How To Build A Campfire Safely

 Oh yeah!  What'so hard about building a campfire?  Just throw some wood in the fireplace, stove, or fire pit and light it!  Right?  WRONG!  There are better ways, ways that make it easier and safer to light your fire.  Doing it wrong can be frustrating and delay getting your fire going but, more importantly, it can be hazardous!  In more than 40 years of camping I have seen many different ways of building campfires, some rather clever and successful and some definite disasters!  I've seen more than one over-ambitious camper go home without any hair on his arms and missing his eyebrows after over-dousing a fire with gasoline.  A well built fire will be safe, comfortable, and enjoyable.  And it isn't that hard to do.

Most techniques for building fires can be used for campfires, fireplaces, and wood stoves.  Getting a fire going quickly and easily usually depends on proper preparation.  When building a campfire, always make sure your site is properly prepared.  Clear the area for at least 5 feet around the fire pit and at least 10 feet overhead.  When lighting fires in fireplaces and stoves check the dampers and flues and ensure there are no combustible materials on or near the device before igniting your fire.  Proper techniques for starting a fire include the preparation and use of tinder and kindling to get the fire going, the adding appropriately sized fuel as needed.

The first step for building a campfire is to prepare your fire pit.  One of the most common and iconic fire pits is the rock ring.  Another useful option for use in the wilderness is Dakota fire pit.  Always clear the ground around any fire pit for a radius of 5' to make sure your campfire stays where you want it.  When using fireplaces and stoves it is always best to start with a clean space.  Take care removing old ashes as they can sometimes contain hot spots!  Be sure they are cold before putting them into any trash bins.  As a firefighter I once responded to a dumpster fire caused by someone dumping hot charcoal in it.

To build a rock ring, gather enough rocks to make a circle about 3'in diameter, larger if you have a large group and need a bigger fire.  Rocks about 8" or so in diameter are usually large enough to do the job but small enough to move without straining your back.  Scrape the ground inside the rig to remove ALL combustible material and build up a berm along the inside of the ring to fill the gaps between the odd shaped rocks.  You want to control the flow of air to your fire, not have it susceptible to every little ground breeze that blows by between the rocks!

If there are no rocks around, dig down a little bit and build a berm to make a fire pit.  You need something to define the fire area and contain and control the spread of hot ashes once the fire gets going.   A rock ring or berm also helps mitigate ground-level breezes that might have an adverse affect on your fire and control ashes as the fuel burns.

To build a Dakota fire pit, dig a hole about 1' in diameter and about 1' deep.  Then make a smaller hole, 3-4" in diameter about 1' away and dig a tunnel from the top of the small hole the bottom of the larger hole at about a 45 degree angle.  The smaller hole and tunnel will provide a draft down to the bottom of the fire pit.  A Dakota fire pit make a good cooking fire and will not be very visible.  If you need to warm several people or need a signal fire, use a regular rock ring fire pit.  A Dakota fire pit lets you conserve your energy because it usually takes less work than building a rock fire ring and it will conserve fuel since it is quite efficient as a cooking fire.  If your goal is heating an area or a number of people use an open fire pit.

The traditional way to build a fire is from the bottom up. Start with your tinder, then small kindling, then larger kindling, etc and finally add your big logs on top.   Here is an article on tinder and kindling.  The two most common ways to this are the log cabin and tipi structures.  In both of these methods you build a sort of cage of firewood around  your tinder.  For a log cabin structure, the cage is a square shape by alternating pieces of wood stacked  perpendicular to each other around the perimeter, all built around your tinder and kindling.  For the tipi form, the "cage" is built in tipi shape, leaning the tops of pieces of wood against each other to form a cone above your tinder pile.  Then light the tinder and your fire should slowly grow as it consumes larger pieces of fuel.  As it burns, keep adding fuel until  it is a big as you want it.

 Firestarters can be used as an aid to getting your fire going.   You might buy commercial firestarters or make your own.  Bascically a firestarter is bundle of combustible materials that is easy to light and will continue burning long enough to get your tinder and kindling to burn.

 I saw an interesting alternate way to start a fire in a wood stove on a Youtube by Wranglerstar.  It is a top down method.  You start by laying your larger pieces of firewood on the bottom, then lay a second layer of medium sized pieces perpendicular to the first, leaving about a 1" air gap between each piece.  Note each layer is laid all the way across the fire, not just around the outside like  you would with the log cabin method.  Then add your kindling and tinder on top, nestle in some fire starters, and top it off with more kindling.  Then light  the fire starters and you're ready to go.  An advantage to this method is that it doesn't need the frequent attention bottom up fires need to add fuel.  It is pretty much self feeding as the fire works its way down.  Once you set one up like this and light it, you won't need to add fuel for probably at least an hour, depending on how much fuel you start with and how fast it burns.  That can be a particularly nice feature if you have other things to attend to, giving you time to take care of them or for your shop to warm up  before your fire goes out.

