Do check with your site whether these are allowed, or if you really want to build a proper old-fashioned fire then find a site where they are permitted. Finding fuel needn’t be a problem as most sites that allow fires also sell kindling and wood. Prices and loads vary widely from site to site but it is nice to support the site you are staying at.

Firelighters are a sure-fire way of getting things lit, but if you don’t have any, or prefer not to use them, then you will need something as tinder. Newspaper or other unprinted paper is usually the easiest thing to take with you, but toilet paper makes an excellent stand in for tinder, just make sure you don’t burn it all!

The type of fire that first springs to mind as a campfire is the teepee style fire, where the logs are built up in a pyramid shape providing even heat on all sides. This is the type of fire that people usually build, and while it can be attractive, it does need a lot of tending and it will burn more wood for the heat output than other styles. It can also be hard to keep the heart of the fire warm, as it takes a long time to build a bed of embers. If you intend to cook over your fire, this is not the best way to start it.

The best way to achieve a glowing heart is to use a criss-cross lay, building up layers of logs almost like a game of Jenga. Start with small pieces of kindling and tinder then build up with some small logs. When the fire is going, keep laying logs in a criss-cross design and build the fire up and outwards. Another option, especially efficient when heat is only needed on one side of the fire, is to build a linear fire, similar to the criss-cross, then lay sticks fanned out towards the side of the fire you need to make warm.