The Dakota Fire Hole (How to make one and why I love it)

In this video, I go through the process of making a Dakota Fire Hole. A couple of weeks ago I was in a situation where I was reminded just how awesome this fire skill is in the woods.

DISCLAIMER!!! Dakota Fire Holes can be dangerous! Make sure you do everything you can to put out the fire! What you won't see on this video was me pouring water on the fire to put it out before I buried it. Before leaving any fire, make sure you douse it thoroughly with water and bury it. Dakota Fire Holes can cause root fires and can smolder well beyond the time you bury it.

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Towards the beginning of August I was leading a group of boys on a backpacking trip through the Allegheny National Forest. On day one, we came upon a lean-to shelter that we were planning to utilize as a base camp for the night. The only problem was that we didn't want to cook near our campsite because I knew the location was prone to black bear activity due to previous experience in the area.

I also didn't want to create a new fire pit/ring in the woods as they quickly accumulate as groups go through and in turn, quickly degrade the natural scenery of the forest. In comes the Dakota fire hole.

In this video I demonstrate how to make one of these as well as go through and talk about the pros and cons of this technique. I also talk about when this technique is handy and when it is not so handy. Finally, I show you just how effective this technique is by boiling 2 cups of water in just over 5 minutes. The Dakota Indians were genius in inventing this technique.

In terms of cooking, this is my "go-to" fire technique as these fires burn hotter, require less wood for sufficient cooking, are quasi-stealthy, and are quick to extinguish among other things.

If you have any experience in utilizing this fire technique or any insights you can pass along, I would love to hear it in the comments section below!

See you outdoors!

The song sample you heard in the intro was from the finger-style guitarist, David Youngman. I highly recommend you check him out.
http://www.davidyoungmanmusic.com
I obtained full permission from the original artist and have secured the proper rights to use his music in my videos