I suggest you give the top down method a try one of these days.  It takes a little longer to set up, but not much.  And it frees you up from constantly tending the fire to get it going so overall it may actually save some time.  That can be really handy if you have other tasks around camp or are just firing up the wood stove out in the shop and have other things to do while it warms up.

No matter how you chose to build your fire you will need tinder and kindling and a source of ignition to get it going.  Tinder is very small, dry combustible material like dry grass, wood shavings, or cotton balls.  Kindling is small twigs or sticks, usually smaller than the diameter of your little finger. See my post on log splitting for more information about making kindling. Matches and lighters are the most common and convenient sources of ignition, but in a survival situation you may need to know How To Start a Fire Without Matches.  Normally you start with a small bundle of tinder which can be easily ignited, then add kindling until the fire is large enough to ignite bigger pieces of fuel.

If you are new to building fires you might want to practice in your backyard before setting out on a camping trip where your skills could be put the test and consequences of failure very inconvenient and unpleasant and maybe embarrassing.  Make sure fires are allowed in your jurisdiction.  Cooking fires, like BBQs and small campfires, are usually permitted in residential areas, but some places do prohibit open fires (like campfires) in your own backyard.

Speaking of Fire restrictions.  In many areas you will encounter more stringent fire restrictions during dry summer months, especially in forested areas.  These restrictions are NOT harassment!  They are in place because the risk of a forest fire is great.  Sometimes you can still have a campfire in a forest service approved fire pit (usually only found in forest service campgrounds) but in extreme fire conditions NO fires will be permitted.   Some people think it is OK to have fire after a day or two of rain, but that isn't enough to eliminate the dry condition of the trees so the forest is still a large mass of dry, ready fuel so ALWAYS check the fire condition at the local ranger station or camp host before lighting up!  Remember, if you cause a wildfire you can be held liable for the damages, and that can run into many millions of dollars!  Last year I was called out with our fire department to put out a brush fire at a local campground.  One of the campers had ignored posted fire restrictions and direct personal orders (multiple times!) from the camp ground personnel about having a campfire during the then posted Extreme Fire Danger.  Their belligerent refusal to comply resulted in the loss of several acres of forest at the campground and they were fined by the campground and probably faced further charges for damages from the forest agencies in charge of the area

Learn to burn and burn to learn!

Risk Management for Campers, Boaters, and RVers

Just about every part of our lives involves some kind of risk management.  Whether it has to do with health, traffic, crime, or weather, there is always some risk associated with everything we do.  Some risks are acceptable, some are not.  Some people manage risks effectively, others seem overwhelmed by them.

Non-riders used to criticize the "risks" they thought we were taking by riding dirt bikes.   In actuality, the highest risks were driving the freeways to get to our riding areas, very much like the risks they took driving to work everyday!

Have you ever seen the 4-quadrant risk management chart?  That may seem like a trick question because there are more than 1 4-quadrant risk management charts around, with different charts designed to focus on different aspects of your life.  The one I've found most useful is not related to any particular business or endeavor.  It applies to evaluating ANY kind of risk.  The four quadrants are:  1) High risk/low frequency, 2) High risk/high frequency, 3) Low risk/high frequency. and 4) Low risk/low frequency, in order of decreasing risk

High risk/low frequency are those activities which we seldom do but have a high cost if something goes wrong,  This is where we are most likely to encounter problems because we don't face the situations often enough to develop good skills or procedures for handling them.  High risk/low frequency events often underlie serious failures even by highly trained professionals.

High risk/high frequency are those activities which do have a high cost of failure but we encounter them often enough to develop effective procedures and skills for dealing with them.  For that reason, they represent a lower risk than high risk/low frequency problems.

Low risk/high frequency activities are next in line.  Because they are low risk we don't have as much to lose, even if they are high frequency.  Plus the high frequency tends to give us experience in dealing better with these situations.

Low risk/low frequency activities are the lowest priority, simply because there isn't very much as stake and it isn't very likely to happen.  However, the low frequency may mean we are less likely to be adequately prepared to deal with these kinds of situations.

