Dude. Just wanted to say thanks. Used this on my elk hunt last week, worked like a charm. I built a large backstop of stones and a nice oxygen flow channel. I am 59 years old and never knew this method. Made my campfire perfect. Will do this every time from now on. Thanks again!
Yeah, it works well. Ironically, my wife had a fire pit built in our back yard. I wanted these principles built in to the design. As usual I was ignored in favor of ascetics she wanted. So now when we have a fire we do the time honored chair shuffle as the smoke chases us around the pit. Oh well. I try to not remind her to often that occasionally I know what I'm talking about:).
I know a lot of people are criticizing the length of the video, and how "the point could be made quicker", but I am a fan of thoroughness. Thanks for the knowledge.
Thanks for taking the time to share your survival tips. Can't believe anyone would complain about your video. Ultimately those kinds of people will be the ones freezing and starving. More for the rest of us.
You're very welcome my friend. I'm really glad to hear that you enjoyed the video in it's entirety. Thank you so much for taking the time to watch and for leaving such a great comment/feedback... it truly means a lot to me.
+Nancy Dowd Glad to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the video :) Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment by the way... it's very much appreciated! ATB -John
Wait... I don’t think your math is quite right on that... If you skip 5 minutes of video you only save yourself... well, 5 minutes. At least, that’s how my math works.
Built this fire on my land in upstate NY last weekend..We have tons of stone on the property, and I used a very large, flat piece of slate for the back, and smaller stones as the front frame just as outlined in the video..It ended up being the absolute best camp fire I've ever experienced..I mean PERFECT! No smoke in the eyes over the entire 3 days of camping...awesome!
I've been building my firepits this way for a couple years now. I like it for the ability to rake coals forward for cooking. Thanks for another great video.
I can't wait to not only try this campfire out, but also, I love piciing up these "nuggets of knowledge", such as the reason smoke follows us around a campfire & what we can do to help stop it! This is the kind of stuff I pull out around my niece & nephew on hunting trips which impresses them greatly & keeps their attention! Thanks for great info! Can't wait to try the bacon & eggs in a bag trick too - they willnthink I'm a magician!
I had to go in for treatment today... because your videos are so addictive. Thank you Sir. I cannot put a value on your research and your shared knowledge, thank you again.
Really glad to see you reply here lately. Been following you for over a decade now, you have a legacy of videos, but I hope you do some more, legendary calm and informative. On the other hand, being away from the TH-cam pressure must be a blessing. Hope you're good!
I can't even begin to tell you how much your kind and very generous words mean to me my brother! And I am incredibly grateful for your support for all these years now... a decade plus... wow! That is extremely humbling man. Thank you! I am hoping to start uploading again here before long... really been missing the community here (you just showed exactly why with your comment). I am doing good. I hope you're doing good as well my friend! All the best.... -John
"Smoke follows beauty". I grew up with that saying. not sure what it really means, but it was a way to look less stupid when you were choking on a backdraft
Smoke is one of the worst things to deal with especially when you have COPD, it has kept me from enjoying one of my favorite hobbies, camping with my family and friends, for over 8 years. Thanks on behalf of COPD sufferers everywhere and thanks for another great videos, please keep them coming.
this is more about directing where the smoke will go smokeless fires are usually contained or buried with air intake low to get higher temperature which burns the smoke before it escapes smoke is unburnt particles escaping on the updraft
John your the best. it takes a minute for the fire to get hot enough to consume the fuel in an efficient manner. less smoke in the end after everything gets going. thanks again for your videos I enjoy them very much.
OK so I’m new to all of this and people are complaining about the length of the video but for someone like myself understanding the logistics is very important to me! So all you haters out there back off some of us actually need this information
I really enjoy your videos. I have tried many of your tips and gave myself a smack on the head when I realized I could've done this a long time ago. Keep em coming.
Thanks for the knowledge - useful. Hey, you could have told the story in about 30 seconds. I've made about 150 videos, and noticed people only watch average 90 seconds, so I'm now condensing the content - vital stuff first, and no woffling. 'Just a suggestion from a comrade wishing you better success, not meant to be a criticism. Bruce Thomson in New Zealand.
I tend to watch the videos all they way through because I download instead of streaming them. Out in the hinterland I can stream maybe at 240p but prefer to watch at 480p, so I use a downloader and watch them later. Since I've got the whole video I tend to watch the entire show.
I don't like videos that are too condensed, that speed through things. I like the atmosphere of the video. I mean, with makeup or cooking tutorials, sure, it makes sense. But with backwoods videos, I like to see things happen in real time if possible.
i personaly think that the video should be to the point and precise. the person doing the video should take their time and explain in detail. there are some people that have to be talked to slowly and explicitly(like me) the more in detail it gets the better i like it. If it takes a while it's ok with me. when i sit down to look at the videos i have plenty of time on my hands.
I liked the pace and atmosphere of the video. Everything was explained on the reasoning behind it. Then, that fire with dry tinder started super fast! This pace was good for teaching by example.
I'm so very glad to hear that you enjoyed this Patricia! Thank you very much for your kind words and support by the way... it truly means a lot! All the best.... -John
You could also start the fire up against the back rock so the smoke follows it from the get go. Also it will warm the rock up and reflect the heat into the fire causing less smoke and making it more efficient. Then when your larger wood is on it, it is also gaining from the large amount of initial heat from the tinder from warming up that rock!
I will be showing this to my scout troop - to reinforce the fire triangle. BTW - science behind smoke being attracted to rocks or people is basically the Bernoulli principle. Directed air flow over a surface lowers pressure there - which is why smoke follows you. If you did not have the rock there, then people standing around the fire would act like the rock instead. Great video, as always!
