How to Make a Fire With Dried Leaves

For many campers, building a campfire and sitting around it is one of the best experiences of camping. They can sit at the campfire and tell stories, or use it to heat water or cook a meal. But for some, building a campfire can be daunting. However, if they use a step-by-step approach to building the fire -- and use dried leaves to help get it going -- campers can have a crackling fire after just a few minutes.

Things You'll Need

  • Lighter or matches
  • Tinder
  • Kindling
  • Firewood
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Gather dried leaves, kindling and firewood. Kindling includes small sticks and branches generally less than 12 inches long and about the diameter of your fingers. Firewood includes the large logs that keep the fire burning.

    • 2

      Place the dried leaves in a pile, away from the wind and out of the rain.

    • 3

      Lay several pieces of kindling in a crisscross or tepee pattern over the dried leaves.

    • 4

      Light the dried leaves in several spots with a match or lighter.

    • 5

      Lay additional kindling on the fire once the leaves and the original kindling are burning.

    • 6

      Lay firewood over the burning leaves and kindling. Put it in a crisscross or tepee pattern, which allows the fire to get the oxygen it needs to burn. Keep the fire burning by adding additional firewood.