And, yes, there is a sort of a conflict between the ratings of high and low risk versus high and low frequency.  High risk/low frequency is more likely to cause us grief because the cost is high and our lack of familiarity with the situation significantly reduces our ability to handle things successfully.    While you might think the same logic should be applied to low risk/low frequency events, the combination of minimal cost and minimal exposure combine to give make this category of less concern.

I have a personal standard for risk measurement.  When evaluating any decision I ask myself if either the cost or probability of failure is high.  If either the cost of failure or the likelihood of failure high for a given choice, that choice should be discarded.  I figure that if the cost is high enough it doesn't matter how low the probability is, I don't want to take that chance  Likewise, if the likelihood of an unacceptable outcome is high, no matter how low the cost, it might not be a good choice.

Outdoor recreational activities, such as RVing, OHVing, boating, and camping,  like everything else we do, have some risk associated with them.  A lot of the risk of RVing, boating, and OHVing is associated with driving or operating our vehicles.  Risks of camping usually involve weather, accidents, or illness.  Regardless of what the risks are, there are always ways to mitigate the risks to minimize our chances of being injured or suffering a loss.   

Vehicle risks can be mitigated by proper maintenance, appropriate and legal use, adequate insurance, and using proper personal protective equipment.  

Camping risks can be avoided by careful planning, keeping eye on the weather, and through safe camping and campfire practices.   

Boating risks can be minimized by following regulations, having required safety equipment, and wearing appropriate Personal Flotation Devices (e.g., life jackets).  

Overall, the more we participate in a particular activity, the better prepared we are to deal with anything bad that may happen.  But, of course, doing some more frequently also exposes us to more opportunities for this to go wrong, especially if we aren't conscientious about doing things safely and correctly.  We always need to make sure we aren't developing bad habits.  ALWAYS follow appropriate safety procedures and obey laws, rules, and regulations to prevent accidents and avoid litigation,

For anything you chose to do, examine the potential risks and determine if they are acceptable, or if there is anything you can do to make them acceptable, before proceeding.

Stay safe!

Fire Pits for RVing, Camping, and Boating

Campfires are one of the best and most popular camping traditions.   Even boaters often go ashore to have a campfire on the beach.  Most places you will camp may already have a fire pit.  Developed campgrounds almost always one and many times you will find left over fire pits in dispersed camping areas built by previous users. It is almost always advantageous to use a previously used site when doing dispersed camping and is more friendly to the environment.  Having a ready-built fire pit in a previously used site saves a lot of time and effort and often you may see where other vehicles have already been parked on the most level part of the site.  Having a ready-made rock ring can save you from lugging lots of heavy rocks around to build your own.  Many campers bring their own portable fire pit with them for use where ever they go.

The rock ring fire pit is one of the most common forms of fire pit.   Easily constructed from loose rocks they are not only popular in dispersed camping but you will often find them in developed campgrounds.  If you need to build your own the process is a little tedious but well worth the effort.  Begin by clearing the ground where you will build your fire all the way down to the dirt.  Remove all flammable material such as twigs, branches, weeds, and roots.  Collect enough rocks to make a circle the size of the fire you want to build.  A fire pit with a 3' diameter is usually about right for most family or small group campfires.  If you are solo camping you might want a smaller one or, if you will have a large group around the campfire, make it bigger.  Usually something about 5-6' across is adequate for most groups.  Beyond that you're moving into the area of bonfires instead of campfires!  Bonfires should be reserved for special events for large groups and require extra preparation to make sure they don't get out of control.    For building a fire ring for a standard campfire you can use just about any size rocks that you can move by yourself.  I find that those 8" to 12" are about the right size for most fire pits.  If you use smaller rocks you may have to pile them up to form a little rock wall about 8" to 12" high.  Then scoop out the dirt from the middle of the fire pit to build a little embankment against the inside of the rocks to block drafts.  Before you light your fire be sure to clear the ground outside the rock ring of all flammable material for at least 5 all around.  Stack your fire wood outside the cleared area.  The cleared area helps prevent an accidental spreading of your fire and gives you a good place to sit to enjoy your fire.

If there are no rocks around, dig down a little bit and build a berm to make a fire pit.  You need something to define the fire area and contain and control the spread of hot ashes once the fire gets going.   A rock ring or berm also helps mitigate ground-level breezes that might have an adverse affect on your fire like making it hard to light or blowing embers that might ignite surrounding materials.