Thanks, I've never really had a problem with smoke, but that's how I build my fire. I guess that I've been doing it right without knowing the cause and affect. I'm not reinventing the wheel. I just do things the way I was taught in Boy Scouts, and elsewhere. Someone down the line must have know this lesson in this video. Now I know why.
@Jake Shattuck i'm not the video poster, but you'd sleep at the same location in front of the rock chair because it'll reflect heat back towards you. i understand what you're saying about your body blocking the oxygen supply though. personally i'm not a fan of this campfire design.
Great tip - I'll be building a camp fire this weekend, so I'm filling up on as much information on how to best do that as I can. Thanks for sharing atb
This is an awesome video. Thank you for the tips as we just built our own backyard fire pit. Interesting though, my husband and I built one that is of the same example you're showing here ...we put a gap on the bottom of the fire ring. Perfect (video) time length. Detailed and informative. Thank you and More power to your site. :)
+stupidgenious1 Thanks man.. I really appreciate the generous compliment. Totally understand the ADHD thing btw... I get the same thing watching my own long-winded videos at times, lol ;) All the best! -John
Great tip John. I've never seen anything like that. I'm absolutely going to try this out next weekend. Also, it's excellent seeing you and mr. inspire working together. I've really enjoyed his channel; almost as much as your's of course. Have a great one John, and thanks again for all you do on TH-cam.
Thanks Matt... I really appreciate that buddy! I definitely have to say that it's been an awesome experience getting to not only work with Chris, but to have the chance to do it out in some gorgeous country as well :) Hope you have an epic time out on your adventure next weekend!
Carcinogens are cancer-causing compounds. I assume you mean Hydrocarbons? If you weigh a piece of wood before and after drying, you'll find the majority of the mass is water. Green Oak is 75-80% water by weight. Even properly seasoned firewood is still ~20% water, but there is no "properly seasoned" firewood in the wilderness. So yes, the majority of smoke is evaporated water.
+fromkentucky lol I've been through countless classes on this. First thing you learn in a firefighting classroom is that smoke is unburned carcinogens. If you trap actual smoke in an airtight containment you can light it on fire
In a house fire, yes, because that's all dry material. Wood in the forest is not. Again, Carcinogens are cancer-causing compounds. You can find all of this in a chemistry textbook. www.dictionary.com/browse/carcinogen
IntenseAngler They say smoke follows beauty... now your telling me it also follows a flat rock? What a blow to me ego. Nice video, I'm from Idaho, where did you shot it at? Keep up the good work!
cosman1968 When I was in the Boy Scouts we used to say, "Smoke follows beauty" when anyone complained about the smoke of the campfire. 50 years on and I still don't know why that was supposed to be a consolation. Maybe flat rocks are more beautiful. . . .
Doesn't seem logical that a person would attract smoke but it does happen.. If I sit at a table with smokers, the smoke comes to me.. I can change seats, move ashtrays or even redirect a draft and it still comes mostly to me, same with a campfire.. It's an ongoing joke between my friends and me.. How to explain it.?
I do not want to contradict this guy, he seems to want to genuinely help =p. I think alot of the smoke is caused by steam. You can reduce the smoke drastically by using dry wood. If I took a guess I would say water vapor also facilitates particles rising into the air by increasing the air density. As far as I know smoke is 'not' attracted to other objects or people. The best thing you can do is probably sit up-wind.
Hello Zanzubaa, I am you from the future. I searched to find out how to reduce smoke from my open fire and found our comment that I had forgotten I had made all that time ago. Thanks! I have something to add though! The guy sais oxygen is important but does not really go into why. What it does is lets the fire burn hotter. A hotter fire means more fuel goes un-burned, making it more efficient. Look at gas. Gas has no smoke because it virtually all gets burnt in the reaction.
That tip was quite good, worked fine for me when I tried it. But that:"smoke is attracted to objects" is not really true. It follows the stream of warm air and this way to stack stones generates kind of a natural chimney.
I am no expert but it seems to me that the smoke will "cling" to objects like trees and rocks I think because the air on the leeward side of them is calmer and smoke dissipates slower in the still air, also people generate heat and the air closest to people takes an upward trend sucking air from the ground (similar to the fire) and expelling it above them, this can draw air and smoke towards you.
mike c a really good point, but the warmth of a human is quite low compared to the massive airstream over a fire. So I highly doubt that smoke would "go out of its way" just to get into this cooler stream of air. It seems to be more like a "Full moon fallacy", where stuff sometimes happens, but because it's so unpleasant you tend to say: "smoke always comes my way."
Darius der Rote In the absence of wind the air between the fire and a person becomes warmer than the rest of the air around the fire, forming a natural path for a convection current. Same with trees and rocks as the other comment mentioned..
***** I think what you are talking about is the reflected IR radiation from objects? Like in a heat deflector? But IR heat does not warm the air, at least not significantly. Does anyone has some page with the sience behind this? I really don't get how this is supposed to be working and can't find anything about this phenomenon.
+jamc666 the fire will heat up the rock which will help to keep a warmer pocket of air between the rock and the fire. This warmer pocket of air has a lower pressure than the cooler air around it. That lower pressure will be the preferred channel for the smoke to flow into, when the air is mostly stagnant.
I went camping as a kid in the boy scouts. I was a tenderfoot. So the eagle scouts who were making a fire, sent me hiking a mile through the woods to the outpost supply store to ask for a left handed smoke shifter. The guy at the store explained it was a prank after he stopped laughing. The eagle scouts explained it was ike a plastic milk jug thing with the bottom cut out to hold over the fire and shift the smoke. But they needed a left handed one.
