The shape of fire

[kyratshooter]

Ever wonder why we build fires as we do?

Ever wonder why pyramids have been built as holy shrines all over the world? (they are great big bonfire shapes for the masses to gather round)

It is really about how the human body perceives and uses fire to the greatest efficiency.

After two or three million years someone finally did a study, complete with flow charts and physics.

http://www.nature.com/srep/2015/1506...P-639-20150609

[hunter63]

Man,.... That really kinda take the fun out of it....You know?
LOL.....Make sense though.

[Lamewolf]

I just build them to stay warm or cook with.............

[TXyakr]

There are probably 1000s of ways to build a campfire, my Canadian relatives like upside down fires (tinder on top that falls down thru), some like two logs side by side with a bit of tinder between, some like Dakota fire holes, coffee can wood gas stove (hobo), few thousand others or few million I have no idea???

I like the old adage said in many different ways something like: "Native man builds small fire and stays warm, white man builds large fire and stays warm collecting firewood then sits far away and sweats until it freezes on him and he is found frozen to death in the morning by a native man passing thru who takes his horse which would have starved to death tied up and is accused of murder and horse theft...."

Those equations were interesting but rather simplistic, there is the moisture content of the biomass (fuel), elevation (oxygen level), humidity, thickness of the fuel, use of heat reflecting back stops and wind control mentioned some but very critical especially with 100s of wood stoves of improvised setups like Dakota fire holes complete or partial holes, above ground mounds i.e. if it has been raining and soil is flooded and super humid or lots of standing water. Can build fire on raft with tin roof material. Just so many variables. I have done many things with cooking/warmth fires but seen others do even more amazing things than I ever thought possible. Human's can be very inventive when necessary. I have seen fishermen on small sailing raft like boats cook and eat fish on tiny fires out at sea when gone for a long day or 3 days or so, no stove just a fire on bit of tin/metal roofing using coconut husks as fuel, wet wood below so raft does not burn up. NE Brazil.

[hunter63]

You want to freak out the southern boys........Big ya a big bon fire on ....The Ice......Bhohahaha
They will swear that it will burn thru.

[kyratshooter]

U mean it won't ?

[TXyakr]

I thought "fire on ice" was the name of a hockey team

http://tumblehomelearning.com/fire-o...k-the-ice-man/

Many links to upside down fires as well, basically just a quick way to build a bed of coals for cooking while you are busy setting up your shelter and getting the food prepared in pots, filtering water, collecting/splitting more fire wood etc. Here is one link from the land down under they do everything upside down there I was told...

http://www.milkwood.net/2013/01/07/m...ide-down-fire/

[hunter63]

U mean it won't ?

Nope...... if the ice in thick enough......LOL.

[MrFixIt]

You want to freak out the southern boys........Big ya a big bon fire on ....The Ice......Bhohahaha
They will swear that it will burn thru.

U mean it won't ?

Nope...... if the ice in thick enough......LOL.

But how do you know the ice is thick enough?
If it ever got cold enough to freeze a lake down here (and it did when I was a kid, we played our version of hockey with brooms and a crushed can), you bet your bottom dollar I ain't going out in it!

#TXyakr - I've built quite a few upside down fires. They work very well if the wind isn't blowing. If it is, just build a wind break. Like you said, great for cooking!

[TXyakr]

I watched a few videos by WS member "phreshayr" and two of many that were very good were basically about a Scandinavian shape than I have never tried. Shape is designed to throw heat to the side not mostly up and last for many hours, but without use of punky wood or stone. Here is the first of 2, the longer more detailed video:

[hunter63]

But how do you know the ice is thick enough?...................

If your fat friend ( What, not PC.?...OK full figured?,....too short?...very healthy...ah...never mind) falls in....not thick enough.

[Rick]

I am aghast each and every time I see someone pull a $50,000 Suburban and a $40,000 trailer on the ice. I figure somewhere an insurance guy is having a stroke.

[hunter63]

What gets me is the fact that we plot, plan, collect materials, tinder, fuel,...learn new methods, and still find it hard to get one started ...properly.
But a careless cigarette, or burning TP, seems to take off...... and burns down a big part of our west coast every year>

Go figure.

[Rick]

Ain't it the truth. Ain't it the sorry truth.

[hunter63]

Gonna make a you-tube vid.....Sitting in the truck...flip a burning cigarette butt out the window...in the direction of camp....There... fire lit.
Time 24 seconds.....

[Erratus Animus]

Txyakr I have seen the same video for awhile now and have yet to try it but that is on the to do list. just as soon as its not 105* in the day and 80* at night lol!

[TXyakr]

"Erratus_Animus" for summer we need a fire in a ditch with rocks or punky wood between us and fire reflecting heat away and toward food. I.e opposite.

As a kid in North Brazil my parents and a dozen or so other neighbors built a beach house on a vacation island. It was the only one with an indoor fireplace and chimney in the entire region I believe for good reason. My Dad would line up a bunch of fans then burn some wood in it to cook fresh fish or beef. Looked ridiculous but was tolerably not too hot. :-)

[TXyakr]

I am aghast each and every time I see someone pull a $50,000 Suburban and a $40,000 trailer on the ice. I figure somewhere an insurance guy is having a stroke.

Depends on how far north and what time of year. You may have seen that Ice Road Trucker's T.V. show. But if James Hansen is correct and IPCC has been under estimating arctic warming you will not get me on a fully loaded tractor trailer rig miles from land on ice regardless of how thick it "normally" is.

[Erratus Animus]

I had proposed to building to wheelen styled lean-toos with the long log fire above between the two to see how well it worked.

Where in Tx are you Txyakr?

[TXyakr]

I live north of DFW. Years ago went to West Monroe, LA at least once a year. Wife lived in Algiers across river from N.O. for several years. I like the area in S. Louisiana but most people are in a hurry to get out of there after a few days of sport fishing. Not good at adapting.

Once while camping on banks of Sabine in East Texas I found some discarded metal roofing and used it to reflect the fire's heat then put it back up above the flood line where I found it the next morning. Scavaging and improvising is part of survival and just smart camping and being comfortable hot or cold, wet or dry.

I saw 2 cool Stainless Steel Hibachi BBQ grills at an Asian supermarket today. ($31 & 45 models @ 99 Ranch Market) These are better than round SS dog bowls because logs are that shape and teepees never stay standing up. Less log cutting and breaking etc the better. Could also use SS BBQ to reflect heat from ground fire. Tried to crop photo but upgraded phone app is messed up. Can Google and find some. Asian stores In town and online have great food and gear for camping survival but you need to think outside the box.

hibachi.jpg

No top for this one, see others at alibaba.com at least with two nested XXL SS dog bowls you can use one on top and drill holes for better burn (oxygen).