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A4 checklist with all illustrated steps. Tick the boxes on paper as you go.

FeatherSticks · Fire

Fire Reflector Walls: Build a Campfire Reflector That Sends the Heat Back

Half your campfire heat goes into the forest. A log wall sends it back.

Quick facts

Time
30–60 min for a log wall
Difficulty
Easy to medium
Best for
Cold evenings, canvas lean-tos, camp baking
You need
Saw, baton, 4 stakes, green or thick logs

What you need

  • Folding saw for logs and stakes
  • Axe or knife to point the stakes
  • Wooden baton or mallet
  • Cord to tie the stake pairs
  • Leather gloves and a poker stick
  • Collapsible bucket or bottles for 10–20 litres of water
  • Cotton or poly-cotton tarp for a fire-facing lean-to

Step by step

  1. Check rules, wind and the site

    1 Check rules, wind and the site

    Only build a fire where it is allowed and the fire danger is low. Pick a calm spot and clear about 3 m around the fire to bare mineral soil.

  2. Plan shelter, fire and wall

    2 Plan shelter, fire and wall

    Put the shelter with its back to the wind, the long fire 1.5–2 m in front of it and the reflector wall 0.5–1 m behind the fire.

  3. Drive two pairs of stakes

    3 Drive two pairs of stakes

    Drive two pairs of stout stakes 25–30 cm deep with a baton, 1–2 m apart. Each pair stands about one log thickness apart.

  4. Stack green or thick logs

    4 Stack green or thick logs

    Stack green, damp or thick logs between the stakes to 60–90 cm, thickest at the bottom, no gaps, with a slight lean towards the fire.

  5. Light a long, low fire

    5 Light a long, low fire

    Build a long fire parallel to the wall, 0.5–1 m in front of it. Keep it small: the wall does the work, not a big blaze.

  6. Put it out and take it down

    6 Put it out and take it down

    Drown, stir and feel until everything is cold. Then scatter the logs, pull the stakes, fill the holes and leave no trace.

Common mistakes

  • Building the wall from dry, thin dead wood that catches fire.
  • Using river stones or wet rock, which can crack or burst in the heat.
  • Placing the wall 2–3 m from the fire, where it barely returns any heat.
  • Building the wall higher than about 90 cm, so smoke rolls back into the shelter.
  • Pitching a nylon or polyester tarp close to a reflector fire.
  • Facing the shelter into the wind, so smoke and sparks blow inside.
  • Leaving the wall standing and stakes in the ground after the trip.