A Dakota fire hole requires much less firewood and burns more efficiently, producing hotter fires with less wood. This makes it a very valuable wilderness survival technique in places where firewood is scarce or requires much effort to obtain.
It also creates a stable platform that is very convenient for cooking.
The fire is concealed within a hole limiting the amount of visible light emitted and smoke is also decreased because the wood is burning hotter and more efficiently.
Dakota Fire.
Excellent!!
Jim, I think I was paying attention! I never got to Eagle only Star, and you’re right our Scoutmaster was a great guy, and we all learned a lot from him. His name was Don Powell a single guy working for General Dynamics and loved to backpack. We were out of Trinity Methodist Church in Pomona Troop 103, and known pretty much as the hiking troop which we did a lot of. Was also a Cub Scout and Explorer Scout out of the same church. Do remember doing survival skills on some of our trips which I won’t forget. Guess the Dakota Fire slipped through the cracks or I was sleeping at the time! Scouting was surely one of the best experiences in my life, thanks to guys like yourself!
I think the first time I ever saw a picture of a Dakota Fire was in a box of Shredded Wheat back in the fifties, this was the original Shredded Wheat, the large biscuts, they put cardboard between the row of biscuts so thy wouldn’t move and on the cardboard dividers they would print Indian lore and outdoor survival skills. Greg I never made it past Tenderfoot, because I was never goal oriented, I was just having fun, but the Scout leaders liked to have me on campouts because I was the only one who knew how to do anything.
not a good thing in maine too much,composted topsoil
Plus, the Dakota fire hole is stealthier, if you don’t want to give your position away at night.
JB is right. I always heard of this as being refered to as a warriors fire. It does not leave flame and especially smoke in an open area of the plains.
Reminds me of pit BBQ. Wanna do one soon.
I bet the worms don’t like it! 🙂
Basically a pit fire. BSA does not approve pit fires anymore. This should be used in a survival situation ONLY. The soil at the bottom and sides of the fire pit will be sterilized by the heat, and NOTHING will grow in that soil for a very long time. Use in a survival situation ONLY, not general camping.