That reminds me of the time I got hired as a bagger at a grocery store and my first assignment was to go to the salad dressing aisle to shake up the dressings for the convenience of the customers...
This pranks are to be found everywhere - and I love them. Send a Trainee (which had nothing to do anymore for the rest of the day) from our Building site down to the workshop to get some "Siemens Air-Hooks" (ger.: Siemens Lufthaken). Told him to look very close, because they are not named for nothing like that - they are nearly invisible. My Boss was pissed off a lot, but I quoted his order to "at least look busy, even if not, until he comes back to pick us and the Tools up again". That pissed him off even more - I wonder why... ;P
Hahaha yes! Pranks on the newbies is always a fun time. I work at a cabinet shop, and I had the new guy asking everyone else in the shop for a "board-stretcher" lol!
Rabijeel once my posse buddies from backin childhooddays ,meaney, sent me to buy some original "getriebesand"...duuude... when i entered theshop, tellin to the owner, a former workin bud of my old man, i needed the extra fine ground grade 69 stuff... well when he eventually came to gasp air he told me nothing like GETRIEBESAND" gearsand" exists... well after i thought bout it came upon meh like a lightning strike... its a german saying to put s.o. sand in his gears aka bring his shit to halt, or at least slowing it down.
P.P.S, after looking on Amazon it seems that the largest diameter auger is 1"×12", it has a tube welded on it to put a stick through to make a T handle, you might want some pipe insulation to put it in to protect your backpack.
+the oncoming storm comes here to learn how to make a smokeless fire, doesnt make a smokeless fire...k title should be avoiding smoke while near camp fires...
I am not an outdoor person but for some reason love watching your channel. You always have great tips. Who knows one day I may really need or use the info you share. Thanks
I swear people will argue over anything and everything. Yes, their is smoke from the fire. There is no such thing as a "smokeless fire". He KNEW there was no such thing as a smokeless fire when he posted the video and created the title. WHY then did he use that title. TO GET VIEWS. Knowing there is no such thing as smokeless fire he also knows that people are going to be drawn to such a title even if they know the concept is completely ridiculous. They still want to see what the video is about. Just like most deceptive titles on TH-cam, it's designed to get views.
This is a common tactic used by literally everyone. Just look at the way fast food commercials are....they show you a thick juicy burger made perfectly and it looks great until you actually order it and it's smashed and thrown together. You are acting like you just discovered the secret to TH-cam that no one else knew. It's a marketing tactic. If this guy titled his video to not get views, he would be just as dumb as you thinking that there was such thing as a smokeless fire. If you're really that dumb to think there is a smokeless fire, there's no hope for you...
Soulrider2012 what's the point of your comment?bitching about people bitching?further proving the people bitching aren't wrong to bitch?you yourself did say it's clickbait?That's more reason to bitch about this shitty video.
This is absolutely brilliant. I just love your videos and cannot believe how simple yet innovative and genius your tips are. I mean cooking eggs and bacon in a paper bag? Who would have known! I’m an outdoors addictive and strive to be a camping connoisseur. So, I am always eager to go and try out one of your tips, so keep’em coming! I will definitely try this in my upcoming camping trip.
Not only a way to make your campfire less smokey,but as I learn in scouts,you can use the same setup to reflect heat into your pup tent,or into a one or two man style backpack tent.
Thanks for the tip, John! It's one I know I'll appreciate the next time I'm sitting around the fire. I also appreciate the kind words brother! I had a great time up in Idaho shooting with you. - Chris
My pleasure Brother! We definitely could have used a little smoke management on that trip.. especially with the way it was chasing us around the fire all evening lol. Good times though man... good times :)
Reading the comments here, it's perturbing to see many which show a poor understanding of science. A few examples: 'heat rises' - no it doesn't. What looks like hot air 'rising', is in fact warmed, hence less dense, air being pushed out of the way by the surrounding more dense cold air. It continues its upwards trajectory until it reaches a place where the air around it matches its density (which is declining as it rises). 'Smoke follows you', yes it certainly _seems_ that way, but again this isn't really what is happening. At near ground level, with many objects obstructing it, air flow (the wind) is anything but straight line as it winds and twists around various obstructions. The smoke, (rising air + unburnt particles) is pushed and pulled in random directions by these frequently changing wind currents. The backstop stone is doing two things - it shelters the fire from wind coming from one direction; second, once it has been heated by the fire, it radiates heat. This has the effect of making a person sitting opposite to it feel warmer. It is not acting as a 'chimney' in any normal definition of that term. For any one with an urge to call me a pedant / nerd, my position is that misinformation doesn't help progress, accurate information does. OK now you can tie me to the post and take aim,
I wouldn't use the word 'absence' myself, since it is an absolute term. ie, you can't be partially absent, either you are or you aren't. But 'less' or 'more' are alright, or in this case 'cooler' and 'warmer' air.
+JZilla69 It's just a commonly used mistake - doesn't make it correct. So the people who say that are just saying what they've heard being used commonly.
+Robert Seviour Thank you for your scientific explanations. I like details and I like people who REALLY know what is happening. In this case colder air moving the warmer air. I think saying "white rabbit" just gives the wind a chance to change or the cold current to move.....hogwash. Also, when one gets up to move out of the smoke, that person is creating a bit of a wind current and the smoke follows.
😃 "...Smoke always goes towards the prettiest!..." --a mysterious yet coughing voice out of that cloud of smoke at every campfire I attended as a child. 😆
That's also against the law in most places and is more likely to cause a safety risk... If you must use accelerant just use lighting fluid. That's what it's made for.
did this against an old rotted out stump man did it reflect the heat and control the smoke...you just have to be sure its out with lots and lots of water before you leave.. I have seen stump fires burn under ground upon the root system... great video!
