8😊

[@adx442]

I've been using the upside-down method exclusively for years, but I do mine very differently than yours. No gaps, no tinder built-in. I lay my largest pieces side by side, tightly together without gaps. The next layer is smaller pieces, tightly packed side by side, usually at a 70 degree angle rather than 90, to retain more coals on the layer below it (so they don't fall off to the sides and smolder). Repeat this process layer by layer with ever smaller pieces until you have all your wood stacked. On top, I build a tinder/kindling/twig structure of pure chaos, with just enough material to burn for about 5-6 minutes and enough pinky sized twigs to generate some starting coals. My method takes longer to get going, but it burns very slowly and for a long time, and tends to re-burn the rising smoke from the layer beneath what's currently flaming. Advantages: It can be nearly smokefree when it gets rolling. You can use less dry material for your larger pieces, as they'll be drying for a long time from the layers above and the falling coals. Your wood lasts much longer as it burns layer by layer. You'll tend to burn 100% of your fuel with no left over chunks of char. Disadvantages: If you need heat "right now", this is not the one you want (cooking, drying off). You'll be waiting 15 minutes for it to start producing significant heat. Your top 2 layers need to be decently dry material to generate hot coals to continue the burn to the larger layers. Takes some axe skills to prep the correctly sized pieces (XL, L, M, S, XS is what I usually start with for layers, with XL being forearm sized and XS being pinky sized). Give this tactic a try sometime, I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised!

[@777xino]

Sounds great! Will give it a go. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@tannerdavisr]

If you want a good tip for an easy and cheap fire starter, just save the lint that gets caught in your dryer at home. That stuff is super flammable and you'll always be getting more. I keep a plastic bag full of it for when we go camping as an easy fire starter.

[@TheBearEssentials]

Great idea! And if all else fails grab some from the ol’ belly button 🤣

[@tannerdavisr]

@@TheBearEssentials 😂

[@me2videos]

But you can also get hair in it and different materials and some might burn better than others and it could just smother it NorthOfTheBorder went over this before

[@maxgotts5895]

Take the lint, put it in an egg carton, and cover the top with Vaseline for an incredible firestarter. A tip handed down to me by a random person at a camp-but it really works!

[@Crazytesseract]

How about saving pencil sharpener shavings for fires?

[@jeremyarcus-goldberg9543]

Using the thermal gauge was the kind of scientific information I always wanted but have never found in an outdoors class or video before. Thank you!

[@rowanbcapr]

log cabin fire is great for wet wood. if you can get a bit of pine resin place it on your tinder in the middle and it you can use the spaces between the logs of the “cabin” as grate bars for inserting your wet wood so that it both dries and ignites over the flame, and continue this until the top ignites

[@TheBearEssentials]

Excellent idea!!

[@YanickGirouard]

You can also easily dry bigger logs by arranging them vertically around the pyramid structure so they will both protect the main fire from the wind and eventually add themselves to the fire's fuel source and catch fire. Just make sure you leave some gaps so you don't cut off too much air.

[@disasterstrike6347]

It would be super helpful if you could make a video about what are the best kind of ropes to buy and use for different situations, because your videos are super well put together and clean.

[@TheBearEssentials]

Awesome, funny you say this, I’ve been working on that exact video for the past few weeks! Will have something out in the near future :)

[@disasterstrike6347]

@TheBearEssentials Great, thanks! I can't wait :D

[@inthegreatwide]

This is so, SO helpful. Thank you for your attention to detail on all of these.

[@WhispyWoods.]

I’m really glad the algorithms guided me your way. Very well done and informative video. You really have all the tech gadgets to measure different fires 👏

[@TheBearEssentials]

I’m so glad you found the page.. and thanks for the kind words! I think it will take a while to build all the likeminded folks here, but welcome to the community :) -DJ

[@samgraham6355]

I have seen other videos on this topic that were not nearly as detailed. Thank you for making this and being detailed with amount of wood, how much water is in that wood and thermal readings. Well done.

