The teepee fire lay is the first method of fire-building learned by most beginners. And once you finish building the teepee structure, it’s easy to get it blazing.
But, getting all of the pieces arranged and balanced can be tricky at first.
The good news is, if you know a few basic details, you’ll be able to build an excellent fire using the teepee method in just 3-4 minutes.
By the end of this post, you’ll know when to use a teepee fire lay (vs. other methods), and how you can build it in 6 quick steps. Let’s get to it!
When to Use the Teepee Fire Lay
1. When You Need a Fire Fast
The teepee fire structure is arguably the fastest type of fire to start. So if you need a fire going NOW, then I’d go for the teepee method.
There are three main reasons why a teepee fire can start so quickly. First, it allows for excellent airflow at the base of the fire, because it leaves gaps exposed between the wood.
Second, the angles of the teepee structure place the tinder (e.g. paper, sawdust, etc.) more closely with the surrounding kindling than any other method.
Finally, a fire burns upwards, and no structure is better organized to take advantage of this fact than the teepee, which literally points towards the sky.
2. When You Want a Short Campfire
This is almost a side effect of how quickly the teepee fire starts, but if you want a short campfire that’s not going to burn for hours, then the teepee structure is a great choice.
Of course, there are also downsides to a fast-burning fire. It doesn’t make for a particularly good heat producer, so if you’re building a fire for a wood stove or fireplace, I’d suggest using either the lean-to or log cabin methods.
3. When Learning or Teaching
Last but not least, if you are learning how to build a fire, or if you’re teaching someone new how to build a fire, then the teepee structure is a really good place to start.
If you can get the teepee structure right, then there’s a really good chance that it’ll produce a strong fire. On that note, let’s build one!
How to Build a Teepee Fire (9 Steps)
1. Find a Safe Area for Your Fire
This is important. You always want to make sure you’re starting your fire in a safe area that’s not going to create any fire hazards.
As part of this process, you should consider if you have room for growth, and you’ll want a space that can contain the flames/sparks even as your fire gets bigger.
For this example, I’m using a fire pit, but you can also use a campsite fire circle, a fireplace or a wood stove.
If you don’t have any designated fire area available, you can also build your own. There are several different methods for doing this, but one approach would be to dig a shallow hole in the dirt and to surround it with stones.
The main goal of this step is to make sure your fire will be safely contained.
2. Gather Your Materials
Next up, you need to gather your fire-building materials. That includes the following (from left-to-right in the photo above):
- Matches and fire starters
- Tinder
- Kindling
- Firewood (also called fuelwood)
Tinder is the material that is used to catch the initial flame from your match (or lighter, etc.). For example, paper, sawdust, very small sticks or twigs, and even firestarters would all be considered types of tinder.
Kindling is larger sticks or small strips of firewood, which basically acts as a transition from tinder to full firewood. If you can get your kindling burning well, then you’ve got a really good shot at a full-grown fire.
Lastly is the firewood, which is the real fuel which will keep your fire going after it grows past the initial “starting” phase.
3. Prepare Your Paper or Firestarter
If your using paper to start your fire, I like to rip it into small strips and crumple it up like this.
Doing this increases the surface area that is covered by the paper, allowing it to come into closer contact with our other materials.
In addition, crumpling the paper creates gaps which can help with airflow, which is very important in the early stages of your fire.
4. Arrange Your Tinder
In this photo, I’ve gathered my paper as close together as possible, and then I’ve arranged the smallest pieces of wood I could find on top of it.
The paper will burn quickly, and you’ll want it in close contact with small pieces of wood that will catch the fire quickly. Fire also burns upwards, which is why you want to build over the paper.
5. Balancing the First 3 Kindling Pieces
This is probably the trickiest step of the whole process, getting the first few pieces of kindling to balance.
To make this easier, I like to find a piece of wood that has a Y-shaped branch (see photo above). This allows you to lean two other pieces of wood inside the Y-angle, in order to create a tri-pod structure.
If you have trouble with this step, you can also try pushing one or two pieces into the dirt, to make them sturdier.
By the end of this step, you want to have 3 pieces of kindling free-standing, with the peak directly over your tinder pile.
6. Add More Kindling
After you’ve balanced the first 3 pieces, it becomes much easier to add additional pieces of kindling to your structure.
At this stage, you can keep adding additional pieces until you’ve completely surrounded your base of tinder. Just don’t pack it too tightly, or you’ll limit the airflow.
8. Admire Your Work
Your finished structure should look something like this. Once you get here, take a moment and pat yourself on the back. You’ve built a teepee fire lay!
Plus, it’s kind of cool to look at it before you set the whole thing ablaze 🙂
9. Light the Fire!
Now for the main event, lighting your fire!
Believe it or not, there is a bit of technique to this part too. You want to place your match (or lighter, etc.) under the paper, and do your best to light it in multiple locations around the teepee. Be careful not to burn yourself.
If you’ve done a good job, you should be able to get the whole thing roaring after lighting it a single time. If you’re using matches, then you’ll know you’ve done a good job if you can get it started with just one match.
Related Questions
What is a Fire Lay?
A fire lay is the structure used to build a fire before igniting it. For example, some of the most popular types of fire lay are teepee, lean-to, and log cabin. The fire lay used will have a significant influence on the way a fire burns and how it can be used.
What is the Easiest Way to Start a Fire?
The easiest way to start a fire is by using the teepee fire lay. The teepee structure is the first method of fire starting learned by most beginners, and the airflow and orientation of the wood allow a flame at the bottom to naturally burn upward, making it easy to light and sustain.