Metal fire rings are found in some developed campgrounds.  Sometimes they are as simple and mundane as a section cut from a 55 gallon steel drum.  Other, more decorative ones are formed from sturdy sheet metal and often have woodland or wildlife scenes cut into them so you can watch the flames dance behind the cutouts.  Watching the campfire is always enjoyable and the cutouts make it even more so.  You can purchase metal fire rings to bring along when boondocking, if you have room to carry them.  Some are even collapsible for easy storage and transport.

My favorite portable fire pit is an old washing machine tub.  We call it R2D2 (because of its squat round shape and the way the fire sparkles through the perforations like R2D2's lights) and have used them for decades after being introduced to one by a fellow dirt biker.  With their porcelain finish they are both easy to clean and very durable.  In fact, we've been using the same one in my dirt bike trailer for more than 40 years!  Most washing machine tubs have center tube where the agitator used to be.  Sometimes that gets in the way of putting wood in the fire but if you cut your wood the right size that isn't a problem.  I make use of the center tube by sliding it down onto a cut-off RV table post and using a 3-pronged portable table base for the post.  I cut the table post so the top of the tub is a comfortable height for cooking.  It also makes a nice space beneath the tub to warm toes on cold nights.   I bolted a pipe flange to a wire grill from an old BBQ to install the grill on the fire pit using the top of the agitator tube.  The perforations in the tub protect the fire from wind gusts yet allow sufficient circulation for a good burning fire.  At the end of the night I put a metal trash can lid on top.  When its time to pack up it is easy to dump out the ashes.  The holes in the washing machine tub flicker enchantingly when with the flames.   It is a bit large to haul around in the family car but it fits well along with our dirt bikes in our motorcycle trailer.  We like our R2D2 so well we put one in the fire pit in our picnic area by our house and anchored a second one in a little cove for a fire pit down by the McKenzie River behind our house.

If transportation space is an issue you can find collapsible fire pits.  They are often made of metal panels, sometimes wire mesh and sometimes solid sheet metal and can be folded flat so they take up little space in your car trunk or RV cabinet.

Gas fire pits are becoming more popular, especially with RVers.  They are clean, easy to transport, set up and light, and you only need a small propane cylinder to run them,  They may lack the fragrance of a wood fire but still provide the same warmth and ambiance, without the annoying smoke of some wood fires.  To put out the fire simply turn off the propane supply.  You can buy wood chips to sprinkle on some gas fire pits to add fragrance to the smoke and flavor to anything you cook over it.  You can run them off the propane tank on your RV using an Extend-A-Flow kit that taps into your RV propane system near the tank.  Sometimes you may still be able to use a gas fire pit during early stages of fire restrictions where real open campfires are prohibited.

As mentioned in the first paragraph, clear the ground of flammable material for 5' all around ANY campfire as a safety measure to make sure your campfire doesn't spread.  You should still clear the area around gas fire pits to prevent burning material dropped from items cooked over the campfire from igniting fire outside the fire pit.  Marshmallows seem to have a wondrous way of flaming up even when you are going for golden brown!  Also make sure there are no branches at least 10-15 feet overhead that might catch fire.  Also, be careful building fires under trees when there is snow.  The heat can melt snow on the branches and cause it to fall on the campfire -- or on you!

It can be fun (and around) in these pits!

PPE -- Personal Protective Equipment ( YES, again!)

I have written about Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) before.   I bring it up again because I see way too many people failing to use appropriate PPE for the recreational activities in which they are involved and often suffer unnecessary injuries because of it.  And now, with the COVID-19 situation, EVERYONE needs to be aware of and make use of appropriate PPE on a daily basis!  Also, as a volunteer firefighter, I am continually reminded of the absolute need to wear appropriate PPE for ANY activity.  The need in the fire service is pretty obvious and difficult to ignore.  It is way to easy to ignore proper PPE precautions when performing many routine tasks, like chopping firewood or building campfires.  I've seen too many dirt bike riders injured for lack of proper body armor and, quite honestly, have to admit having been guilty of it myself.  I once rode in just my jeans instead of my riding pants and knee pads and ended up with one leg bruised from ankle to knee for several weeks,  It wasn't supposed to be any kind of vigorous ride and I was in a bit of a hurry.  Bad mistake!  I came up over the crest of a little rise, the back wheel hit a rock and kicked out from under me and the motorcycle landed on my unprotected knee.  If I had a been wearing the knee braces I normally wear when riding, it would have been no big deal.  Since I had left them off, I ended up getting an injury that took weeks to heal. Never again!