[@TheBearEssentials]

Thanks a bunch, k wanted to try and make it as scientific and unbiased as I could

[@lynwoods6503]

That’s exactly my impression from watching only a couple of vids. Mr. Essentials is a natural educator.

[@YanickGirouard]

The log cabin fire technique is definitely my favorite and what I use most of the time. I find it much easier to add wood to it later without making it collapse because the coals naturally form a pyramid that the new logs can lean on without crushing the structure, compared to the teepee one. I also just start with a split log base to make the fire on, and if it's windy I protect it with some vertical logs stacked around it also. I find it also makes the best camp fires. The reverse fire is definitely the best for getting good coals for cooking, but doesn't make as good of a campfire when you just want to enjoy a good flame and light the campsite at the same time. I tend to completely avoid the teepee technique unless I want to smell like smoke and spend half the time rearranging the logs to prevent it from smothering itself.

[@Jameskeith1972]

Hi. I’m Keith. I grew up on a ranch in Texas. I basically camped every day from 5 -18 years old😂! I still think it’s more accurate to call it back yard camping because we always had the option of making it back to the house when we got fed up with the weather, bugs, etc!

[@BigPictureYT]

I like to use two logs with about a 6 inches diameter, I set them up parallel to each other with the gap pointed toward the prevailing wind. I put my tinder bundle between the logs and lay twigs like your log cabin fire. As the tinder and twigs burn, I add more and larger twigs, log cabin style. Once I get a nice bed of coals, I add bigger pieces. By then, the two main logs are burning well and I fill the gap with medium sized pieces. As the main logs are consumed, I push them closer together and add more twigs. Long lasting and easy to cook on and maintain.

[@PineMartyn]

Nice exposition. I've long been a proponent of the upside-down/reverse fire-lay and I avail myself of this method except when I need a fire going in a hurry. In addition to the merits you described, I find that learning to use that fire-lay forces one to acquire some knife and axe skills for wood-processing, which are advantageous skills to have for any backcountry camper. Cheers and all the best to you in this new year. - Martin

[@TheBearEssentials]

Martin!! Thanks for writing. Couldn’t agree more with the skill and refinement side of it. With all your experience I truly value your insights! Thx for watching man!

[@KOKO-uu7yd]

THANK YOU! I've understood and used basic fire skills for years. The way you presented each, and especially the thermal imagining, was new for me, and my understanding is FAR more solid now! I can't wait to try this out in my backyard. Also, I've pretry much failed to help my kiddos understand fire building. (We're all a little impatient lol) I really think this'll help them both, and I plan to test that this weekend 😁🤞🤞 I'm going to enjoy your vids😊

[@pacman_17]

I was wondering about the tradeoffs between these campfire builds. Very informative video.

[@TheBearEssentials]

Thanks so much, I always wanted to do a legit experiment myself.

[@andydawson5587]

What an outstanding tutorial: a meticulously scientific approach, allowing us to note with confidence the conclusions reached and put them to work in the field. Subbed straight away... keep 'em coming, comrade.

[@conitorres9774]

First time seeing your videos, glad they’re on my recommendation. I’m at zero level as I’ve never been camping, didn’t go to Girl Scouts either. But I love nature and learning about how to go on in it. 👍

[@mick3780]

The analysis is very good for showing data for every fire set. Good work 👏👏👍

[@uuuultra]

Thanks for making this video! The quality is on a whole nother level

[@stacysmeader6228]

You are Good! Clear , precise, no blabbing on. 👍

[@chrisnewtownnsw]

perfect video. You have a natural cheeky grin when you talk and it makes me laugh for no reason as I watch. I have learned so much from your channel it blows my mind.

[@sundaymorninghikes6275]

Just found your channel! GREAT content! The science teacher in me loves your scientific approach to comparing the three different types, and the camper in me loves the "best use" classifications! I'm an "old Faithful/Log cabin" fan. I honestly haven't tried the other two, but I stick with what works for me. I'll try them next time I'm out.

[@weston.weston]

I enjoyed this gentleman's presentation. I am going to subscribe, there's a lot I can learn.

