Want to learn more about fires from me? I have a FREE course "Fire Fundamentals", which you can grab right now. You get an email per day for ten days, including links to lessons and curated selections of my online materials on fire-making. Follow the link to level up your fire skills now - paulkirtley.co.uk/fire-fundamentals-free-course
@learnshareevolve1842
3 жыл бұрын
Great video. This topic seems to be rarely ‘covered’ (pun intended).
@danielschultz11
3 жыл бұрын
I thought he “uncovered” the mystery topic of lighting a fire under a tarp. (pun fun)
@ThreeDirtyMen
5 жыл бұрын
I have had small (and a few times not-so-small) fires under a nylon tarp for years and years. The only thing that happened to the tarp is the sweet-sweet awesome smell of smoke that by now does not come off. No holes, no melting. Fantastic piece of kit to help you in rain, wind, snow and sunshine.
@PaulKirtley
5 жыл бұрын
Indeed, you keep the smell of the forest and memories of the campfire for long after the trip. :-)
@ThreeDirtyMen
5 жыл бұрын
@@PaulKirtley And when you are kept indoors by the work, one can open the rucksack and take a little sniff to remember to good times and look forward for the next trip!
@BradyPatterson
5 жыл бұрын
@Hazgal, the most underrated benefit is that smell!
@yetinother
5 жыл бұрын
I think there are several factors for doing this safely, the type of wood and moisture level of the wood makes some difference, note how he plants his fire near one end of tarp, how the tarp is faced compared to prevailing winds. Where i get to camp all we have is sappy pine that tends to have larger floating embers and sap explosions, which even with a small fire can be a hazard.
@BradyPatterson
5 жыл бұрын
Way to address this, it never occurs to me these days to not have a fire under a tarp, I couldn't imagine it. A large part of the year here on the West Coast of BC, lighting a fire in the open is a recipe for not having a fire as the torrential rain just puts it out. But I remember as a kid being told not to do it and I don't recall when that changed but I'm glad it did. Keeping warm, dry, and under cover makes all the difference when I'm out. Thanks Paul for sharing all that you do.
@QuantumPyrite_88.9
5 жыл бұрын
Here in Alaska , it's quite common to smoke fish and game under a canvas tarp which is far more fire resistant than nylon / synthetics . I've used small pit fires under nylon with no problems . The Dakota fire hole works great . Great video Mr. Kirtley and Thanks .
@wildernessfieldjournal8211
5 жыл бұрын
Great Video! Some of the best times I've had while backpacking have been sheltered under a tarp with the warm fire in front of me. Having a spare tarp while backpacking can mean the difference between being tent bound and having a relaxing evening in the rain.
@zoehancock
5 жыл бұрын
I've got a tarp which has had many a fire burning under it- it's quite smelly but fine apart from that.
@TwoPlusTwoEqualsFive32
4 жыл бұрын
I love the smell of wood smoke, always makes me crave going outdoors. It was torture during the fires here in Australia, craving to go camping but knowing I would die quite badly if I did lol.
@Hanuboru
5 жыл бұрын
I have experimented with a fire blanket clipped under the nylon tarp I use. It allows you to have your tarp quite low overhead. It is an extra weight I know but this glass wool fibre blanket can be useful in certain circumstances.
@carbonator8273
2 жыл бұрын
I've used my solo stove in a tarp tent set up, like you said as long as it's not raging you should be fine
@stetomlinson3146
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this Paul. My tarp goes with me on day hikes and has saved me from a wet lunch many times! For anyone still a little wary, despite Pauls' demonstration, I use my Firebox wood stove when I go out, to cook on. It's ideal for under the tarp. It also gives me different options for cooking on, spirit stove or gas in Winter. Being in the UK landowners and such have a dislike of people lighting fires on their land, (especially in their woodlands!), and so the stove is a happy compromise.
@sheerwillsurvival2064
5 жыл бұрын
Excellent demo I have found in Rocky Mountains of America northwest that the pine tree with resins in it creates hot embers that on days with no wind go straight up and burn tarps so we place fire at end of trap and angle tarp at 45 degrees to fire like a large lean to 👍🏻
@JoeOsChannel
5 жыл бұрын
I've been having campfires underneath my ultralight sil-tarp for many, many years. Not even one spar hole in it. I love my tarp and have enjoyed many, many nights underneath it enjoying my fire as it rains. Subscribed!
@sosteve9113
5 жыл бұрын
Same here,no problem with it,if you use it responsible
@JoeOsChannel
5 жыл бұрын
@@sosteve9113 Maybe I'll do a video of this on one of my next canoe or sea kayak trips out here on Lake Superior for my KZitem channel now too.
