Upside down fire - anyone tried it?

[frank_in_oz]

All right, so I waste a lot of time on the internet BUT sometimes you DO find interesting things.

This guy has done a great post on lighting an upside down fire (as opposed to the normal tipi technique I usually use) You can read the full post here: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/20 ... #more-1130

Can't wait to get out in the bush to try it out. Has anyone out there in forum land tried this method? He reckons it burns for hours without any additional intervention!

Set up



In Action

I do that with my home fire on occassion. Not as reliable as starting a right-side-up fire, but easier.

[whiskeylover]

Why would you bother? A right side up one is more likely to succeed and other than the very large logs can be built, lit and will go for hours too. My sister used to leave the Saxon firebox set the right way up for her children to light when they got home from school - only safe if you can light and leave, as you really don't want children fiddling with the fire! I set my Saxon the right way up and it is also light and leave. An open fire would go even better as a right way up light and leave fire, but really should you be lighting and leaving an open fire? Or is it that you don't want to have to get up and put more wood on it after you've settled down with your whisky? I find it's good for me to have to get up and motivate myself to keep moving! Relating this to bushwalking, most of our national parks are now Fuel stove only areas, and in general you should only light fires in designated BBQ, fireplace, coal fire box or open fire places. In an emergency it is good to know how to light a small safe cooking type fire without damaging the surrounding area and without leaving any trace that you did so. Interesting concept to light a fire upside down but why? Maybe someone has an answer?

if it doesn't go the first time, you don't have to pull all the crap out and start over, or try to jam stuff under smouldering logs and relight it.

[Steve]

You'd think that an upside down fire would use less fuel?

[tasadam]

if it doesn't go the first time, you don't have to pull all the crap out and start over, or try to jam stuff under smouldering logs and relight it.

But for the fact that you just wasted your paper and kindling, and are more guaranteed of success the normal way.

You'd think that an upside down fire would use less fuel?

No. Can't see why. If anything, you need more little stuff on top, to maker more coals to heat up the bigger stuff underneath for it to catch on.

I think upside down is more guaranteed of success if the stuff is really really dry, which only really happens in the bush here in Tassie on fire ban days anyway.

[Gippsmick]

Why would you stack a fire unspide down? Your loosing all the heat from the top that is important for preheating larger fuels through radiation. You will get some radient heat down as well on coduction but heat rises up not down.

Lighting a fire the 'normal' way for the go for sure. Starting with plenty of fine fuels and stacking larger fuels on top into a pyramid - one match or use a ligher should be all that it takes to get the thing cranking.