[@jonathanhpowell]

Great video! First time I see your stuff

[@charitybull]

This was truly an amazing and informative video. Thanks for your super useful content!

[@GraVe235]

celsius best temperature ♥

[@TheBearEssentials]

I secretly agree too 😬

[@jesusdiaz7895]

Really interesting and awesome video!!! Thanks!!!😉 Salute from Spain!!

[@JSV739]

Thanks for incredible content

[@aileenpaz310]

Your rational, explanations, just bar none!! Ive tried, used all theee!!! Must say, you gave the science to why I have my preferences... thank you!!! Now I can better plan which type I use for the desired outcome!!!

[@peterdonnelly6804]

What a fantastic subject. ❤

[@bignate18]

I was taught to build a little log cabin on the top of my reverse fire. Helps get it going good before the tinder burns out.

[@CampfireExperience]

Great tutorial, thanks.

[@kandiblick3822]

Super enjoyed this video! Thank you

[@secretservice1816]

Great use of modern tech 👍🏼

[@irsyadnurfuad853]

thank u for your videos, i love it.

[@NicholasGarciia]

Love this video already 👍 I’m gon do that

[@starksvensk]

My father taught me to use the Log Cabin and the Reverse Fire fires since I was maybe nine or ten. It's how I've always done it, actually exactly like I did it tonight. I usually use corks wrapped in newspaper as my little firestarter, it slow burns very nicely and helps the kindling catch. Great video!

[@Jameskeith1972]

Great video!❤

[@kenwgoins]

Great video!!!

[@jubas-kx4hz]

Wooow, brilliant! 🔥🔥🔥

[@maryamalkhairy2547]

Thank you, DJ! True, we need to relearn these essentials. Thinking if someone goes swimming and then needs to dry off, can't say which fire lay to choose from. The reverse fire may burn hotter but it takes longer to reach that point. May not be suitable also if weather conditions are harsh. Teepee and cabin seem more appropriate for the job. Feel free to give your thoughts. Keep up the great work and here's to 2023 vids! 👍

[@TheBearEssentials]

I think you’re absolutely right . The reverse would take too long to get going!

[@danielalcivar6395]

Thanks man!

[@EatPsychedelics]

Man I start a teepee fire to get it going, and once it's going well I knock my logs over, and rearrange them into a larger bed. Seems a lot easier, and faster than the reverse fire. Gets going hot quick, and once you have those coals you can arrange them how you want, and just start building from there. There's no obligation to keep the shape that you used to start the fire. Idk seems a bit unnecessary for me. I appreciate your content greatly though 😎✊🏼

[@TheBearEssentials]

Oh for sure!!! No obligation at all to keep one distinct fire type - this is all just information anyone can adapt to their own style :)

[@thomashosch930]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I am a visual learner so this works perfectly for me.

[@TheBearEssentials]

Thx Thomas, I am too, I’m glad there’s a few of us!

[@basfromamsterdam]

thank you!!!

[@OhCanada-wk3kl]

Great and useful bushcraft insights! Very useful for anyone who spends any extent of time out in the bush; however, unfortunately not really practical right now with all of the forest fires and campfire bans.

[@johnevans4867]

Thanks!

[@bluwtrgypsy]

Such a great video, once again. No wonder my fires go out!! So helpful. Thank you and blessings

[@TheBearEssentials]

Thanks so much!! Glad it provided some insight

[@reginalynn9856]

Thanks DJ, great video ! ❤

[@TheBearEssentials]

You’re welcome, thanks so much for watching!!

[@SusieLovesJesus]

😊 Thanks 👍🏻 And I love the 10 knots video 😁

[@TheBearEssentials]

Amazing, thanks for watching both Susan! If you have any more ideas you'd like to see, I'm planning my 2023 Vid schedule now :)

[@dc-k4868]

Really interesting and informative. Will definitely give the reverse form a go.

[@TheBearEssentials]

Awesome thanks for watching David. It's worth a try and I love using it especially when solo and theres a lot of work at camp to be done.

