PHOTO BY VALARTI - FOTOLIA
Huck Finn campfires you’ve got to try
A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST
By Allen Macartney
THERE’S SOMETHING about a “Huck Finn” campfire that makes
camping so much fun, with friends gathered around the flames
talking, eating, joking. I’ve always called cooking campfires “Huck
Finn” types, even as a boy. Every time I think of him, I picture him
using one of these kinds of fires.
Few people use a campfire for cooking any more, preferring
propane or butane-fired backpacking stoves. But rediscovering the
skills and simple beauty of campfire cooking is a road back to our
roots. And a back-up if the fuel runs low.
But what did the hero of Mark Twain’s novel build when he needed
a campfire during his adventures with Jim on Mississippi River islands
and sand bars? We don’t know for sure, but there are several styles of
fire he could have used.
SIMPLE THREE-LEGGED SUPPORT
long, as well as a second branch with a “Y” shape at one end. Sharpen
the ends of both the long pole, and the Y-shaped pole. Pound the
sharpened end of the Y-shaped pole into the ground near your fire,
and pound the longer pole into the soil so it is supported by the Y.
You might need to put a large rock on the ground where the long
pole goes into the ground to ensure the pot’s weight doesn’t lever it
out of the soil.
COOKING ON TWO LOGS
Find two equal-sized logs and place them on the ground where you
want your fire. Separate them so your main pot can rest securely on
the two logs with a fire between them. Now start a fire with kindling,
place your pot, on the logs and you’re well on your way to heating
water for tea.
Be careful the pot doesn’t slide off one of the supporting logs and
dump its contents in the fire. I’ve done that. Not fun.
This fire is perfect for regulating heat coming from either tall flames
or glowing embers. Start by finding three sturdy poles, each two
metres long (uh, don’t cut green boughs from a tree; scout around in
the forest for dead limbs). Tie the three poles together near the end
with heavy wire. Finish by gently spreading the support poles over the
fire, keeping them well away from the flames. When the flames burn
down, spread the poles to lower the pot.
POT IN THE COALS
ESTABLISHED CAMP
POT-HANGING TOOL
This campfire is perfect when staying several days at a site. Find two
poles about a metre long, and five centimetres thick with a “Y” at one
end. Sharpen the opposite ends and pound them into the soil on
either side of your fire. Place another pole (thick enough to carry the
weight you have in mind) into the “Y” shapes over the fire. Now you’re
ready to hang a cooking pot above the flames.
QUICK-AND-EASY POLE FIRE
Try this single-pole structure when camping along a sandy beach or
in an area with a gravelly surface. Find a pole two to three metres
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One of the fastest ways to heat water for soup or noodles involves
placing your cooking pot directly onto still-glowing coals that have
burned down. Huck Finn would have used this method if he wanted to
eat fast. Alternatively, he could have placed his pot pressed up against
burning branches. When you try this, make sure your pot sits flat and
secure to avoid spills.
So how do you hang a pot above your fire? Two choices. The
easiest is to bend a double thickness of clothes hangar wire so it
hooks around your pot handle and the fire structure pole. Or you
could find a five-centimetre-thick pole about half a metre long with a
branch that angles off slightly. Cut off the branch leaving about three
to four cms remaining, a stub to grasp the pot handle. Now cut a
notch into the pole so it hangs easily and securely from the pole(s) of
your fire structure. Φ
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