@sosteve9113
5 жыл бұрын
@@JoeOsChannel interesting I love to canoeing myself unfortunately I don't live in a area with the possibility to do it as much a want,I do more hiking and bushcraft on my channel
@PaulKirtley
5 жыл бұрын
Thank you Joe. Will check out your channel.
@JoeOsChannel
5 жыл бұрын
@@PaulKirtley Thanks Paul... just subscribed to yours.
@neil03051957
5 жыл бұрын
Angle the tarp lower at one end and have the fire at the high end to encourage initial smoke out on calmer days, once the wood are coals no probs anyway just stops initial build up in the tarp apex.
@madenciufuk
3 жыл бұрын
That's a good way too. It's become warm like a sauna. But it also cause moisture too in some situations
@nigelgregory4777
5 жыл бұрын
Hi Paul, Once again you have delivered a very informative article, short and sweet and to the point, no messing around just get on with it, Many thanks, Nige.
@darnelltobar9726
5 жыл бұрын
GoneCommando 😂😂😂
@nigelgregory4777
4 жыл бұрын
Note to gone commando dipshit, I was posting a complimentary observation on his presentation but as you are a complete dickhead and are probably another tosspot sat in an armchair, I will say swivel on it, or take it on with 5RRF 🖕
@2secondslater
4 жыл бұрын
G'day from Australia, I use a small fire under my tarp quite often when hammock camping, I burn slightly green Melaleuca or Eucalypt to keep the mosquitos at bay.
@SlyDz420
3 жыл бұрын
I appreciate all you have done. Giving excellent advice to beginners all the way up to experienced backpackers. Cheers
@northwoodsrat6686
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks, Paul, for dispelling the myth about fires under tarps . I was never 100% sure about this until now. Great to see you hanging out in Canada's magnificent wildlands - endless beauty ! Thanks for posting this latest vid, and ATB to you and yours.
@dmdecc
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! Always love a good informative video for wilderness camping👍🏼
@BushcraftBoy
5 жыл бұрын
Can you light a fire under a tarp? It depends on the tarp and the size of the fire. The waterproofing chemicals used on some tarps are highly flammable. Nylon doesn't react well flying embers either. At best, an ember will burn a hole in the tarp. At worst you'll lose the tarp.
@waltermorgan3293
5 жыл бұрын
The major problem with a fire under a tarp, canvas or even a piece of plastic is the concentrated heat directly over the fire. It may melt and sag into the fire. Sparks and embers will not set on the underside or even hit the material. They are moving in the hot air stream along the surface. I have never had a problem if the tarp is 5 or 6 feet above.
@robertgoss4842
Жыл бұрын
Great video on tarp use. I just bought a 10 x 10 tarp, and the fire issue was raised by the ol' ball and chain. I sniffed and said, '"Of COURSE it'll be all right. Do you think I don't know anything?" Glad to find out I was right.
@TheSillySwagman
3 жыл бұрын
I had been wondering about this as I’ve been doing this exact thing without issues. Nice to see 👍
@FlatlandMando
5 жыл бұрын
Some tarps obtainable also have a silvery surface. If downward toward the fire, might this help too? I guess a person needs to light at least 1 tarp on fire to know " Ooh that was too close"!
@SublimatedIce
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video. Sometimes a video does a lot better job at teaching than a blog post and some photos.
@johanborgstrm3503
5 жыл бұрын
I really love the way you use the ferro rod.
@TheMglen
5 жыл бұрын
How did I get here this early? Been doing this for years. You just need to keep an eye on it. Works a treat.
@PaulKirtley
5 жыл бұрын
First time for everything :-)
@user-fu9vj9ix3g
Жыл бұрын
Short answer: yes. Long answer: Yes, but... Having a ton of experience in pouring rain allmy life, a tarp over a fire is a necessity to me. So, what works best? Canvas. Even non-treated canvas is much harder to ignite than anything else. Even after I have treated it with BLO/Mineral spirits, etc, etc, it just doesn't want to go up easily. Materials like Silnylon, or just nylon are essentially plastic, and can be melted fairly easy by a fire that is too tall or too large in circumference. Height or width of a fire basically equals the heat output. So, with synth materials, just be more careful - and make sure you have a good exit draft.
@Icanfigureitoutintime
5 жыл бұрын
What a modest spark.
