Wolf Wilds › Fire

Photo Trougnouf, CC BY 4.0

Keeping a fire overnight

Banking the coals so there is fire in the morning instead of a match hunt.

What you need

How

  1. Burn it down to a deep bed of coals before you turn in, not up into flame.
  2. Lay the big rounds on the bed touching each other, with coals pushed under and between them.
  3. Rake ash over the coals. Ash smothers the flame and holds the heat in.
  4. Leave an inch of gap between rounds so it breathes slowly instead of dying out.
  5. In the morning rake the ash off, put your finest dry tinder on the hot centre and blow low and steady.
  6. Keep dry tinder under cover overnight so the morning is not a fight.

Watch for

Danger
  • A banked fire still throws heat and sparks. Keep it clear of the tarp, the boots and the woodpile.
  • Never bank a fire on peat or deep moss. It will run underground.
  • Wind can bring a banked fire back up to flame while you sleep.

Notes

A fire kept overnight saves you matches, tinder and half an hour standing in the cold.

bankingcoalsovernight

Updated 2026-09-04

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