Thank you so much Kelli! I couldn't agree more... there's certainly nothing quite like sitting around a good campfire. Especially nice to have one in the back yard to enjoy anytime you want - glad you're getting plenty of use out of yours - especially up there in beautiful Alaska! Cheers from Idaho. :)
Thanks for taking the time out of your day to make this video. I always appreciate when people with knowledge pass it on. It really helps the rest of us.
Nice tip! I will certainly try it out! But a reason to limit the oxygen supply to the fire is to make it burn slower. Yes, it doesn't burn as clean/efficient, but it doesn't need as much attention in terms of refuelling.
You're more than welcome my friend! I'm really glad to hear that this will help ya out. Thanks for taking the time to watch and for leaving such a generous comment by the way... it's very much appreciated!
New subscriber. Great vids!
Thanks brother... much appreciated!
IntenseAngler Genius idea mate! I'll be trying this one in chilly old England! Thanks
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Put kindling for fire closer to big back. stone.
Dude. Just wanted to say thanks. Used this on my elk hunt last week, worked like a charm. I built a large backstop of stones and a nice oxygen flow channel. I am 59 years old and never knew this method. Made my campfire perfect. Will do this every time from now on. Thanks again!
Thanks Elk Hunter. Finally someone who actually tried out the idea if it really works.
Yeah, it works well. Ironically, my wife had a fire pit built in our back yard. I wanted these principles built in to the design. As usual I was ignored in favor of ascetics she wanted. So now when we have a fire we do the time honored chair shuffle as the smoke chases us around the pit. Oh well. I try to not remind her to often that occasionally I know what I'm talking about:).
@@ryanjpadilla
watch the video fire ignite quickly without smoke. Amazing...
@@elkhunter8664
Add air to the pit, eg leaf blower ???
I hate hunters hope in your next life you suffer the pain and humiliation you inflict on all the animals you've sl@ughtered.
I know a lot of people are criticizing the length of the video, and how "the point could be made quicker", but I am a fan of thoroughness. Thanks for the knowledge.
Thanks for taking the time to share your survival tips. Can't believe anyone would complain about your video. Ultimately those kinds of people will be the ones freezing and starving. More for the rest of us.
+Rod Rod No, they are the ones which coffing you hear farther than you see the Fire at night....
I try to learn something new EVERY day.. THANX. 50yrs young..I have ALOT left to do..and learn..and teach.
Em, I appreciated that you explained the principles, so that I know not only what to do, but why. Thank you.
You're very welcome my friend. I'm really glad to hear that you enjoyed the video in it's entirety. Thank you so much for taking the time to watch and for leaving such a great comment/feedback... it truly means a lot to me.
@@IntenseAngler I understand. And you’re very welcome 😊
@@lovelyrainflowerfarm 🙂
My husband and I just watched this and we love this idea - makes perfect sense. Thanks- Nancy
+Nancy Dowd Glad to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the video :) Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment by the way... it's very much appreciated!
ATB -John
Start at 5:00 to get the info. Save yourself 7 minutes
No shit right !! Damn blah blah blah
Amazingmandan333 actually you can get all the intro by saying “surround the fire with rocks”
Amazingmandan333 i love you
thanks
Wait... I don’t think your math is quite right on that...
If you skip 5 minutes of video you only save yourself... well, 5 minutes. At least, that’s how my math works.
Built this fire on my land in upstate NY last weekend..We have tons of stone on the property, and I used a very large, flat piece of slate for the back, and smaller stones as the front frame just as outlined in the video..It ended up being the absolute best camp fire I've ever experienced..I mean PERFECT! No smoke in the eyes over the entire 3 days of camping...awesome!
I've been building my firepits this way for a couple years now. I like it for the ability to rake coals forward for cooking. Thanks for another great video.
I can't wait to not only try this campfire out, but also, I love piciing up these "nuggets of knowledge", such as the reason smoke follows us around a campfire & what we can do to help stop it! This is the kind of stuff I pull out around my niece & nephew on hunting trips which impresses them greatly & keeps their attention! Thanks for great info! Can't wait to try the bacon & eggs in a bag trick too - they willnthink I'm a magician!
I had to go in for treatment today... because your videos are so addictive. Thank you Sir.
I cannot put a value on your research and your shared knowledge, thank you again.
Really glad to see you reply here lately. Been following you for over a decade now, you have a legacy of videos, but I hope you do some more, legendary calm and informative. On the other hand, being away from the TH-cam pressure must be a blessing. Hope you're good!
I can't even begin to tell you how much your kind and very generous words mean to me my brother! And I am incredibly grateful for your support for all these years now... a decade plus... wow! That is extremely humbling man. Thank you! I am hoping to start uploading again here before long... really been missing the community here (you just showed exactly why with your comment). I am doing good. I hope you're doing good as well my friend! All the best.... -John
"Smoke follows beauty". I grew up with that saying. not sure what it really means, but it was a way to look less stupid when you were choking on a backdraft
Or maybe you need some smudging ;)
That's what makes you so cool, you never fail to mention others who make great videos like yours. Cheers brother!
Nothing beats a good campfire that you can sit around and talk with your buddies : )
Couldn't agree more my Brother.
Plus... it makes a cool TH-cam name ;)
Fire pits are just as satisfying as a campfire.