[@SusieLovesJesus]

Agreed 💯

[@2muchtalk173]

New to the channel … lovin it do far. Keep up the great work!

[@TheBearEssentials]

Hey thanks so much, the channel itself is pretty new, I’ll keep making more like this. Thx for commenting!

[@games68775]

Great vid

[@brennbeez]

Impressive video. Very informative.

[@TheBearEssentials]

Glad you liked it!

[@dmenis5354]

Damn it, yt algorithm. I don't regret clicking this, wow this is genius.

[@marko7969]

Wow, great, informative video man 😎 Keep it up

[@TheBearEssentials]

Thanks Marko!

[@NothingToNoOneInParticular]

I'd love more info on the self feeding fire. Great vid, my favorite is the reverse fire as well.

[@WyvernDoodles303]

I just realized that they missed their chance to name their channel “the bear necessities” THE SIMPLE BEAR NECESSITIES FORGEZt ABOUT YOUR WORRIES AND YOUR STRESS sorry but this was a really good and helpful video

[@aryankaran1]

I personally liked rever fire pretty much , because of its construction, pretty cute ..

[@TheBearEssentials]

Ya ! Me too

[@palmvictory]

Wow, I just happened onto this video. I recently moved from TX to CO. Some RVing and real camping in TX, but it’s the real thing here. Thanks for this primer on fires, my my first on camping know how.

[@theirishwaterboy]

As a scientist I love your video

[@estebanramirezrodriguez6771]

Gracias por la información

[@lynwoods6503]

Only found your channel yesterday. I was in a house fire as a small child and the pyrophobia that I developed was, well, pretty inconveniencing and embarrassing. I dealt with it as an adult by learning all about the science of fire (mainly as it related to buildings) and mass panic behaviour in emergencies. But, as a professional gardener and woodland worker, I decided to be the best fire setter I could be. It was also because I was really disgusted by colleagues who would throw diesel (kerosene?) fuel around to get a big brash fire going. My (usually intelligent) boss once demonstrated the effects of a high energy accelerant, by throwing petrol (gasoline) onto a lacklustre fire. He will not be doing that again. He wasn’t hurt, but the verbal burn I gave him was something I was something to behold, apparently. I have a flint & steel, a baggie of sheep’s wool (I also make felt) and cotton wool balls. I always save bits and pieces of wood waste for tinder (elderly, knackered laundry baskets are great for this!). I have a Kelly Kettle so can start a fire in a monsoon if necessary (although I’m a Brit, so we don’t have them). Boiled water in minutes plus all the embers you need for a proper fire. And I taught myself to make charcoal. I still won’t tolerate candles indoors. They killed my friend’s ex-partner and their child when one ignited the tv.

[@jparker4293]

My favorite fire lay is a combo between your examples of log cabin and reverse. what I do is build 3 layers of a log cabin then 1 layer like the reverse, thin I build 3 more layers of hollow log cabin then fill in the top, like the reverse then light it from the top and middle. It truly is a hybrid of the log cabin and reverse.

[@TimberrlandOutdoors]

Good work with this video , very informative , gives me Great ideas for my new video ,thank you my friend 🌲🌲👍

[@michaelhudecek2778]

Awesome thank you!!! Mike New York. 😊😊😊😊😊

[@TheBearEssentials]

Thank you too for watching Mike!

[@K94Life]

Legend.

[@keenowl1410]

Awesome information

[@TheBearEssentials]

Thx a bunch!

[@eendraa]

Man DJ, you’re a bushcrafting scientist!! Do you think we can combine a log cabin fire on top of a reverse fire set up? Log cabin protects the tinder and reverse fire to reduce maintenance.

[@TheBearEssentials]

Hahaha I can’t possibly claim that title.. but I definitely do a lot of experiments! (Only the fun ones) 🤣

[@Jh0ac]

So while learning how to build fires, I inadvertently built the reverse fire. I had no clue what I was doing and I just figured once I get the tinder bundle lit, it will drop the coals downwards and light the wood fuel on fire eventually. Been doing it ever since.

