Tipi fire

The tipi fire (pyramidebål) is a common way to make a fire — perhaps the classic ‘campfire shape’. You start with small splints at the bottom and gradually add thicker wood in a pyramid form going upwards.

Tipi fire. Illustration: Knut Høihjelle, NDLA.

How to make a tipi fire

1. Start with a small splint pyramid in the centre with the tinder (birch bark, firelighter) innermost.
2. Gradually add thicker wood around it — first pencil-thick, then finger-thick, then wrist-thick.
3. Light it from the bottom and let the heat work its way upwards.

Cooking on a tipi fire

If you are going to cook something over a tipi fire, the pot is hung from a stick or in a stand over the fire. The tipi fire gives intense heat in the centre but is not very stable for pots — for cooking, the upside-down fire or the hunter’s fire is better.

More about fire

Upside-down fire · Long log fire (nying) · Cooking pit · Swedish torch (kubben) · Log cabin fire / winter fire · Fire types (overview)

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