Smoke is one of the worst things to deal with especially when you have COPD, it has kept me from enjoying one of my favorite hobbies, camping with my family and friends, for over 8 years. Thanks on behalf of COPD sufferers everywhere and thanks for another great videos, please keep them coming.
this is more about directing where the smoke will go
smokeless fires are usually contained or buried with air intake low to get higher temperature which burns the smoke before it escapes
smoke is unburnt particles escaping on the updraft
John your the best. it takes a minute for the fire to get hot enough to consume the fuel in an efficient manner. less smoke in the end after everything gets going. thanks again for your videos I enjoy them very much.
Thank you! I’m trying to learn all I can about making a camp fire. I love camping but am a lousy fire builder. This was a great video!
Good video lecture, with demonstration.
Rapid ignition, good acceleration, without smoke, as advertised.
Well done. Thanks.....
As a city person who never did this, my camp fire was amazing! thanks a million for the tutorial!
OK so I’m new to all of this and people are complaining about the length of the video but for someone like myself understanding the logistics is very important to me! So all you haters out there back off some of us actually need this information
If the ground is soft enough to dig, the Dakota Fire Hole works better for smokeless. Though it doesn't throw out as much heat to bystanders.
I really enjoy your videos. I have tried many of your tips and gave myself a smack on the head when I realized I could've done this a long time ago.
Keep em coming.
Thanks Sam... means alot brother. Hope this one helps a bit on your next outdoor adventure :)
hi Sam this is Sam.
Thank you, simple but extremely useful idea while camping.
Thanks for the knowledge - useful. Hey, you could have told the story in about 30 seconds. I've made about 150 videos, and noticed people only watch average 90 seconds, so I'm now condensing the content - vital stuff first, and no woffling. 'Just a suggestion from a comrade wishing you better success, not meant to be a criticism. Bruce Thomson in New Zealand.
Thank you for the helpful feedback and suggestions Bruce. Always good to hear of ways to improve.
I tend to watch the videos all they way through because I download instead of streaming them. Out in the hinterland I can stream maybe at 240p but prefer to watch at 480p, so I use a downloader and watch them later. Since I've got the whole video I tend to watch the entire show.
I don't like videos that are too condensed, that speed through things. I like the atmosphere of the video. I mean, with makeup or cooking tutorials, sure, it makes sense. But with backwoods videos, I like to see things happen in real time if possible.
i personaly think that the video should be to the point and precise. the person doing the video should take their time and explain in detail. there are some people that have to be talked to slowly and explicitly(like me) the more in detail it gets the better i like it. If it takes a while it's ok with me. when i sit down to look at the videos i have plenty of time on my hands.
I liked the pace and atmosphere of the video. Everything was explained on the reasoning behind it. Then, that fire with dry tinder started super fast! This pace was good for teaching by example.
Loved this smoky idea!..looks like I'll be able to use you guys videos, looking forward to your channel..thank you..Patricia
I'm so very glad to hear that you enjoyed this Patricia! Thank you very much for your kind words and support by the way... it truly means a lot! All the best.... -John
You could also start the fire up against the back rock so the smoke follows it from the get go. Also it will warm the rock up and reflect the heat into the fire causing less smoke and making it more efficient. Then when your larger wood is on it, it is also gaining from the large amount of initial heat from the tinder from warming up that rock!
I will be showing this to my scout troop - to reinforce the fire triangle. BTW - science behind smoke being attracted to rocks or people is basically the Bernoulli principle. Directed air flow over a surface lowers pressure there - which is why smoke follows you. If you did not have the rock there, then people standing around the fire would act like the rock instead. Great video, as always!
Thanks, I've never really had a problem with smoke, but that's how I build my fire. I guess that I've been doing it right without knowing the cause and affect. I'm not reinventing the wheel. I just do things the way I was taught in Boy Scouts, and elsewhere. Someone down the line must have know this lesson in this video. Now I know why.
tHANKS FOR THE CAMP FIRE TIP ! I going to our Scout Camp & show Cubs 3 ways of a campfire. Thanks again.
lotta smoke on your smokeless fire there.
@Jake Shattuck i'm not the video poster, but you'd sleep at the same location in front of the rock chair because it'll reflect heat back towards you. i understand what you're saying about your body blocking the oxygen supply though. personally i'm not a fan of this campfire design.
He didn't say it was a smokeless fire. His point is like he wants to direct the smoke away from where people sit or stand.
@@mydemon it's the name of the video
@630 smoke obviously going off to the side 🤣😂
@@kitsurubami would you be more comfortable if it was titled “less smoke fire”. ?
Great explanation. Your delivery is not condescending, yet thorough. Cheers.
Thanks Brother. Really appreciate the compliment and feedback... it's definitely appreciated. Cheers!
Great tip - I'll be building a camp fire this weekend, so I'm filling up on as much information on how to best do that as I can.
Thanks for sharing
atb
This is brilliant. I'm going to build a fire pit at home just like this. It is amazing how the simple things can be so elusive sometimes.
This is an awesome video. Thank you for the tips as we just built our own backyard fire pit. Interesting though, my husband and I built one that is of the same example you're showing here ...we put a gap on the bottom of the fire ring. Perfect (video) time length. Detailed and informative. Thank you and More power to your site. :)
thanks for the useful tips for us outdoors noobs. For those reading this, i recommend watching it at 1.5 or even 2 times speed, saves time.
Way to take 30 seconds of info and turn it into 8 1/2 minutes.
+stupidgenious1 I'm just good like that ;) Thanks for watching and commenting :)
You are good at what you do It's just my ADHD showing. :)
+stupidgenious1 Thanks man.. I really appreciate the generous compliment. Totally understand the ADHD thing btw... I get the same thing watching my own long-winded videos at times, lol ;)
All the best! -John
+stupidgenious1 if you know why its easier to do since you know how it works and can do even more stuff with that.
