I grew up on a farm in Minnesota, and I recall as a child that every year in the spring we would clean up all the dead branches, scrap wood and anything else that would burn and create a large pile in an big open area between the buildings. Around Memorial Day, we would have our first picnic with a large bonfire and roast hot dogs and marshmallows. The fire would have a handful of hours to burn down in order that we're able to get close enough to cook the hot dogs without roasting ourselves. We also did plenty of camping as a family and always liked to possess a big bonfire. Through the years growing up and later, it always seemed that the larger the fire the better. Once, a long time later, camping with friends near Los Angeles, one of them told me about making an Indian fire, which was only as large as necessary to cook your food. I now reside in Peru and in the mountain villages here the locals use a similar kind of fire for cooking. I don't usually use an open fire when I'm hiking or camping, especially after hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Then Additional hints didn't have enough time to sit around a campfire, and in lots of areas through the dry summer, open fires weren't allowed. Most of us used homemade alcohol stoves which are lightweight, cleaner and quicker. I have used one for almost a decade, from sea level up to 18,000', constantly of the year. Nonetheless it is hard to obtain good methanol here in the village where I live, I as a rule have to buy it in the city of Arequipa, which is about nine hours away. I do have a small homemade wood burning stove, similar to a Sierra Zip Stove, which I use sometimes, nonetheless it takes four AA batteries to perform the fan. On my last two backpacking trips, I was out of alcohol and didn't have any batteries charged, so made a decision to just work with a wood fire. Previously, if I did make a fire, I put the sticks in a teepee shape, which I guess I must have learned in Cub Scouts. That is fine for roasting hot dogs and marshmallows but it doesn't work good if you want to cook with a pan, so I decided to use the Peruvian stick fire. You can find two main advantages with this type of fire, first it takes less wood, and second, you don't have to cut the wood to short lengths. This is actually the way that I've found works best. Use three stones, it's best if two of them are rectangular shaped, and are about five inches high and eight or more inches long. Lay these hand and hand, with the straightest sides facing each other, and close enough together to support your cooking pot. If the stones aren't high enough, seek out the dirt between them so that it creates more depth for the fire. Place the 3rd stone at one end of the two parallel stones to create a partial windbreak, but leave about an inch of space between your stones to allow some airflow. Another end is left available to feed the fire, as well as to permit the wood or branches to stand out. You don't have to cut or break them to short lengths, they could be four or five feet long, although the longer they're the more awkward it is to adjust them. I take advantage of a light 1 1/2 quart pan, and usually just heat water or make simple meals like mac and cheese or soups. Because of this, small sticks of 1 to two inches in diameter are fine. For anyone who is cooking for more people or using a larger pot, you should use a tiny bit larger sticks. To start the fire, place two of the sticks hand and hand, with a little space between them, and the 3rd stick along with the two, with kindling under and around them as needed to get them burning. It is advisable to place the very best stick at a bit of an angle to allow better airflow under it. You can even start the fire with just kindling wood and put the three sticks in the fire to get them burning. Once the three sticks are burning, just keep pushing them in to the fire as had a need to keep them burning. A little fire like this takes a little more tending when compared to a larger fire, but it is easy to keep it burning if you watch it. If the flame does venture out, a little more kindling and a few puffs will usually get it going again. I've seen many housewives here use a tube or small pipe to blow on the fire, but this isn't something most people would take backpacking. There are a number of advantages to a small fire such as this. First it runs on the lot less wood, conserving resources. It also means you don't have to spend just as much time gathering wood, especially if it is an issue. Another advantage is that the fire may be used for cooking right away, it doesn't have to burn down to be able to get close to it such as a large fire. Here there's usually sufficient wood across the rivers, except near the villages, but very few trees up on the mountains, unless there's irrigation. On the arid mountains and high plains, the fan stove increases results, as it will burn small sticks and twigs from the tiny bushes that grow there. Please follow all local and state fire regulations whenever using an open fire, especially in wilderness areas. Also take care not to bump the ends of the sticks which are protruding of the fire, this is a great way to knock over whatever you are cooking!
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