The best way to enjoy a fire in nature is in a teepee-style fire pit. It’s the traditional, rugged way of doing things and can even be used as a cooking station. You can enjoy your outdoor fire pit under the teepee and you can also use teepee for many other purposes. Here we will Discuss in detail that how to build a teepee with a fire pit.
What you need:
A chainsaw – if you want to cut down trees for your teepee frame, which I highly recommend.
One really good quality, thick flat-head ax
A sharp knife
Two sturdy sticks to use as teepee poles – these should be about 4 feet long and less than an inch wide, but you’ll need to test them out. They should have little flexibility, but not be rock hard either. Look for ones with lots of smaller branches coming off the side to help hold the teepee together.
A large tarp – this will be your fire pit cover. If you have a durable, good quality tarp, it’ll last for years of campfires to come
How to Build Your Teepee Frame
When you’re building your teepee frame, remember that it’s just like geometry–the angles are very important, so be sure to use your measuring tape. You can cut down trees yourself with a chainsaw (it’s harder than you think) or if it’s not logistically possible for you to go out and purchase/find logs that are already cut down, then pick up some at the lumber yard.
With your chainsaw, cut your first teepee pole to be about five and half feet long and the second one to be six and a half feet.
Step 1: Take your first tree (that has been cut down to 5½ ft) and use the measuring tape to mark it every two feet all the way down. Then, using your chainsaw, saw through the tree at those points. This will give you four poles that are 2 ft long.
Step 2: Take your first two poles and have someone hold the first pole upright on its bottom end so it’s vertical, but not quite touching the ground. Then, take one of the other short poles and slide it into the slit you created by sawing through the tree. Now, you should have a pole that’s 2 ft long and one that’s 4½ ft long facing upward.
Step 3: Take your second two poles and find where they rest on the first pole so they are set about an inch or so off to the side of the first upper pole (the other end is touching the ground). Slide one of them into the slit you made with the chainsaw to attach it.
Step 4: Repeat step three so you have a pole at 2 ft long, two at four and a half ft, and two more that are both six and a half feet tall going up in the opposite direction.
Your teepee frame is about done!
Step 5: Set your teepee frame aside for later.
How to Create the Cover of Teepee
Measure out a 10 x 10 ft square or rectangle of tarp, depending on how big you want your fire pit to be. It should take up about 1/4-1/3 of the space you’ve chosen.
Lay the tarp directly on top of where you want to put your fire pit.
Cut slits in each corner roughly one third of the way up from the bottom of the tarp. You should have a flap that comes out from each cut that is about 4-6 inches long.
Now, push a stick into the ground directly in the center of your tarp. Make sure this stick is securely in the ground and can withstand a lot of force without breaking. Then, tie each corner flap from each corner to the stick by putting rope or heavy twine through one side of the corresponding flap and tying it around the stick until you’ve reached all four corners.
That’s it! You fire pit teepee is complete–you just need to build it up with some hot coals and wood.
Tips for Building Your Fire Teepee
You should never leave a fire unattended. Make sure you have enough water readily available to completely extinguish your teepee if it starts to get out of hand
If the ground is wet, have something under the fire pit to protect the tarp from being damaged–if it’s not protected, then all that water will seep through and start creating puddles on the tarp
If you’re going to be using your teepee a lot, consider staking down the four corners so it doesn’t blow away or spin around.
Possible Improvement in building a Teepee
Create a fire ring around your teepee for extra safety. Not only does this keep your campfire in one place so it doesn’t get out of control, but it also keeps any stray sparks away from your teepee.
FAQs
Q: Can my teepee be any size?
A: This is a very important question! The answer is yes, of course, but there is a size limit: if your teepee is too big, like 100 ft across, then it’s going to be nearly impossible to keep this teepee from spinning and collapsing. You should make sure that the teepee frame has an opening about 4-5 ft wide. This makes it easy for you and other people to walk in and out of the teepee.
Q: How is this good for camping?
A: Teepees are great for camping because they’re nice and enclosed, so assuming that you have a fire ring around your teepee, then you can easily cook with an open flame–you don’t need to worry about sparks flying away from the fire and starting another fire. Also, since teepees are designed to be an enclosed space, they provide you with a little extra warmth and shelter from the elements (especially if it’s raining).
Q: Can I use this for more than just camping?
A: Absolutely! Teepees make great houses or play houses. If you’re really creative and have some time to spare, you could even try building one in the backyard or in your living room. The possibilities are endless!
Conclusion
How to build a teepee with a fire pit is a fun and easy thing to do. It takes some time and patience, but it’s definitely worth it in the end.
When you’re building your teepee, keep in mind that geometry is very important. Be sure to read each step carefully before beginning the construction of your fire pit–there’s nothing worse than building up your teepee only to realize that it’s lopsided or turned in the wrong direction.
Also, be very careful with fire–a teepee is basically a huge tinderbox, so you must always remember to keep water nearby and know how to put out a fire if necessary. Doing so will ensure your safety when using your teepee.
Lastly, remember that you don’t need to follow the instructions exactly–if you want geometry that’s different or something isn’t clear then feel free to improvise! Teepees are meant to be fun and creative; follow your heart and make your teepee unique. Just be safe about it.
