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The Top-Down Fire

Image from "fourhourworkweek.com" - link below
Thought I'd do a little post on this method of lighting a fire since I have been using it successfully for a couple of weeks. My folks saw this talked about on Breakfast and decided to try it. Basically, you build the fire from the bottom up (or "top down"), which means putting all the heavy wood on the bottom, going smaller as you go higher and ending with the kindling on top. I know, I know, it doesn't sound like it would work, but it does!

In fact, after you light it, you can basically leave it for 3 - 5 hours without putting any wood on it at all. I light mine about 6pm and it can last until 10pm or later with no tending (although I may give it a poke at the later stages). I can usually have both flu controls on the stove set to half. This method can take a little more to get going (throwing the paper on top) depending on your kindling, but is worth it I think.

Instructions HERE and a different site HERE (I used to use the parallel log method described in the second link for years which worked well with me - you can get a raging fire going in minutes, but the top down takes less tending).

Comments

  1. Another is the Swedish candle:

    http://www.bushcraftstuff.com/tutorials/the-swedish-candle/

    ReplyDelete
  2. What ever happened to a pint of diesel and a Bic lighter?

    ReplyDelete
  3. KG, that is a tactic our neighbour uses. Just the other day we heard this boom and it was the fire catching after he'd poured gas onto a pile of tree branches....lol

    Not very safe methinks.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oswald, very interesting as well.

    ReplyDelete
  5. "safe"? No, but enormous fun, Fletch. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Well blow me down, coming here hasn't been a waste of tme.Tried it tonight, only opened fire door 3 times so far - once to load and light, 2nd time to let in a bit more air when it didn't look like working and 3rd time after 2 hours to add wood. Less wood more heat. Only got a small firebox, so only room for one layer logs, one layer light blockd one layer kindling, but 2 of 3 logs on bottom were damp.

    Who'd have thunk it?

    Maybe all that burning of witches and heretics did have an evolutionary purpose after all. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well blow me down, coming here hasn't been a waste of tme.Tried it tonight, only opened fire door 3 times so far - once to load and light, 2nd time to let in a bit more air when it didn't look like working and 3rd time after 2 hours to add wood. Less wood more heat. Only got a small firebox, so only room for one layer logs, one layer light blockd one layer kindling, but 2 of 3 logs on bottom were damp.

    Who'd have thunk it?

    Maybe all that burning of witches and heretics did have an evolutionary purpose after all. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well blow me down, coming here hasn't been a waste of tme.Tried it tonight, only opened fire door 3 times so far - once to load and light, 2nd time to let in a bit more air when it didn't look like working and 3rd time after 2 hours to add wood. Less wood more heat. Only got a small firebox, so only room for one layer logs, one layer light blockd one layer kindling, but 2 of 3 logs on bottom were damp.

    Who'd have thunk it?

    Maybe all that burning of witches and heretics did have an evolutionary purpose after all. :-)

    ReplyDelete

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