Hobbies And Interests
Underground Fireplace
Underground fireplaces serve to hide your fire from predators and focus the heat to make cooking faster. According to the U.S. Army Survival Manual, these kinds of fireplaces, also known as Dakota fire holes, are made by digging a "U" shape in the ground with two openings on the surface. The fire is placed under one of the openings and the air flows through the other, which feeds the fire. Using this method, a pot, or even a hat filled with water can be placed over the hole above the fire, making the most efficient use of its heat. The manual recommends building a fire like this underneath a tree so the leaves can help disperse the smoke. This method also helps to protect the fire in the event of rain.
Snow Cooking
Building a fire in the snow can be a dicey prospect, since it will melt its surroundings and potentially douse itself. To get around these challenges, build a fire on top of the snow using still-moist and hard-to-burn green logs on the bottom and placing another layer of the same wood perpendicularly on top of that. Once you have this base in place, you can use more flammable material on top of it to build your fire. Cooking with this kind of fire can be accomplished by spearing your food on a stick and holding it carefully above the fire. Cook it slowly, much like roasting a marshmallow.
Meat-Smoking Pit
Smoking meat can be done in the field with a pit and a tarp and this method of cooking can result in meat that can be preserved for up to four weeks. After either finding or digging a pit that is three or four feet deep, build a fire at the bottom, but don't let it get too hot. Hang thin cuts of meat just below the mouth of the pit and cover it with a tarp or poncho. If the meat is smoked overnight, it should last about a week. If it's smoked continuously for 48 hours, the meat will last about four weeks.
Meat-Smoking Teepee
Meat smoking can also be performed in a teepee-like structure if you're unable to dig a deep pit. Begin with a shallow fire pit that's a few inches deep and erect three long sticks in a teepee formation. Tie smaller sticks between these supports and hang the meat from these smaller sticks. Wrap the entire structure in a tarp or poncho.