@Haerleif
3 жыл бұрын
I've burnt many a dead-spruce campfire and sprucewood throws a lot of sparks, it is common knowledge here in Norway and the sparks burn holes in your tarp (if it's a normal thin nylon tarp) - it's not the melting of the tarp that's the problem if anyone are worried about that, that's surprisingly maybe, not an issue mostly. So good advice for this type of spark generating fire would be - keep your fire small, keep your fire out of the wind and cover it up with pots and pans asap.
@nwprimate6416
5 жыл бұрын
Great stuff Paul. You surprised me with how low you pitched that tarp without it being wet; which perfectly illustrated your point. I've always been a bit hesitant to burn under my tarps unless they are well above head height over the flames; so thank you for the lesson.
@PaulKirtley
5 жыл бұрын
Cheers for the comment Brian :-)
@manuelgonzalez-wy2bn
5 жыл бұрын
Swedish torch or Dakota fire hole could be an option too......🌋
@suecollins3246
2 жыл бұрын
I'd go for the Dakota. Lower.
@blackbirdsinging6264
4 жыл бұрын
Just subbed after seeing you on TA outdoors.Camped for many years but older now and poorly but thought bushcraft hobbying would be awesome even if only atound my property and safety first of course as Im female,lost some muscle and strength etc,but Im going to enjoy the journey and try to learn some fantastic life skills- hopefully can entice my son away from screens too😬
@HexagonicDistortion
5 жыл бұрын
"Hi there now poor kelly here..." Gotta love those auto generated captions.
@inthewoodswithbigfoot3941
4 жыл бұрын
Awesome to see you doing these things on a trip. Thanks for sharing!
@kimbullock475
5 жыл бұрын
Brilliant Paul...
@PaulKirtley
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks Kim.
@richardoldham6756
5 жыл бұрын
Good practical common sence advice as always Paul👍
@jjurksztowicz
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks, I guess I've always been wary of pine sparks. I'll have to muster the courage to try this in the autumn.
@PaulKirtley
5 жыл бұрын
Glad it was useful. Just don't go wild with the small fuel initially and it'll be fine.
@denofearthundertheeverlast5138
10 ай бұрын
I bet that fire smelt (or smelled) amazing with the spruce and balsam fir
@jake-gd8rb
3 жыл бұрын
I see people doing a swiss log fire where they split it into 4 then stuff the center somehow bind it back together and they burn it vertically what i wonder is whether it would burn horizontily very well??
@DB-nu1nn
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this video, Mr. Kirtley! I appreciate that you speak from a great deal of experience and are able to demonstrate with confidence!
@YanickGirouard
3 жыл бұрын
2:28 - Spider's like "OM MY GOD FIRRRREEEEE!!!!!!!!!!"
@stevenlocklear7711
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks Paul, question answered. 👍🏼
@PaulKirtley
5 жыл бұрын
My pleasure Steven.
@danelobe2524
5 жыл бұрын
Can you light a fire under a tarp ? Yes, you can also light a fire in your crawl space. Should you light a fire under a tarp ? Not if you dont want a burn hole in it. A small fire you can put anywhere, a real fire will burn green leaves in the summer time 15 ' away. Remember he said small fire. I have a 20' tarp we use for fires in the winter. it has a 4' hole in the center, just so we can have a real fire without burning our tarp up. The benefit is the tarp reflects and hold radiant heat, and reflects it back in a wide circle. you can sit under the tarp in a good fire while it's snowing and be in your tee shirt. Every one loves it.
@cameronlewington3005
5 жыл бұрын
Hi Paul, another no-nonsense but common sense tutorial...Best wishes on your journey..Cam
@jeffreyrobinson3555
5 жыл бұрын
Do living history and historic trekking so I’ve had more then one fire under a tarp or inside a canvas wedge tent with doors pinned open. Old Indian saying, ‘white man build big fire stay back stay cold, Indian build little fire, get close stay warm.’ Advise I’ve lived with over almost fifty years of camping in rough conditions.
@lindamon5101
3 жыл бұрын
Cute lil fire, small is good. Fire variety series. Condtions. Safety. Safery . Safety.
@steveblunt9532
4 жыл бұрын
Great video again Paul and glad to see I'm not the only one turning into a cool silverback!
@alphapatriot8405
4 жыл бұрын
Thnxs for uploading and sharing
@Janetdavenporttdk10
5 жыл бұрын
raise the tarp as high as you can (or need), watch out for wood that throws sparks to high (try to avoid), and it should be fine.
@Segasocks
5 жыл бұрын
Ha ha! I took my tarp out for the first time the other day, lit a fire 8ft away and when packing up i noticed a small piece had melted itself to my tarp creating a hole!