[@gscop1683]

For social firepits...roasting hotdogs, marshmallows et, I have always used the T-Pee....though with much larger starting wood. Clearly with smaller T-pee wood there is more maintenance. the cabin style to me is more useful for the late fire you want to retain coals. Many thanks !

[@utubeape]

Brilliant test. I suppose you could use the teepee style if it is raining so that the wood protects the inside while it gets established, and you could also build it on a bed of wood to make sure. It would be interesting to know which fire made the rocks hottest lasting longest. Maybe it would help to have a few feather stich shavings on all the logs of the upside down fire , so they have their own kindling

[@TheBearEssentials]

That’s genius!!

[@theodorefloch2283]

I wanted to ask you what your jacket was it is so nice ! Incredible video by the way thank you so much !!

[@TheBearEssentials]

Hey! The Jacket is made by Fjallraven, if you want, heres my affiliate link to the jacket on campsaver: bit.ly/421nhX3

[@AllWeatherFirestarters]

Great Video and Channel! Any chance on maybe doing a product review of our Firestarter?

[@dobrofool]

What a great video! Excellent presentation, thorough, straight to the point. Been learning/ practicing bushcraft / wild camping in my backyard for almost a year now. I have tarp tent skills down, forging wood, batoning, fire starting, sleep system dialing in.. navigation is next on my list. I have learned that if i I need quick heat to warm up and cook, TeePee is the go to. Then I’ll scrape the coals forward and build a top down for the next round. Relocate some of those coals to help start it, keep cooking on the rest. I keep all sorts of backup starters in my pack: a few short lengths of fat wood; cotton balls in Vaseline; lots of thin twine rope; some duct tape; two bic lighters, matches, and even an old fashion zippo. If push comes to shove.. a touch of alcohol from my stove bottle does the job for an unsuccessful rainy day! 😂 Not very bushcrafty.. but hey, it’s not called survival for nothing 😉 After all that.. my goal is to always try foraging first. Thanks for the vid. I just subscribed! Looking forward to checking out your content!

[@TheBearEssentials]

Wow thanks for sharing all this, great idea with the Teepee first then following it up! No judgement on your bushcraft and survival prep, everyone has their own preferences and I love the knowledge share. That’s the best part!!

[@RedVRCC]

Me and a friend were going to a festival and didnt wanna drive all the way back. After failing to find a cheap hotel that had vacancy, we went to a campground. But one issue. We didnt pack SHIT for camping. No tents, no fire starters, no food. Just our cars. We backed them up next to the fire pit, both SUVs and popped the trunks. Turns out we only had a tiny lighter for lighting our joints (we're stoners lol). We got resourceful and successfully and proudly got a fire going using only newspapers I found in my back seat. We did the teepee method and kept it going all night just chilling in our trunks roasting hot dogs we got at a convenience store nearby.

[@glenngardin3561]

Nice video! We start with a teepee, then when it is going good, transition to a log cabin style. We do this for exactly the reasons you stated: Teepee's start easiest, and log cabins require the least maintenance.

[@jackvoss5841]

I really appreciate your analytical approach here. The IR camera gave us info that we had not had before. Thank you. To be fair, one of the reasons that the inverse fire lasted longer is because it had about twice as much material to begin with. Then, the inverse layup extended its life. It would have been interesting to have seen an example #4, and have it be a Dakota hole layup. Maybe another time? A favorite quick-short lived fire of mine is built in a shallow depression. Using the back edge of a boot/shoe heel, spin around a time or three to dig out a bowl. Lay twigs in an inverse tepee. Shave off all bark and debris from the end 4”-5” of a couple twigs. Dip the clean ends into the gas tank of your motorcycle. (You DID bring one of those along, didn’t you?). Recap the tank! Lay those wet ends into the bottom point of the tepee and drop in a match. Add water to your camp pot and set it on the fire. If you want to have a prolonged cooking fire, first lay 3 stones about the size of a golf ball into the sides of the bowl depression as a pot support. Arrange them to do their job. Then lay and light the fire. VOILA! Courtesy of Half Vast Flying

[@TheBearEssentials]

The inverse fire had the exact same material as the others, I stacked them evenly and weighed them all too! Each received the same amount of tinder as well. A pack pouch worth. That dugout is a great idea, and yes I’ll likely compare some advanced and nuanced fire lays like the Dakota pit one day in the future too!!