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is not just for sissies!  Many vocations and avocations have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that is peculiar to their specific needs.  Doctors and other heath care professionals wear face masks, eye protection, and latex gloves.  Firefighters wear heavy, fire-resistant "turn outs".  Road workers wear reflective vests or suits.  Football players wear helmets and pads.  Race car drivers wear helmets and fire-resistant suits.  OHV riders wear helmets, goggles, and other "body armor".  Boaters need personal flotation devices (life vests or belts).  Hey, you probably even use PPE in your kitchen at home -- in the form of hot pads or oven mitts -- or at least you should.

Some Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is required by law or by regulations in a particular sport.  Sometimes PPE is matter of choice.  However, it is called PERSONAL Protective Equipment because it protects your person, not so much because it is a personal choice.  In come cases, PPE is required by law or other safety regulations but proper PPE should always be considered and worn by anyone when possible.  Anyone involved in any activity that requires PPE must wear the designated equipment.  Anyone involved in any kind of activity that has any risk of personal injury should always wear proper PPE.  A thought that puts it in perspective for me:  when riding a dirt bike, its OK to put your head in a $10 helmet -- IF you have a $10 head!   Good helmets run at least $200-300. Yes, some PPE can be expensive, but always consider how expensive it might be NOT having proper PPE!  Medical bills and loss of income while disabled will usually be much higher than the cost of protection, to say nothing of pain and suffering!

There are laws in many jurisdictions that require OHV riders (at least those below a certain age) to wear helmets.   Use of other PPE by OHV riders is usually at the discretion of the rider.  Having been a dirt bike rider for about 40 years I can personally attest to the value of proper PPE on EVERY ride.  In addition to a helmet, every rider should wear goggles.  Other useful items include proper riding boots, jerseys, pants, gloves, knee pads, elbow pads, kidney belts, and chest protectors.  You might limit what PPE you wear while riding in a UTV or side-by-side to a helmet and goggles, but I strongly advise anyone riding a dirt bike or ATV to wear full body armor.  When you part company with your ride and enter into a durability contest with the dirt and rocks I guaranty you the dirt and rocks are going to win!  You will come out the loser even landing on grass, dirt, or sand,  Wearing proper body armor will mitigate many of the injuries you might experience.  I have some rather deep and nasty scratches on the back of my chest protector that would have sliced deep into my back had I not been wearing it when I fell into a rock pile or skidded on the pavement.

I have provided other posts that describe specific types of PPE for OHV riders.  Check out the follwing links:

     OHV Helmets and Goggles 

     OHV Riding Boots 

     OHV Riding Pants and Jerseys 

     OHV Jackets and Coats

     Additional OHV Body Armor

Water sports have their own unique PPE.  For the most part this consists of a Coast Guard Approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD), usually in the form of a life vest or life belt.  Most boats are also required to carry throwable floatation devices, such as a life preserver or throwable cushion.  If you are involved in boating on cold water, a wet suit or even a dry suit may be needed to protect you against hypothermia should you fall overboard.  You may not see regulations dictating cold water protection, but a little research into deaths from hypothermia for professional racers who fell in the water should quickly convince you of the true need. Standard boating rules require every boat to carry a life jacket or vest  for every person on board,  The law does not mandate they be worn at all times but common sense certainly does.  In some sailboat races, all crew are required to wear PFDs  all the time when the winds are above a certain speed  Some folks are campaigning for a similar rule for wearing wet or dry suits when the water is below a certain temperature.   Exposure to cancer-causing UV radiation in sunlight requires proper hats and sunscreen plus good sunglasses.  In my mind, wearing appropriate PPE for any situation is ALWAYS mandatory, if not by the rules, by common sense!

PPE for some common outdoor activities may be a little less well defined.   But that doesn't mean you should ignore proper safety measures.  For hiking, properly fitted boots are a basic requirement.  A lot of folks opt for lighter weight running shoes, but they lack the ankle support often needed when hiking.  Good hiking advice says to wear an appropriate sock system.  That's right, a system, not just a single pair of socks!  A strong, correctly sized hiking stick is also a good idea.  Even a good hat and appropriate sunglasses could be better thought of as PPE than a fashion statement.  Sturdy leather gloves and eye protection are needed for cutting and handling firewood.  Gloves and eye protection are a good idea when building and lighting campfires too,  A proper hat for protection from the sun, along with sunscreen, could be considered PPE for almost any outdoor activity.  Oven mitts or other sturdy hand protection should always be worn when cooking on a campfire.  Hey, even a swimsuit could be considered proper PPE for some aquatic activities!  Bicycle riders often ignore PPE, sometimes much to their dismay when they have an accident.  A bicycle helmet tops the list, followed by proper shoes, gloves, and riding shorts.  I like to wear a baseball cap under my riding helmet because my helmet doesn't have a visor to keep the sun out of my eyes.  Cowboy hats are common head wear for equestrian activities.  They provide pretty good protection from sun and even rain.  However, they do not provide impact protection if you are thrown or fall off your horse.  Did you knot that head injuries from equestrian accidents exceed those from motorcycle accidents?  There are fairy stylistic equestrian riding helmets you should consider.

