Explaining a Process/Campfire

            Building a fire is, if not essential, an enjoyable part of any camping trip. It helps keep you warm in the winter and can be used for cooking any time of the year. Man has been using fire for hundreds of thousands of years and instinctively; it gives you a sense of security in the woods.
             Before anything else, you must select a spot to build your fire. Most campsites, if they have been used before will have a pre-existing fire ring. If there is one you should use it rather than building another. If there is not one, then your selection of a suitable place is an important decision. It should be away from bushes and low-hanging branches, on a level area. Create a bare ring around your chosen spot by clearing away leaves and sticks from the immediate vicinity of it. After this ring is formed you may want to collect rocks, approximately the size of a cantaloupe and form a circle within which to build your fire. If no rocks are available, a small mound of dirt will work nearly as well.
             The next step is to collect your supplies, which include a lighter or matches, a scrap of paper or card board and the most basic ingredient: wood. The most useful tinder, or material for your fire, is fallen trees. To build a successful fire, you need twigs to begin with, then some small sticks, and finally large logs. Fallen trees supply you with all of these. A lot of the wood you will find will be rotten or too big to move. The best tinder is dry but not rotten (and close to the campsite!). After you have collected an adequate amount, which depends on how cold it is and how long you plan to have a fire, you need to separate the wood into categories. Begin by breaking of all the tiny twigs and depositing them directly into the ring. These pieces should be no thicker than a match. You know you have enough twigs to start with, when you have created a small "nest" about six inches tall and maybe another six inches in diameter.