[@blueeyeswhitedragon9839]

I always set my tinder bundle on top of a thin layer of firewood. Then l proceed as shown in the videos, usually building a combo teepee/log cabin type. I do this to prevent any moisture from the ground affecting the fire, especially during the beginning stages. Ground moisture can "steal" heat from the tinder/kindeling...giving off steam and hindering the fire start up . Sometimes l use a big piece of tree bark to build the fire on...use what you got.

[@glenbmulcahy]

Great video DJ. Love the almost forensic attention to detail mate. Interesting, informative and above all really useful 🤜🏻🤛🏻

[@TheBearEssentials]

Thanks Glen!! I always enjoy reading your comments, much appreciated and thanks for watching

[@psychedguitar2716]

I used log cabin fire the other day when cowboy camping. It kept the bugs away and when I build it right it lasts me quite a while before I need to maintain it.

[@KootenaiKing]

I've gone with the cabin-base fire because it's easier for me to get a big fire going. Next week, Im working as night security for some campers. I have to stay awake at night to keep any animals away, and my fire is my friend. I like to dig down and make the pit wide so I can get some big flames going. But after seeing the reverse fire, that seems to resemble the fires I make. I lay some tinder down, then a row, then more tinder and another row.

[@onehappynegro]

the last one is the most common in iron stoves. the middle is the one that was used from 1985 and the first one i have only seen in movies or tv series.

[@TheBearEssentials]

Nice!! Ah true I learned the middle one first, 2nd one second sand third one last!

[@onemancarnage]

Great video , I guess it depends on your purpose of the fire . If I'm just cooking , I usually dig a hole and 2 vent holes and build the fire in the ground . Not real good for heat though .

[@matsolemasuhr4713]

love your vids, looking forward to seeing more! i also really like the brown jacket you are wearing.. can someone please tell me the brand name?

[@TheBearEssentials]

Thanks so much! It’s an Anorak by Fjallraven, here’s a couple links for which I get a small commission if you’d want to help support the channel :) No worries if not tho! *FJALLRAVEN ANORAK* ➡ *Moosejaw* bit.ly/Fjallraven-Anorak-Moosejaw ➡ *Backcountry* bit.ly/Fjallraven-No-8-backcountry

[@TaterChip91]

Should do a smoke factor kinda thing. Like what type of fire produces the most/least amount of smoke

[@TheBearEssentials]

This is a great idea! I’d have to find some way to quantify or measure it is all.

[@nextlevelwarrior]

*Top Down Fire Hack* This works really well in a survival situation if most of the large fuel wood you have is completely wet/saturated. Start with largest soggy wood on the bottom layer, stacking each additional later with smaller wood. Once it catches over top with your dry starters the fire and embers dry out the layer beneathe and drop further embers down to the wettest biggest logs. Works like a charm!

[@WayneTheSeine]

Here is a fire making tip from an old man. A lot of people advocate digging a shallow fire pit.....I advocate building a fire mound, not a pit. Why, number one it provides better ventilation and more importantly, if it rains water does not flow into your fire and fire pit. I have left my campfires at night by burying a round under ash and coals and cover the throw down grill with my gridle. I have seen it rain all night and get up the next morning and still be able to bring it back to flame. Even if it goes out, at least my firelay is not flooded.

[@Crazytesseract]

Sir, they did not even bother to reply to your comment. I shall surely implement this technique next time. Thank you.

[@WayneTheSeine]

@@Crazytesseract Thank you sir.

[@andyhulme2274]

Make sure your rocks are dry wet or damp ones can explode if they get to hot too quick.

