Find your forecast

Geolocation available! You have been denied the request to get your location. Location information is unavailable. The request to get user location timed out. An unknown error occurred requesting location.

If your browser supports geolocation press the submit link. Otherwise, please enter your city, province or postcode followed by a comma then your country code (no spaces) eg. Ottawa,CA. Press submit to get your weather forecast.



Cancel    Submit
Facebook
Twitter
PInterest
Contact Us
YouTube
Building a campfire

Top tips when you're out and about

Building a campfire

Cooking over a campfire can be a really fun experience that feeds into our primal caveman nature. Make sure you enjoy a successful outdoor experience by following a few simple rules when it comes to building and lighting your campfire.

 

Prepare your site

  • Pick a location for your fire that is at least 5 metres away from bushes, flammable materials, or overhanging branches.
  • Make sure your fire is built downwind from your tent.
  • Use large rocks to make a round or U-shaped perimeter.
  • If it is windy, make sure that the back of the firepit faces the wind so the wind carries any smoke to the back of the fire.
  • Make a chimney out of a large rock or several smaller rocks at the back of the firepit to help direct smoke up and away.

Lay kindling

  • Fill your chosen fire area with paper or tinder and a couple of Zip fire starter cubes.
  • Lay kindling over the paper, alternating the orientation of the wood for each layer to create a lattice pattern. Some campers prefer to make a tepee shape.
  • Remember to light the fire starters with long safety matches, and keep a bucket of water or sand/dirt nearby to smother any unwanted flames.

Once lit

  • Once the kindling is fully lit, add firewood. Try to find wood that is similar in size.
  • Use hardwood when available, as it burns more slowly and reduces spitting.
  • When the flames have begun to die down, use a large strong stick to push the cinders into a high concentration at the back of the fire and a lower concentration at the front. This gives you the option of high, medium, or low cooking temperatures.
  • To begin cooking, set the grill on the rocks. Place your food directly on the grill or in a pan and cook your meal in a truly authentic style.
  • When you’re finished cooking, add wood for the evening campfire, sit back and enjoy relaxing in the great outdoors while keeping warm.
  • Extinguish the fire completely with water before turning in for the night.

 

If you have any of your own top tips for building a campfire then we would love to hear them! Please share to our Facebook page, tweet us or send us an email.

SIGN UP TO HEAR FROM ZIP

Keep up to date with the latest Zip news, offers and competitions!
Facebook
Twitter
PInterest
Contact Us
YouTube

Our site uses 5 cookies. A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we put on your computer if you agree. These cookies allow us to distinguish you from other users of our site, helping us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our site, and they allow us to improve our site. Read more about the individual cookies we use by clicking here here.

I agree