@Janetdavenporttdk10
5 жыл бұрын
@@Segasocks you don't build a bonfire under it. And at one of our camps we had large tarps raised 10 - 15 feet off the ground or higher. We still got the occasional spark that would fly up and put a hole, nothing too big.
@lynnann96
5 жыл бұрын
I wish all you folks who use birch bark to start fires, take care when taking from live trees to NOT strip all the way around the circumference of the tree. Someone should do a video of the correct gathering process. Also thank the tree for it's gift please.
@JasonR1998
5 жыл бұрын
LynnAnn Thomas shut up tree hugger
@lynnann96
5 жыл бұрын
Jason Reginato respect you mother please?
@arrendaled
5 жыл бұрын
It would be more appropriate to apologize to the tree for your theft of it's natural protection than to assume the tree wants to give it to you while it's still on the tree. A bit like thanking a table while you take the tip that a previous diner left for the server.
@lynnann96
5 жыл бұрын
Kemp Arrendale I only use fallen tree parts. Never a live tree.
@JasonR1998
5 жыл бұрын
LynnAnn Thomas respect my ass thank you.
@warpedone2
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks for filming
@ScientistPrepper
3 жыл бұрын
thanks for the lesson.
@duggydugg3937
5 жыл бұрын
a rocket stove with a flat plate or a can above the fire chimney might be ok under an open tarp.. in a tent, a barrel over the fire chimnney andca smokey pipe and a pipe jack leading out would be needed
@JustBlondie
2 жыл бұрын
I’d be scared of the embers burning holes in it when they float :/ I had a small bush box I did a little fire in and had to move it away because of the floating embers. Made me scared to try it again in case I burnt holes in my tarp.
@AtlasReburdened
5 жыл бұрын
Yeah, if the top is wet you're all good. You can actually boil water in a ziplock bag over an open flame because of how much energy water takes with it as it converts to steam. You do have to be a little mindful still, it will melt from direct flame licking it, but it works.
@ayechapin1
2 жыл бұрын
Good to know
@PaulKirtley
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks
@saetmusic
5 жыл бұрын
Always love your videos. Very informative and matter of fact. This is no exception. Question answered!
@Alaska610ish
5 жыл бұрын
Thank you Paul. I always wondered about this.
@PaulKirtley
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the feedback Tom. I'm glad this was useful.
@esphilee
5 жыл бұрын
You made it look so easy.
@doctorbea
5 жыл бұрын
I love everything you put out, good sir. This is great.
@mjallenuk
5 жыл бұрын
Nice short explanation ... always love to see your method with the tip of the knife. Still mastering that one but it's an absolute must once you start doing it. I went for a link back to your main website in the description but I guess I'll have to type it out... getting lazy now I'm in my 40's 😁
@justindawson3428
5 жыл бұрын
Some people seem to get scared about fire almost like it is evil and will burn anything that comes close to it. We just need try, experiment and respect fire. Another good video Paul.
@wilsjane
2 жыл бұрын
The main problem is that these days very few people live with open fires, so they don't realise that although fire is hot, it takes time to burn. From the age of about 10, when we drafted the wood fire with newspaper and it caught alight, I knew that to stop it from flying up the chimney the best way to put it out was by quickly scrunching it out with my hands. Natural fibre furnishings and clothing are also safer, since they do not melt and stick to your hands like treacle and I soon realised that if the paper was too hot for my young hands, scrunching against my Levi's put it out instantly. I also remember the time when a cushion caught alight and one of my friends used his cowhide leather jacket to put it out. Since moving to London, I have noticed that most people are far more afraid of fire and quite a lot of them have never put a cigarette out with one hard pinch. Have you ever had someone look at you as if you are crazy when you put a candle or cigarette out with your fingers without breaking the ember off first.?
@Stavrakasgr4
4 жыл бұрын
Wouldn't be better if we use a pit fire like the Dakota type? One great benefit is that this type of fire is smokeless. Just a thought.
@chrisrip9957
5 жыл бұрын
Tks for the video , nice looking trip.
@PaulKirtley
5 жыл бұрын
Cheers Chris. I'll have a vid of the trip out later in the year.
@LGSkywalker82
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this simple clarification Paul!
@MisfitMentors
Жыл бұрын
Hey Paul, great video, thanks. I hope you don't mind if I use a screenshot of this for my blog. Let me know if you'd rather I didn't.
@bucky716
Жыл бұрын
I tried explaining this to someone recently and i don't think they understood the idea of NOT having a raging bonfire.
@magicdaveable
5 жыл бұрын
My "tarp" is made from very tightly woven 100% coarse guard hair wool that has been treated with a blend of beeswax and lanolin. It is waterproof and does not burn. I use a j-tube style fire to keep the fire very well controlled. My Great Kilt is my "sleeping bag and my rolled up waterproofed great kilt keep my dry.