Mason Hall
Did your comment make sense to you? Because it sure didn't to me. What does that mean?
Great video as always!
an Indian friend of mine told me that smoke follows the most beautiful person as she fought the smoke
Native American? Or Indian?
Wagon Burners
European Americans?
Yeah, I tell girls that when I'm trying to get their knickers off.
We have always said that smoke follows a lamb fucker. Better stay out of the smoke or you might as well become one! ;)
Very much needed and rarely given information...many thanks!
One of the best speakers on TH-cam. Good job! Thanks for the info.
Great tip John. I've never seen anything like that. I'm absolutely going to try this out next weekend. Also, it's excellent seeing you and mr. inspire working together. I've really enjoyed his channel; almost as much as your's of course. Have a great one John, and thanks again for all you do on TH-cam.
Thanks Matt... I really appreciate that buddy! I definitely have to say that it's been an awesome experience getting to not only work with Chris, but to have the chance to do it out in some gorgeous country as well :)
Hope you have an epic time out on your adventure next weekend!
burn dry wood; hardwood if possible. that will reduce the amount of smoke also
Also, use a top-down fire to dry out larger pieces. Paul is correct- the majority of smoke is steam from moisture in the wood.
+fromkentucky actually that's false. Smoke is unburned carcinogens. That's why things like flash overs and back drafts happen in house fires.
Carcinogens are cancer-causing compounds.
I assume you mean Hydrocarbons? If you weigh a piece of wood before and after drying, you'll find the majority of the mass is water. Green Oak is 75-80% water by weight. Even properly seasoned firewood is still ~20% water, but there is no "properly seasoned" firewood in the wilderness. So yes, the majority of smoke is evaporated water.
+fromkentucky lol I've been through countless classes on this. First thing you learn in a firefighting classroom is that smoke is unburned carcinogens. If you trap actual smoke in an airtight containment you can light it on fire
In a house fire, yes, because that's all dry material. Wood in the forest is not. Again, Carcinogens are cancer-causing compounds. You can find all of this in a chemistry textbook.
www.dictionary.com/browse/carcinogen
Great video. And people like you for good reason , easy going and full of useful info! have an awesome weekend outside.
Thanks Jenny, I really appreciate that :) Hope you have an awesome weekend as well!
very cool. Sometimes even though there are multiple people around the fire the smoke always seems to chase me.
Sometimes it's just personal man... ;)
IntenseAngler
They say smoke follows beauty... now your telling me it also follows a flat rock? What a blow to me ego. Nice video, I'm from Idaho, where did you shot it at? Keep up the good work!
cosman1968 When I was in the Boy Scouts we used to say, "Smoke follows beauty" when anyone complained about the smoke of the campfire.
50 years on and I still don't know why that was supposed to be a consolation.
Maybe flat rocks are more beautiful. . . .
Doesn't seem logical that a person would attract smoke but it does happen.. If I sit at a table with smokers, the smoke comes to me.. I can change seats, move ashtrays or even redirect a draft and it still comes mostly to me, same with a campfire.. It's an ongoing joke between my friends and me.. How to explain it.?
Mrhycannon I know same here it's weird
Oxygen isn't as straightforward as some people think. You gotta give fire room to breathe. Glad you spent time explaining it.
Best tip to get rid of smoke wanting to follow you around is just say white rabbits. Works every time haha.
I thought it was I hate wight rabits
th-cam.com/video/KNmDhAWu7tk/w-d-xo.html bejd
no you close your eyes smoke is attracted to your eyeball that back of them
Thanks for the video bud!
My pleasure. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment... it's much appreciated!
I do not want to contradict this guy, he seems to want to genuinely help =p. I think alot of the smoke is caused by steam. You can reduce the smoke drastically by using dry wood. If I took a guess I would say water vapor also facilitates particles rising into the air by increasing the air density.
As far as I know smoke is 'not' attracted to other objects or people. The best thing you can do is probably sit up-wind.
Hello Zanzubaa, I am you from the future. I searched to find out how to reduce smoke from my open fire and found our comment that I had forgotten I had made all that time ago. Thanks!
I have something to add though! The guy sais oxygen is important but does not really go into why. What it does is lets the fire burn hotter. A hotter fire means more fuel goes un-burned, making it more efficient. Look at gas. Gas has no smoke because it virtually all gets burnt in the reaction.
Nice, keep it simple, usually works the best. Thanks
Great explanation, gives me a bunch of great ideas for the backyard. Thanks
You're very welcome. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment... it's much appreciated.
Great vid, I will try the backstop the next time I build a fire
This is simple, but a great trick. Let the rock be your decoy! Nice video, man
Thanks brother... really appreciate that.
That tip was quite good, worked fine for me when I tried it.
But that:"smoke is attracted to objects" is not really true. It follows the stream of warm air and this way to stack stones generates kind of a natural chimney.
I am no expert but it seems to me that the smoke will "cling" to objects like trees and rocks I think because the air on the leeward side of them is calmer and smoke dissipates slower in the still air, also people generate heat and the air closest to people takes an upward trend sucking air from the ground (similar to the fire) and expelling it above them, this can draw air and smoke towards you.
mike c
a really good point, but the warmth of a human is quite low compared to the massive airstream over a fire. So I highly doubt that smoke would "go out of its way" just to get into this cooler stream of air.
It seems to be more like a "Full moon fallacy", where stuff sometimes happens, but because it's so unpleasant you tend to say: "smoke always comes my way."
Darius der Rote In the absence of wind the air between the fire and a person becomes warmer than the rest of the air around the fire, forming a natural path for a convection current. Same with trees and rocks as the other comment mentioned..
