Are you a Teepee builder? A log cabin builder? A random assorter? There are dozens of ways to start a fire and everybody believes fully in their method. But have you ever had a dud start? One that smokes and smolders and is then lackluster. Maybe after the tinder has burned all that you are left with is a few chared pieces. We have all been there and the feeling is the same. Defeat, embarrassment, baffled. Why!? "This has never happened to me..." Well a few seasons ago we developed a stacking technique that has yet to fail us!
Behild the Herringbone!
There is optimal air flow, good spacing for evenly distributed heat and a cradle that allows your first piece of wood to be fully engulfed in flames as the tinder fires off.
Here is the process:
Start by laying 2 parallel pieces on the bed of your stove.
Crumple up your newspaper and place it between the two pieces of wood. Then take your tinder (many people mistakenly refer to it as kindling) and crisscross it from left to right. Stick one end underneath the quarter that is laying down and then rest it ontop of the parallel piece. If you do this with each piece of tinder it will raise the quarter piece off of the bed to allow better air flow.
Once all of the "herringbones" have been placed, lay another quarter in the cradle.
And then fire it off! Once you master this technique you will never go back.
Learn more about me by reading my Introduction Post
