02/24/2018 / By Zoey Sky
Aside from being an enjoyable outdoor activity, camping is also one way to practice your survival skills for when SHTF. And if you want to build a clean-burning campfire, you can try the Dakota fire hole technique. (h/t to WildernessCollege.com)
The Dakota fire hole is an old technique used to build “efficient, clean-burning, and easily concealable fires.” While no one can say for sure who came up with the method, the basic concept for the Dakota fire hole is the same in different locations all over the world.
The Dakota fire hole requires a 12 to 16-inch deep hole, and it must be wide enough to contain a small fire tipi. You must then dig a sloping tunnel that connects the base of the pit to the surface.
Once you build a fire in the hole you dug, this will heat the air around it. The hot air rises from the hole, and this creates a weak vacuum that draws more cool air through the sloping tunnel. This feedback loop will help build “an extremely hot fire in a short amount of time.” (Related: Camping: A great way to practice how to live after SHTF.)
Here are several reasons why you should build a Dakota fire hole:
But despite these advantages, one downside of the Dakota fire hole is the amount of energy it will require. When you’re in a time sensitive survival scenario, you might not have enough time to dig the required holes for a Dakota fire hole. But don’t dismiss this technique because it might prove useful for long-term survival or a primitive camping situation.
To make things easier for yourself, choose a site that doesn’t have too many rocks or roots. This will ensure that you don’t need to spend too much time and effort digging.
Avoid areas with a water table that is too close to the surface. The best area to dig would have dry and compact soil. If the soil is too loose, the hole won’t have structural integrity. If it’s too compact, you’ll have a hard time digging the hole.
Another advantage of a Dakota fire hole is that it requires less wood to burn than a regular fire. This might just save your life, especially if you’re in an area where there’s not much firewood. This also minimizes the damage that you will inflict on the landscape.
Once you’re done with the fire, you can easily hide your presence by covering it with the soil you dug from the hole. Don’t forget to fully extinguish the fire before you leave the area.
Learn how to build a Dakota fire pit so you have one surefire way of building a clean-burning fire, which is an excellent technique to add to your arsenal of survival skills.
Before you leave a Dakota fire pit, follow the guide below to safely put out the fire:
You can read more articles about other techniques to build and conceal fires at Preparedness.news.
Sources include:
Tagged Under: campfires, camping, clean burning fires, Dakota fire hole, fire pit, outdoors, preparedness, prepper, prepping, survival, survival skills, wilderness