When you want to begin to start your fire you will want to start with what is easiest. Paper is always a good choice, especially for beginners. Newspaper can usually be found in most homes so it can be easily gathered before you even leave home. There are many ways to use paper when starting a fire. You can crumple, rip, fold or tear it. No matter which way you choose there are pros and cons to each one. The one most find easiest seems to be crumple and rip. You can take a large piece of newspaper and tear it into 2 pieces and if it is larger you may want to make it a little smaller. You will want to lightly crumple each piece into small round balls about the size of a baseball. Use these pieces of crumpled balls and make a pyramid shape in the center of your campfire pit. The last way that seems to be an easy way is to tear several pieces at the same time into strips about one inch wide. Take these strips and lay them in the center of your campfire pit in a criss-cross pattern.
You will always want to be sure and clear any debris that may be around the area where you are starting your fire. If the camp ground has a fire pit already set up, you will still want to be sure and clear the pit of anything that might spread the fire farther than you would like and cause serious problems. You will want to determine which direction the wind is blowing. Place you fire in a spot that will not allow the wind to blow the smoke and embers from the fire into your tents or sleeping bags. If your camp ground does not have a fire pit you can make a ring of larger stones to contain your fire.
Kindling will be the next thing to worry about. You will want to try and pick up a couple bags of dry kindling from around your campground. Do not bring wood from outside the local area. You can always gather some small twigs and branches that have fallen already to the ground. Cedar, Pine and Fir are excellent fuel for fires if they are dry.
You will want to start on the outside of the paper and start stacking the kindling with two pieces on either side and then two more on top and below the paper. Once you have the kindling stacks at the same height as the paper start stacking more of this kindling at the top of the paper criss-cross to make a sort of roof type structure. Another tip is that if you find yourself caught with damp wood for your fire you can keep a small container of lighter fluid handy. Using a little of this will go a long way on a chilly night. Always be sure to just use what you need and not to go overboard, just enough to get your fire started will work.
Once you have your fire started you can add larger sticks to burn the kindling. You will not want to put too many on at once and arrange them again in the same way you built it so that the fire does not seem to grow and spread. You will want to be sure to have plenty of water on hand just in case your fire would get out of hand.