@PMunkS
5 жыл бұрын
Nuthin like enjoying a fire on a cold rainy day under the dry comfort of a tarp. One of the joys of camping. Just be mindful of the distance between the fire and tarp, the wind conditions, the intensity of the flame, and don't leave it unattended. Also be ready to take quick action should the need arise. If y'all are concerned about fire control under such circumstances, consider a "Dakota" fire pit. Under no circumstances should you ever take fire management for granted.
@freddyoutdoors
2 жыл бұрын
Great content paul
@BEATSofDevil
2 жыл бұрын
So are the rules and guidelines on what to avoid when building a fire under a tarp. Like minimum distance. Depending on material? Depending on weather? Or other things?
@lastknownlocation8760
5 жыл бұрын
Great stuff
@nobull-dozer3356
5 жыл бұрын
Thank you for the information Paul . Greatfully received .
@dandavis7073
5 жыл бұрын
Keypoint: Dakota firepit, keeps it small, no wind problems, keeps you warm and coffee hot.
@MrGlewYouTubeChangedMyHandle
5 жыл бұрын
Just what I was thinking.
@johnos4892
5 жыл бұрын
Is the fire under the tarp? Looks to be outside the tarp.
@birdbrainsolutions6112
3 жыл бұрын
Who the hell keeps teaching these people to actually say please like and subscribe?? This is the first video of yours I have watched, and I can tell you Paul, you're too classy to do that. In fact you're too classy to have to do that, people will like and subscribe anyway. For eg., I subscribed, but not because you asked me to, but because I liked this video and how you explained things :)
@jonbray6861
3 жыл бұрын
Love your videos, subscribed for a while but missed a lot of your latter videos. I feel a binge coming on.....
@thomasnugent3836
2 жыл бұрын
Very good. Thank you very much
@saraskold9631
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this video
@danielflowers3564
5 жыл бұрын
Looking good P.K. Another solid informational video.
@PaulKirtley
5 жыл бұрын
Cheers Daniel.
@samtemple3182
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks Paul great video. I was one of the many who asked about this. Very satisfying to watch . Thanks again
@johnnyloco11
5 жыл бұрын
Great video Paul wish you would do some more.
@sheepdogoverwatch8770
5 жыл бұрын
Good to go !
@COMB0RICO
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks from Texas!
@trooper2221
5 жыл бұрын
Good stuff Paul, I found you on TA outdoors channel.
@Okie8T9
29 күн бұрын
What jacket is that? Love the big pockets.
@kameronemery993
5 жыл бұрын
Very helpful. Thanks Paul!
@keithspence1630
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks Paul always good advice.
@andythornhill6878
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks Paul, I do however find it odd that some people would think you would not be able to have a small fire under a tarp.
@johan.ohgren
5 жыл бұрын
I'd think that is because most people imagine the tarp used as a tent with low roof. In that case it would be a no. The reason it works here is because of good ventilation and high roof.
@andythornhill6878
5 жыл бұрын
@@johan.ohgren yes that is very true.
@journeyman7189
5 жыл бұрын
Excellent tips as always Paul.ThanksNate
@anthonyjohnson9185
5 жыл бұрын
I thought you had stopped doing vids! Good quality camera and informative. Cheers P man.
@richsmout550
5 жыл бұрын
Cheers Paul that was really helpful
@christopherbock6231
4 жыл бұрын
Very informative. Thank you. I have a survival blanket with a mylar lining. Will have to see how it holds up. Btw- where did you get the anorak? Love the big pockets!
@althiel01
5 жыл бұрын
Lovely spot for a camp, you would have to drag me away from there once it would be time to leave 😍😃 Also nice to see you bought your Raven PK1 along 👍
@timhallas4275
5 жыл бұрын
Can you light a fire? Well, if the answer yes, then you can light a fire under a tarp. I think the question you meant to ask was, Should I NOT, for any reason,, light a fire under a tarp.... to which I would say, if it's your tarp, then do whatever you want with it. I recommend you keep the fire small and the height of the tarp over 8 feet.
@albeklik8055
5 жыл бұрын
I like the video and I like the way you put it Queensland of course it is but the real one is far away.
@AshOutdoorsUK
5 жыл бұрын
Good video! Just subscribed 👍🏼
@PaulKirtley
5 жыл бұрын
Thank you and welcome!
@prettyoutside7464
5 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing the video, Paul! It’s nice to see you with your amazing knife. :)
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