Forum Discussion

Army11Bravo's avatar
Army11Bravo
Explorer II
Feb 22, 2017

Campfires for Dummies

At the sake of opening a can of worms, I thought I would share a PhotoShop image I created last year. The running joke in our circle of camping friends is my buddy Duane who fancies himself a master campfire builder. No matter how big the fire gets, I poke and prod him that the fire isn't sufficiently big enough until it's "eye-level."

Again, this is all fun, and we have very safe fires. Please don't preach from your moral high ground.

Here is the image I created just for my buddy...


47 Replies

  • kep5niner wrote:
    Everything I needed to know about fire building I learned in SERE school. Knee-high fire, thumb-size fuel, 10 minutes or less... I can still hear that going through my head, and that was almost 1.5 decades ago. Thought you'd appreciate that 11B.;)


    No doubt! I still miss heat tabs. However, I was Light Infantry. We never made fires or "pitched a tent" using our shelter halves. Light Infantry meant we had no vehicles...we carried everything we needed on our backs. The sleeping bag I was issued was turned back in after 4 years, never taken to the field. I used my protective mask as a pillow and a poncho/poncho liner as a blanket.

    My infantry experience is the reason I told my wife when we first married that I would never camp again. I did relent and we did camp in tents for a few years, but the RV lifestyle is far better.

    Light Infantry is anything but light!

  • Everything I needed to know about fire building I learned in SERE school. Knee-high fire, thumb-size fuel, 10 minutes or less... I can still hear that going through my head, and that was almost 1.5 decades ago. Thought you'd appreciate that 11B.;)
  • Johno02 wrote:
    I need a copy for some of my friends!! I learned mine in the Boy Scouts. Just find an old copy of the Scout Handbook. I won't say anything about how the new scouts start a fire.


    Do they still let them have fires? I figured that by now, they'd issue each an LED candle.
  • Hilarious! Got to pass that around. Thanks much for the chuckles.
  • Uhhhhhhhhh..could I buy a copy for the man?
    He'll thank you I'm sure:B.
  • I need a copy for some of my friends!! I learned mine in the Boy Scouts. Just find an old copy of the Scout Handbook. I won't say anything about how the new scouts start a fire.

About RV Tips & Tricks

Looking for advice before your next adventure? Look no further.25,141 PostsLatest Activity: Jun 14, 2025