A small firepit in the ground?

B

Bo T

Joined
Feb 12, 2011
Messages
2,520
Recently a video was posted on a gentleman heating his tea with a fire started in a hole in the ground. I am going to try to make a little fire pit like that but could use more information. He had a small air hole coming in from the side. Would an air hole coming from the surface at a @ 45 degree angle work? Or do I need to dig two holes and bring the air in from the side?

The hole looks to be about 8" deep and 4" across, Is this a good size? I think that someone mentioned a Dakota fire pit or something.

I'm going to build one this weekend so I appreciate the help. :)
 
Dig two holes and connect the two under the earth. You get more air and a hotter fire this way. It also helps with wind etc. Above ground fires work better because they get more O2. So if you decide inground is the way to go for whatever reason having the second hole will help your fire burn.
 
The soil around here is so rich in organic matter that I would fear a ground fire.


That said, I could see it working well in a windswept environment with the right type of soil.

High winds and above ground fires are a big problem.


I look forward to following this, good luck.




Big Mike
 
I'm with big Mike, they tend to be ideal for grassy plains type areas. Not so great in rocky mountainous areas. Also, not terribly great for heat unless you stand right over it.

David
 
Yes, it's definitely better suited as a cooking fire, not a heating fire to combat the cold. For rocky mountainous areas, go with a trench fire: dakota pits tend to collapse on themselves in rockier soil.
 
As stated, the Dakota Fire Pit :thumbup:

Dakota+Fire+Hole.gif
 
PropThePolecat said:
Just a note...Remember to dig the airhole at an angle, thatll make you able to feed the fire with firewood. In this picture, i cant really see how one can feed the fire.
Click to expand...

At an angle and up-wind. Also, keep a stick handy to keep the hole open as ash starts to accumulate. :thumbup:

Oh, and post pics. :D
 
Hole coming into main hole at 45 degree angle, upwind of the main hole. Lots of vid posts for a Dakota fire on tube.
 
I went out today and built the Dakota fire pit. In the soil I building in it only took 10 - 15 minutes. The air was swirling so I used the side by side holes. I got together some wood, made a feather stick, and started the fire.

Dakota firepit 1.jpg (94.8 KB)

Once the fire is started it burns hot and fast. I did not get together enough wood of the right size. The fire burned out several times while I was trying to get some cut to a size that I could use.
It was tough to get a small hole. I would have liked to set my Cascade cup on 3 rocks over the fire. but I had to use the grill that I brought instead. I placed my wood on the fire from the top so I did not insert it from the side through the air hole.

Dakota firepit 2.jpg (100.8 KB)

It took about 10 minutes to get the water to near boil (to hot to drink). If you are camping on the right soil and you get enough wood together (of the right size) cooking a meal would not be a problem. Damp wood dries out real fast. If I needed to I would feel comfortable building one of these within a couple of feet of my shelter. It did throw some sparks so caution is in order.
This is a valuable survival technique. Putting a half dome of aluminum foil over the hole would reflect heat in the desired direction and would also protect the hole from rain. I am going to experiment with slowing down the air to the fire by moving a rock back and forth across the air hole.

Thanks again to everyone who assisted me in this project.
 

Attachments

  • Dakota firepit 2.jpg
    Dakota firepit 2.jpg
    100.8 KB · Views: 31
  • Dakota firepit 1.jpg
    Dakota firepit 1.jpg
    94.8 KB · Views: 29
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top