***** I think what you are talking about is the reflected IR radiation from objects? Like in a heat deflector?
But IR heat does not warm the air, at least not significantly.
Does anyone has some page with the sience behind this? I really don't get how this is supposed to be working and can't find anything about this phenomenon.
Darius der Rote It's pretty simple really, try Google.
That looks like a great way to make a fire, I will try that one day. What a great place that looks too, would love to visit there - from UK.
I was zoned out picturing my self in the woods retired and fishing.. great vid. Thanks
Sounds like the good life to me :) Thanks for the kind compliment by the way... appreciate it.
Great tip! Dig the FIRE vids. ...keep them coming!
am pretty positive that the smoke will go wherever the wind blows ... less where objects are...
+jamc666 unless the objects are downwind of the fire
Ginger Aird
hmm .. makes sense ... lol
+jamc666 the fire will heat up the rock which will help to keep a warmer pocket of air between the rock and the fire. This warmer pocket of air has a lower pressure than the cooler air around it. That lower pressure will be the preferred channel for the smoke to flow into, when the air is mostly stagnant.
don't be the rock.
Great video. I have never don't the fancy wood stacking so many people do and never had a problem.
Great video, but this should have been a 1min30second video, not 8 1/2
Definately the most graceful fire building demonstration I've seen.
I went camping as a kid in the boy scouts. I was a tenderfoot. So the eagle scouts who were making a fire, sent me hiking a mile through the woods to the outpost supply store to ask for a left handed smoke shifter. The guy at the store explained it was a prank after he stopped laughing. The eagle scouts explained it was ike a plastic milk jug thing with the bottom cut out to hold over the fire and shift the smoke. But they needed a left handed one.
That reminds me of the time I got hired as a bagger at a grocery store and my first assignment was to go to the salad dressing aisle to shake up the dressings for the convenience of the customers...
This pranks are to be found everywhere - and I love them.
Send a Trainee (which had nothing to do anymore for the rest of the day) from our Building site down to the workshop to get some "Siemens Air-Hooks" (ger.: Siemens Lufthaken).
Told him to look very close, because they are not named for nothing like that - they are nearly invisible.
My Boss was pissed off a lot, but I quoted his order to "at least look busy, even if not, until he comes back to pick us and the Tools up again". That pissed him off even more - I wonder why... ;P
Hahaha yes! Pranks on the newbies is always a fun time. I work at a cabinet shop, and I had the new guy asking everyone else in the shop for a "board-stretcher" lol!
Rabijeel once my posse buddies from backin childhooddays ,meaney, sent me to buy some original "getriebesand"...duuude... when i entered theshop, tellin to the owner, a former workin bud of my old man, i needed the extra fine ground grade 69 stuff... well when he eventually came to gasp air he told me nothing like GETRIEBESAND" gearsand" exists... well after i thought bout it came upon meh like a lightning strike... its a german saying to put s.o. sand in his gears aka bring his shit to halt, or at least slowing it down.
James Hightower did u go on a snipe hunt the next day? Lol
P.P.S, after looking on Amazon it seems that the largest diameter auger is 1"×12", it has a tube welded on it to put a stick through to make a T handle, you might want some pipe insulation to put it in to protect your backpack.
Thanks for the heads up on that my friend... much appreciated.
Great tip!
Hey brother! Cool to see you. Thanks for all you do
👍Good idea. Thanks for sharing. 💝
My pleasure :) Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment... it's much appreciated!
I see smoke :)
+blkbishop112 right!!
+Kevin Noll I know i watched the video, its just not what the title says
+the oncoming storm comes here to learn how to make a smokeless fire, doesnt make a smokeless fire...k
title should be avoiding smoke while near camp fires...
***** well it was such a shitty joke that alot of people didnt get it, idk whats so funny about it
+Johnmadara he's just saying that this comment was a joke
Thank you for this video. Great presentation of key points regarding fire management.
You're very welcome. Thank you for taking the time to watch, as well as for leaving such a generous comment... it's much appreciated my friend.
good stuff man
Thanks brother... much appreciated.
I am not an outdoor person but for some reason love watching your channel. You always have great tips. Who knows one day I may really need or use the info you share.
Thanks
Thanks Dimples, that means alot my friend :)
who wants a smokeLESS campfire? it's the only thing keeping the bugs away and it smells awesome.
Very interesting idea. Do you try to build the opening a certain direction depending on the wind, or does that not matter so much? thanks!
Great video and tip my friend. Let me know if you want me in an intro for any episode, would be fun. /Andree.
Thank you very much Andree. It would be an honor to have you do an intro and feature you in an episode my friend :)
ATB
Kinda works the same way a fireplace does! The open side feeds the fireplace the oxygen while the back wall guides the smoke up the chimney! Cool vid!
I swear people will argue over anything and everything. Yes, their is smoke from the fire. There is no such thing as a "smokeless fire". He KNEW there was no such thing as a smokeless fire when he posted the video and created the title. WHY then did he use that title. TO GET VIEWS. Knowing there is no such thing as smokeless fire he also knows that people are going to be drawn to such a title even if they know the concept is completely ridiculous. They still want to see what the video is about. Just like most deceptive titles on TH-cam, it's designed to get views.
I'm pleased to see common sense still exists. Couldn't have said it better myself.
This is a common tactic used by literally everyone. Just look at the way fast food commercials are....they show you a thick juicy burger made perfectly and it looks great until you actually order it and it's smashed and thrown together. You are acting like you just discovered the secret to TH-cam that no one else knew. It's a marketing tactic. If this guy titled his video to not get views, he would be just as dumb as you thinking that there was such thing as a smokeless fire. If you're really that dumb to think there is a smokeless fire, there's no hope for you...