[@jacquelinejohnson7541]

I like the second and third fire it looks better for boiling water on or cooking 👍🤗🇬🇧

[@TheBearEssentials]

Ya those both produce some great coals!

[@jacquelinejohnson7541]

@@TheBearEssentials thank u for showing this one never knows when they are going to need this 👍🤗🙏💖🇬🇧

[@tobep7964]

thanks for the vid, i will deffinatly burn less socks this way lol

[@flyingnow4233]

Thank you so much for your easy-to-follow instructions. Even a novice like me can feel more confident and comfortable with being in the outdoors thanks to you.

[@TheBearEssentials]

This is exactly what I was aiming for, I’m so so happy it helped!

[@barbtudinoTravelAgent]

Love it! So cool with the heat reader showing the inner temps. Another great video!

[@TheBearEssentials]

Thanks so much!!!!

[@BiggMo]

Also… reverse fire is best when you have wet ground.Your tinder is up off the wet soil

[@TheBearEssentials]

Great addition!

[@jackvoss5841]

Have you ever boxed in the utility fire lay with 4 logs of, say, 3”-4” diameter along the outside edges? Gives a longer lasting fire that is contained embers. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying

[@maxgotts5895]

What's your take on a backlog-basically a lean-to with your largest log on one side and the tinder hidden under tinder making the "roof" of the structure?

[@ChrisFar]

Awesome video!!! the IR cam gives a nice insight into whats actually going on with the heat distribution of each fire, super cool to see. Personally Ill always love the classic tee pee fire the best just for that quintessential "camp fire" look, but the reverse fire is crazy efficient and its utility cant be understated. Also, nice to see the Pack Pouches aka Foraging pouch being used for their original purpose!!!!

[@TheBearEssentials]

Thanks man! Ya can’t beat the look for the teepee fire… it’s like the symbol of relaxation to me 😬

[@wolfenstein6676]

Great information as always, it's amazing the temperature differences created in each fire simply due to how they were built. Cheers for the video.

[@TheBearEssentials]

Thanks brother, ya I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I was doing the test. Was really surprised myself! Useful to know when to use each one now

[@harryturnbull963]

I'm a regular on KZbin, often early on trending clips, but don't follow bushcraft content much. I've just been recommended this video, so I'd expect your channel to take off pretty soon! Good luck with your work, looking pretty great so far :) Supportive feedback imo: Consider toning down overly intense facial expressions while talking directly to the camera, as it can seem inauthentic, unappealing to most adult viewers especially. US audience may be less sensitive to this. Vocal tonality and pretty much all other elements are fantastic though. Keep up the focused video design and IR camera use! Possible similar themes (if not covered already) are how to most effectively warm/heat your sleeping bag/tent/wet clothes. I'd definitely watch a video on optimal sleeping bag insulation for wild camping in different weather conditions for instance, which seems to fit into your skillset. Just my thoughts, small channels often do well with more feedback. Goodluck!

[@TheBearEssentials]

Amazing feedback!! Thanks so much!! This is super helpful Harry!

[@GrimmReaperRL]

@@TheBearEssentials I'm not sure how he got the idea about your facial expressions but after watching the whole video I never even thought that you were inauthentic about it. I was very happy to see you talk about all this as it felt, to me, that you genuinely care about what you said. Me personally, I would say keep talking how you talk because it kept me listening 👍🏼 really loved the video man, keep it up 👍🏼

[@TheBearEssentials]

@@GrimmReaperRL wow thanks a bunch for saying this. It’s easy to get self conscious from comments. Always looking to improve either way though. I’m really glad you enjoyed it. Your comment made my day 👊

[@GrimmReaperRL]

@@TheBearEssentials no problem! I've been diving deeper into hiking/camping and the like. So getting recommended this channel was a blessing! I really enjoyed this video and I loved how you presented everything! Everything you showed helped me understand the topic better than I ever did. I'll be checking out other videos too for sure! Have a good day/night BE!

[@TheBearEssentials]

@@GrimmReaperRL awesome, well thanks for sharing that. This is my exact aim with the channel! Talk soon, Your friend, DJ