Camping in the rain can be tough if you are not prepared. Let’s say that you managed to start a fire but you don’t know how to keep a fire burning in the rain.
There are some techniques to consider so check my tips and sustain the campfire to keep you warm.
Ways to keep a fire burning
A campfire is one of the essential elements that you will need when camping but it could be difficult to maintain it when it starts to rain. The rainwater will soak the firewood which won’t burn as you expect.
A fire will keep you warm, you will be able to cook food and have light so use my guidance.
Tip 1: Prevent the fire from going out
The first thing that you need to do is to keep the fire burning as it is difficult to start a fire later on the wet ground and with wet firewood. Isolate a fire in a pit that is made of stones and small rocks.
The fire shield will minimize the exposure of your fire to the rain and it will prevent it from going off. It should be about six inches high to provide the best fire protection.
Tip 2: Burn as much fuel as you can
Burn as much fuel as possible when the fire is still going, to generate more heat.
When the fire is strong it will be able to burn wet wood as the hot flames will evaporate the moisture of the wood and allow it to give you the heat you need.
Tip 3: Create a roof over the fire
Create a roof over a campfire so rain won’t extinguish it. Build it high enough so flames won’t reach it.
Collect tree branches and sticks and erect them at a considerable height over your fire to shield it. They will dry over time so you can use them as fire fuel.
Add wide strips of tree barks over the fireplace roof to seal the spaces between the tree branches. Add grass and leaves on top of the tree barks to seal the area effectively.
You may be tempted to place your sleeping bag over the fireplace roof to prevent rainwater from getting to the fire but this is not a wise move as the sleeping bag may catch fire and leave you with nothing to sleep in.
You could also cause a huge fire that could harm you and those you are sharing the campsite with.
Another reason why you should use grass and leaves to seal your fireplace roof is that when these two get dry, you can use them as tinder to start your fire later.
Things to consider
When trying to keep your fire from going out in the rain, your main objective should be to keep the embers going and not the flames.
In fact, you don’t need flames. You just need the embers that you will use to create a major fire when it stops raining.
Keep the opening between the flames and the roof as small as possible. This way you will reduce the amount of rainwater getting to the fire.
Conclusion
Setting up a fire is one of the crucial things when being outdoors. It is quite easy to set up a fire and maintain it when the wood is dry.
Meanwhile, how about when the wood is wet due to rain? How to keep a fire burning in the rain? Use my tips to maintain it in the rain or after it rained.