Of course we are currently required by law in most places to wear a face mask due to COVID-19.   Anyone working with COVID patients, such as first responders and medical professionals, also wear latex gloves, goggles, and often a protective gown.  To some the precautions may seem excessive, but given the risks associated with COVID-19, they are appropriate.  I know a doctor who has personally treated more than 2000 COVID patients and remained free from infection, due to proper PPE and proper protocols, such as hand washing and disinfecting equipment and facilities.

And yes, I realize this is at least a second post on PPE.  But it is a topic that too many people tend to ignore and an occasional reminder is often worthwhile.

Be protected!

Log Splitting -- A Basic Camping and Survival Skill

Log splitting is a very useful skill for campers.  Even if you don't cut your own firewood you will probably need to split some pieces of commercial firewood to make kindling.  Sometimes chunks of commercial firewood might be bigger than you want to use in your campfire and you can split them down to any size you like.  If you do cut your own firewood, split logs dry more quickly and are easier to ignite in a campfire than whole logs.  You might want to split longer logs to make split rails for functional and decorative fencing.

Use of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment is always a good idea for any activity.  Log splitting is certainly no exception.  There are obvious risks and physical stresses you need to guard agains.  You should wear heavy leather gloves to protect your hands and goggles or safety glasses to protect your eyes against flying chips.  Prescription eye glasses or sunglasses might be better than nothing but are not designed to provide the true protection you get from safety glasses or goggles.  If you use a chainsaw to cut your firewood, you should also wear protective chaps and ear plugs.  Note, chainsaw chaps don't shut down electric chain saws like they do gasoline powered saws.  The chaps are designed to clog the chain and stop the engine.  Electric motors don't stop as long as there is power and the switch is on but chainsaw chaps might provide some reduction in the movement of the chain and give you  a little extra time to react before you cut off a leg!

For splitting kindling you may only need an axe or hatchet.  Place one end of the piece of wood you want to split on a stable solid surface (rock, wood, concrete, hard ground),  Use a small stick to hold the top end of the piece you're are splitting steady while your swing your axe or hatchet with the other hand to split it.  If you should miss and cut the end off the little stick you can easily replace it, unlike replacing your fingers if you should cut one or more off while holding the wood with them!   A good size for kindling is about 1" wide and 1/4" thick.  Pieces a little larger or smaller are just fine.

A maul is another great tool for heavy splitting.   Mauls have very heavy, fat heads.  They look a lot like an axe but they are not designed for cutting but are great for splitting.  The extra weight and the fat taper of the head slams into the wood and splits it apart.  The only downside to using  a maul for splitting is that it is very heavy and may be difficult for smaller people to use and more tiring for anyone.  The blade on a maul is not always sharp like an axe.  A maul will be overkill for splitting kindling but is very useful for splitting large logs. 

                                                           

I have seen wall-mounted kindling splitters that use leverage instead of pounding it with a big axe or hammer.  That might be less effort but I haven't found a good place to mount one on any of my RVs.  Might be nice for a cabin or country house!

Just came across another great way to split kindling.  It is called the kindling cracker.  You can buy them at Amazon, Home Depot, and many other places.  Just GOOGLE "Kindling Cracker".   You put the piece of wood you want to split in the top and hit it with a big hammer or back of an axe to drive it down onto the splitting wedge inside.  It is safer, faster, and easier than using an axe or hatchet.  It is probably too bulky to carry around when tent camping but you might find room for it in your RV.  Here is what it looks like:

                                                         

                                                              

When using it make sure your log will fit through the top ring.  If it has knots or flares out or is simply too tight it may get caught before it splits.   You always want a little free space to allow the log room to split.

Another handy tool for splitting kindling is a wood splitting auger.   They fit into your drill so you can use them in a cordless drill in camp.  The one I saw demonstrated had a reverse thread so you had to run the drill in reverse to get it to work.  A wood splitting auger and a cordless drill can make splitting kindling quick and easy.  Hand held augeers aren't recommended for splitting larger logs but can be a fast and safe way to split kindling.  There are larger version available for splitting large logs, some are designed to bolt onto a car or truck wheel to provide the power.  Exercise caution using devices like this.  Make sure the driving wheels are off the ground and the vehicle properly chocked before any use.   Here is an inexpensive examples on Amazon.com.    

