You’re probably still using the Tipi or Log Cabin type of fire when you go camping, aren’t you?
Ever hear of an upside down fire?
No… you’re not going to get flames magically shooting downwards, but the upside down (or reverse) fire is built in reverse to what you’d normally do for making a fire.
Apparently this type of fire is supposed to burn more efficiently, longer and hotter.
Well, it was now time for me to put it to the test.
Collect your firewood first. This is where a bit of planning should be required. Largest logs go on the bottom, followed by smaller and smaller until you get to your kindling and tinder up on the top.
I’m not out camping with a chainsaw in hand, so my bottom logs are only about 4″ thick at the most. My Gerber Gator Axe chopped through those quickly, but I wouldn’t bother to attempt chopping much larger with it.
Layer the wood side by side, tight together, and repeat with each layer until you have a pyramid shape constructed.
For me, I added a few larger sticks on top of my tinder (a paper snack food bag) just to ensure things got going and lit the fire (single match).
For my review?
The fire burned hotter and more efficiently – but it seemed to have burned a whole lot faster than I expected. Perhaps I needed larger logs on the bottom, perhaps the wood I used was just extremely dry, perhaps it was a matter of perception. I haven’t quite yet made a verdict on the reverse fire and will likely revert back to my log cabin type fire for the most part – after all, with how quickly my upside down fire burned, I was still having to add new wood regularly to keep some flames going to keep me warm and the tea boiling. This pretty much negated the efficiency of my reverse fire as things burned away.
Have you any personal experience with a reverse fire you’d like to share? Comment below with your experiences!
