Fire above or below

**WildGoth** · 11-27-2007, 06:31 PM

hey guys i have heard of digging a hole then making your fire and stick it in the hole and that it is better then a above ground fire because it holds the heat and keeps away the wind and also that it is better to cook on anyone know if this is true or not

**trax** · 11-27-2007, 06:39 PM

the way you describe it, it makes sense, but I think it'd be a pain in the patooty to be bending down into this hole to add firewood or tend to your cooking

**owl_girl** · 11-27-2007, 06:45 PM

I’ve don it. The hole was only about a foot deep but it did seem to work better.

**trax** · 11-27-2007, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by owl_girl

I’ve don it. The hole was only about a foot deep but it did seem to work better.

Wacky short people! j/k, there you go WG, ask owl_girl...she'll straighten you out about it. I know I've cooked stuff by burying it in the fire, but it seems uncomfortable to me to have the fire down low like that, but thanks owl_girl.

**MCBushbaby** · 11-27-2007, 07:42 PM

You have to make two holes, connected at the base by a tunnel. Otherwise your pit fire will smolder and smoke from lack of oxygen. You feed fuel into the second tunnel so you don't have to move your pot from the top of the other hole.

**Chris** · 11-27-2007, 07:53 PM

You may also be thinking of a steaming or baking pit for cooking food, which also involves a fire and a hole.

**owl_girl** · 11-27-2007, 07:58 PM

It worked fine with one hole when I did it though it wasn’t a very deep hole. You probably would need 2 if you have a deep hole. But if it’s a foot deep it should be fine.

**Rick** · 11-27-2007, 08:21 PM

It's a Dakota fire pit. I think that's what you are describing. I've heard other names but the gist is you dig two holes and connect them in the bottom. The fire draws air from the other hole. The advantage is it doesn't through out much light so it's a handy way to build a fire in an evasive situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYN6C...eature=related

Here's a step by step. Just scroll down to Dakota Fire Pit. It's an animation.

http://www.m4040.com/Survival/Skills/Fire/Fire.htm

**Sarge47** · 11-27-2007, 11:36 PM

Owl Girl is correct, the hole is shallow. I've used that method to help control the fire. You build your fire in the hole. It's not that hard. If you read "The Frontersmen" you'll read where Simon Kenton learned to make a pit fire, then sit right next to it with a wool "blanky" wrapped around himself "TeePee" style to keep in the warmth. he did this to stay warm while staying hidden from indians at the same time. This kept the glow as well as the fire/smoke hidden under the blanket.

**U.S.Marine2111** · 11-28-2007, 01:29 AM

I saw this setup in my SAS survival manual, seems like it is mostly used for cooking, and two holes are required as previously stated.

**WildGoth** · 11-28-2007, 02:06 AM

thanks everyone and thanks to rick for the link very useful

**Nativedude** · 11-30-2007, 10:08 PM

In very windy and very cold conditions a pit-fire or a trench fire is the way to go! When it is really windy, fire wood will burn at a much faster rate and the wind takes the radiant heat away much faster. A pit-fire will hold the heat and warm the ground around it, which in turn, produces residual heat for you to make use of (to keep warm) throughout the day and night. And your wood will last much longer!

I have made pit (also known as a head hole) and trench fires to cook over and then cover over to make a fire bed to sleep over very comfortably!

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