Whats the best way to start and keep a fire burning with little to no smoke?

Question

for example, your on a camping trip and you want to start a fire. besides your ignition source (lighters, matches, sticks, ect...), all you have is the surrounding natural environment. you want as LITTLE smoke possible, NO smoke preferred. how would you do it? what would you do?

Answer 1

There's no guarantee of finding dry hardwood where you go camping, and unless you have a supply of dry wood that hasn't rotted, you're gonna have lots of smoke and it's gonna burn unevenly.  HINT: buy your firewood at the campground store or bring your own with you.  You'll need some kindling, so either bring that too or bring a tool with which you can turn a larger chunk of firewood into little pieces that'll light easily.  Put on enough wood to build up a nice bed of coals, and then feed the fire bit by bit to keep it burning.  DO NOT build a d**n bonfire - that's wasteful, dangerous and tends to p**s off your camping neighbors - some of whom are big and tough and others of whom may be armed!

The trick is solid, dry wood.  If you cut your own, it will need to dry under shelter for at least six months - a year is better.  Dry hardwood will produce lots less smoke than dry soft (like from evergreens) wood.  But if a nearly smokeless fire is important to you - don't be a cheapskate; bring your own charcoal and use that!

Answer 2

Bottom line is dry wood.  Provide plenty of air space between the sticks.  Add additional fuel a little at a time.  There's no such thing as a completely smokeless fire until you get to alcohol or propane. But if you are trying to have a campfire without revealing your location by the smoke do as I said above and make the fire in a safe place in a thicket of trees which will disperse the smoke and obscure it's source.  Remember yer Smokey the Bear rules and have a bucket, shovel and axe handy.  Make sure your fire is dead out before leaving camp.

Answer 3

dry, dry, and more dry combustibles.  I would probably shave some lint from my socks for an ignition source.  never use leaves or green wood, it smolders and smokes forever.

Answer 4

Make sure the wood isnt wet. Umm besides that..try not to smother such as once you have flame...Dont piles sticks or leaves or w/e onto it.