One of the advantages besides detection of the Dakota Fire Hole is that it works in virtually any type of weather as long as your fire materials are dry.

It is quick and easy to construct and when you are done, all you have to do is fill in the hole with the dirt you removed digging it.

How to dig a Dakota Fire Hole

Dig a hole about a foot in diameter and a foot deep. It is helpful to enlarge the bottom of the hole by several inches to accommodate larger/longer pieces of firewood.

Next you will dig the airflow tunnel. Dig the airway tunnel beginning about one foot away from the fire chamber hole. The diameter of the airflow hole should be about half-a-foot and will angle down towards and into the bottom of the main fire chamber.

Fill the fire pit partway with kindling and light the fire.

The fire creates a suction which is drawn into the airflow tunnel, resulting in a much hotter and efficient burning fire.

Advantages of the Dakota Fire Hole

Less firewood is needed than conventional fire methods.

Food or water will cook faster.

This method is particularly useful and manageable if it is very windy compared to other methods.

The fire burns below the surface of the ground which shields the flame from being seen, especially at night.

Some things you need to think about when using a Dakota Fire Hole:

• If the ground you are digging is very rocky, digging it can be a chore, especially if the removal of a rock makes the “tunnel” unstable.
• In very wet ground, the hole can seep water, which makes building the fire much more difficult, if not impossible.

All in all, though, if you want a very hot fire that is easy to construct and maintain as well as hard to detect, the Dakota Fire Hole is a good way to go.

To learn more about other fire starting methods, please visit the Modern Survival Blog.

Featured Image via Outdoor Life