                                         

For splitting larger logs a wedge is a useful addition to your tool set.   Wedges aren't usually as sharp as axes and they usually have a fatter head and they don't have handles.  The larger head both makes it easier to drive them with the back of an axe or a large hammer (sledge hammer) and also spreads the wood faster for better splitting.  Some wedges are a flat tapered shape similar to an axe head.  Others are conical.  Flat wedges will split wood along the point of the wedge.  Conical splitters are used in the center of logs to try to spit them into multiple pieces at once.  However, every log WILL split along the lines of least resistance so you won't always get multiple splits with one placement nor will the pieces be of equal size.  I have seen people use a large single-bladed axe as a wedge, but the taper isn't really optimal for splitting and you might damage the axe head or handle pounding on it.  Sometimes you might use a maul as splitting wedge but usually it is easier to just swing the maul as it was intended to be used.  Here is an example from Harbor Freight.

                                  

                         

A wooden glut is a fairly good substitute for an iron wedge.  A wooden glut is a wedge-shaped piece of wood.  Sometimes they are used to split rocks but can also be used to split logs that are too large o split with a hatchet or an axe alone.  Start with a short piece of hardwood about 3" in diameter.  Sharpen one end to make a flat, wedge-shaped point.  The other end should be square and flat.  Prepare the piece of wood you want to split by scoring a line all across it using your axe or hatchet.  Then drive the axe or hatchet blade into the scored line at one edge of the log so it begins to spread the log along the scored line.  Place the sharpened edge of the glut into the crack and drive it in as far is you can.  Then remove the axe or hatchet and move it to the other side of the glut.  Drive it in as far as you can and hammer the glut down again.  The log should start to split.  If not, keep repeating the process until it does.  Sometimes it is helpful to have more than one glut so you can use them side-by-side to speed splitting large logs.  Knowing this little trick might be helpful if you find yourself in a survival situation or if you simply forgot to bring your steel wedge with you on a camping trip.  Or if you need a bigger wedge than the one you brought along.  Try to use a harder wood for your glut than the wood you want to split.  But you can use the same wood if you have to.  It may just wear out faster.  If it is softer than the wood you are splitting it will probably crush or break instead of splitting the target.  A wooden glut is similar in size and shape to a splitting wedge made of steel.

                                

Whenever splitting, with a wedge (or glut), axe, or hatchet, try to take advantage of any existing cracks in the log.  Many, but certainly not all, pieces of wood will have existing cracks.  Even if they are tiny, they represent a weakness you can take advantage of.  Line up the pointed end of the wedge with the crack.  This makes splitting easier and can save you a bunch of work.  When working with large logs with no existing splits I usually try to make the first split about in the middle, then split each half in the middle again and again until I have them split down to the size I want.  Some folks like to split narrow pieces off the edges instead.  Try it both ways and do whatever works best for you.

A hydraulic log makes splitting a lot easier, especially if you are working with large logs or have a lot lots to split.  Make sure the pieces you want to split will fit into the log splitter between the wedge and the head of the hydraulic jack.  Sometimes, if they aren't TOO much longer than will fit you can notch the end that goes on the wedge to make room to get the log in place.  The hand operated log splitters I have used have two handles.  One moves the jack a small distance but increases the pressure.  This is useful for starting almost any split and pretty much essential for splitting pieces that are difficult to split.  The second handle doesn't apply as much force but mores the jack further with each stroke, speeding up the splitting process.  I often work both together to maximize splitting force and speed once it begins to split.  You will usually hear a distinct "crack" when the wood begins to split and will definitely notice a decrease of resistance on the handles.  I have found I usually need to go about 10 pumps on the handles after the initial split to push the pieces far enough apart that I can fully separate them by hand when taken out of the splitter.  Hand operated log splitters can be purchased for a few hundred dollars.  I believe I bought mine at Harbor Freight several years ago for between $100 and $200.   They are probably too big and heavy to cart along on camping trips, but very useful for preparing your fire wood at home.  If you have extra room in your vehicle you could take them camping but I wouldn't unless I expected to do a LOT of splitting!  Even when I haul firewood from the forest I usually wait until I get it home to split it.