Who are you even talking to...?
I love it when people bitch about people bitching.
Soulrider2012 what's the point of your comment?bitching about people bitching?further proving the people bitching aren't wrong to bitch?you yourself did say it's clickbait?That's more reason to bitch about this shitty video.
This is absolutely brilliant. I just love your videos and cannot believe how simple yet innovative and genius your tips are. I mean cooking eggs and bacon in a paper bag? Who would have known! I’m an outdoors addictive and strive to be a camping connoisseur. So, I am always eager to go and try out one of your tips, so keep’em coming! I will definitely try this in my upcoming camping trip.
I always say that its not camping until you get smoke in your eyes.
lol
Not only a way to make your campfire less smokey,but as I learn in scouts,you can use the same setup to reflect heat into your pup tent,or into a one or two man style backpack tent.
"Take it away John"
"..huh?"
Thanks for the tip, John! It's one I know I'll appreciate the next time I'm sitting around the fire. I also appreciate the kind words brother! I had a great time up in Idaho shooting with you. - Chris
My pleasure Brother! We definitely could have used a little smoke management on that trip.. especially with the way it was chasing us around the fire all evening lol. Good times though man... good times :)
Reading the comments here, it's perturbing to see many which show a poor understanding of science. A few examples: 'heat rises' - no it doesn't. What looks like hot air 'rising', is in fact warmed, hence less dense, air being pushed out of the way by the surrounding more dense cold air. It continues its upwards trajectory until it reaches a place where the air around it matches its density (which is declining as it rises).
'Smoke follows you', yes it certainly _seems_ that way, but again this isn't really what is happening. At near ground level, with many objects obstructing it, air flow (the wind) is anything but straight line as it winds and twists around various obstructions. The smoke, (rising air + unburnt particles) is pushed and pulled in random directions by these frequently changing wind currents.
The backstop stone is doing two things - it shelters the fire from wind coming from one direction; second, once it has been heated by the fire, it radiates heat. This has the effect of making a person sitting opposite to it feel warmer. It is not acting as a 'chimney' in any normal definition of that term.
For any one with an urge to call me a pedant / nerd, my position is that misinformation doesn't help progress, accurate information does. OK now you can tie me to the post and take aim,
I wouldn't use the word 'absence' myself, since it is an absolute term. ie, you can't be partially absent, either you are or you aren't. But 'less' or 'more' are alright, or in this case 'cooler' and 'warmer' air.
I appreciate your comment as I have found it rather amusing. Although, I would say, one could argue that heat does in fact rise.
+JZilla69 It's just a commonly used mistake - doesn't make it correct. So the people who say that are just saying what they've heard being used commonly.
+Robert Seviour Thank you for your scientific explanations. I like details and I like people who REALLY know what is happening. In this case colder air moving the warmer air. I think saying "white rabbit" just gives the wind a chance to change or the cold current to move.....hogwash. Also, when one gets up to move out of the smoke, that person is creating a bit of a wind current and the smoke follows.
no smores for u robert ;)
Nothing at all wrong with your video skills! Thanks a lot for that informative video.
Clickbait title.
😃 "...Smoke always goes towards the prettiest!..." --a mysterious yet coughing voice out of that cloud of smoke at every campfire I attended as a child. 😆
Video should be titled "how to make a fire with less smoke" not "smokeless". ;)
I miss intense angler videos...best videos ever!
I always dump a can of gas all over everything before I light it up.
Really gets those houses goin great right? *high 5*
That's also against the law in most places and is more likely to cause a safety risk... If you must use accelerant just use lighting fluid. That's what it's made for.
Try switching to old tires, they seem to burn forever.
Theo Volz --- I find that gun powder and nitroglycerin, spread over the logs, greatly improve the chances of combustion. The smoke? Well.....
In Nam we used C4. The boom took the smoke with it!
did this against an old rotted out stump man did it reflect the heat and control the smoke...you just have to be sure its out with lots and lots of water before you leave.. I have seen stump fires burn under ground upon the root system... great video!
They say "Smoke follows a fool".
Well, I think I've proven that saying correct ;)
IntenseAngler I've heard smoke follows beauty.... Never heard the fool one..... :D
You are darling! I love a good campfire that’s why I have a nice fire pit in my big back yard- use it year around. Cheers from Alaska.
Thank you so much Kelli! I couldn't agree more... there's certainly nothing quite like sitting around a good campfire. Especially nice to have one in the back yard to enjoy anytime you want - glad you're getting plenty of use out of yours - especially up there in beautiful Alaska! Cheers from Idaho. :)
Thanks for taking the time out of your day to make this video. I always appreciate when people with knowledge pass it on. It really helps the rest of us.
Very nice. It's the simple things that make all the difference. Thank you,.. :)
You make it fun ...that's why I hang in there. Be Safe...
Great info as usual :)
Nice tip! I will certainly try it out!
But a reason to limit the oxygen supply to the fire is to make it burn slower. Yes, it doesn't burn as clean/efficient, but it doesn't need as much attention in terms of refuelling.
limit the fuel, not the O2.
Or limit the fuel burn rate, i.e. use bigger logs.
napalm
Great video! This will definitely help me. Thanks again!
You're more than welcome my friend! I'm really glad to hear that this will help ya out. Thanks for taking the time to watch and for leaving such a generous comment by the way... it's very much appreciated!
Great way to ensure better oxygen flow to the fire. I never thought about it myself.
Excellent, informative video. Thanks very much.
The large rock is almost like a half chimney. Cool
Yeah, it does function in pretty much the same way. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment... it's much appreciated my friend.
Good to know I'm will do this for sure on my next camping trip