Camping 101

Illustration: Kathryn Brazier

Light a fire
“The key to a successful campfire is taking the time to get enough dry timber. Too many people try to start a campfire with a little clump of Kleenex and a few sticks. And no, you’re not going to use dryer lint. Take half an hour and gather loads of small, wispy material. Bark, if it’s dead and on the ground, is the best fire-starting timber. Don’t pull bark off the tree; that’ll kill it. The general rule, if you want your pile to last all night, is to look at the amount you collect after a 30-minute hunt and get at least three times more. It’s a lot of work, but that’s why people go camping, right? To smell the smoke, feel the sweat and ache by the campfire late at night.”

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