A power log splitter is the ultimate tool if you are splitting lots of wood.  Power log splitters are hydraulic splitters powered by gasoline engines or electric motors instead of being hand operated.  Just put the log in place and press a button or pull the handle and the machine basically does the rest.  I've seen some commercial grade splitters that have an X shaped wedge that splits large logs into 4 pieces at once, greatly reducing splitting time and increasing productivity, but they are very, very expensive -- like around $18,000!  I've seen simpler, gasoline powered simple log splitters for home use starting around $1,000 plus or minus a hundred bucks or so at home centers.  They are fairly big and heavy and usually have wheels and are designed to be towed like a trailer.  You can also get less expensive electric powered log splitters.  Harbor Freight has one for under $500.  I wouldn't expect it to deliver the power or performance of the larger, gasoline powered models, but one would definitely make splitting a pile of firewood a lot faster and easier.

Like many other jobs, proper preparation is the key to success.   The main thing to do is to make sure your logs are cut to the right length before you begin.  Also trim off any branches or stubs that might interfere with their placement or movement on the splitter.  I have a piece of PVC pipe I have cut to proper length for my log splitter and (usually) use it to measure my cuts so the pieces are the right length.  If I forget to measure or somehow end up with some that are too long, I set them aside and trim them all at once after I've split the ones that fit.  Also, sometimes you will run into logs that are really hard to split.  I once watched my Dad try to split some old Madrone Pine with an axe and it just bounced off!  If you else all else fails you might try boring some holes in one end and lining up the edge of the wedge with the holes to get things started.  One large, center hole might be enough if you're using a conical wedge.

Some really knotty pieces of wood may be extremely difficult to split.  Avoid them if you can but if that is all you have, you might have to cut it into smaller pieces, making cuts where the knots are so you can split between the knots.  Sometimes a combination of strong steel wedges and fatter wooden gluts can be used in conjunction to coerce a particularly tough log to split.  Having a really big hammer may also help.  My dad had two "hammer"rules I really found useful:  1.  If it can't be fixed with a hammer it can't be fixed and 2.  Don't get mad at it, just get a bigger hammer!  Lacking a large hammer in a camp you might use a big piece of firewood or even a big rock.  Make sure to keep your fingers clear of where the log or rock strikes your target!

If you are going to split, split logs!

NOAA Weather Radios, an Asset for Campers, RVers, and Boaters

 This is a second post on NOAA Weather Radios.  Don't mean to be redundant, but it is a topic that, in my experience, is underrated.  I've met too many people who dont even know about NOAA weather radios, let alone use them!

NOAA Weather radio is a service of the National Weather Service (NWS), which, in turn, is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States of America.  The following Mission and Vision are taken directly from the National Weather Service website:

NWS Mission

Provide weather, water, and climate data, forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property and enhancement of the national economy.

NWS Vision

A Weather-Ready Nation: Society is prepared for and responds to weather, water, and climate-dependent events.

Although the mission statement doesn't specifically mention recreation, the forecasts are of great value to campers, hikers, boaters, hunters, and fisherman.  Or to anyone who is going to working or playing outdoors.  I believe we qualify under protection for life and property when involved in our outdoor recreational pursuits.

NOAA weather forecasts are available for almost all  geographic parts of the United States.  Speical NOAA radios will automatically pick up the local forecast just about anywhere you are. 

I've seen NOAA weather channels on a few car radios but usually you have to buy a special NOAA radio.  NOAA forecasts are updated frequently and give a fairly accurate prediction of regional weather.  The 7 day forecast is usually accurate about 80% of the time; the 5 day forecast is good about 90% of the time; but the 10 day forecast is only correct about 50% of the time.

Be aware that some camping venues are located in areas that kind of make their own weather.  This is especially true of mountains but large bodies of water and sometimes even deserts can also make their own weather.  Therefore, regional weather forecasts from NOAA or your local radio station may not always be a good predictor of what you will actually experience at a specific location but it is good place to start!

You can purchase NOAA weather radios at many places that sell camping equipment.  Some places that I've confirmed sell NOAA radios are Walmart, Amazon, Target, Cabellas and even Big Lots.  You can often find them on ebay too.  Some models include hand crank chargers so you never have to worry about running out of power.

NOAA also has a superb web site where you can get up-to-date weather information.   It is the National Weather Service website.  It is a fairly comprehensive website.  Be sure to explore the options as there are many features to assist you in understanding the forecast and finding out what you need to know.  One of my favorites is the Hourly Forecast, but the menu under FORECAST includes lots of useful options including, Graphical, Aviation, Marine, Rivers and Lakes, and Severe Weather that could be useful to campers and boaters.

Be weather wise!