The Grabber Playbook

1. Put a small pile of tinder (dry grass, paper or a fire starter) in the middle of the fire ring.
2. Lean pencil-thick sticks around the tinder to make a cone. Leave an opening on the side the wind is coming from so you can reach in and light it.
3. Lean a second layer of thumb-thick sticks around the first.
4. Light the tinder through the opening. Wait until the sticks are burning well before adding anything bigger.
5. GrabberLean two split logs against the cone from opposite sides. Set them in place gently instead of dropping them.
6. GrabberWhen the cone falls in, stand the logs back up against each other and add two more.

Tip: A teepee uses up wood fast. Once you have a good bed of glowing coals, switch to the log cabin or star so your wood lasts longer.

1. Build a small teepee of tinder and thin sticks in the middle.
2. GrabberLay two logs on opposite sides of it, about a hand's width away.
3. GrabberLay two more logs across the ends of the first two, like the walls of a log cabin. Stack three or four layers, using smaller pieces as you go up.
4. Light the teepee in the middle. The walls will catch from the inside.
5. GrabberAs the walls burn and sag, push them back into a square. Keep about two fingers of space between logs.
6. GrabberWhen you add wood, add two pieces at a time across the top.

Tip: Use thinner pieces for the walls than you think you need. Thin wood catches fast. Thick logs on a small fire just sit there and smoke.

1. GrabberLay three or four of your biggest logs side by side on the bottom, close together.
2. GrabberLay a layer of medium pieces across them. Then lay a layer of smaller sticks across those.
3. Put thin sticks and tinder or a fire starter on the very top.
4. Light the top. As each layer burns, it drops hot coals onto the layer below and lights it.
5. GrabberLeave it alone. When it burns down to the bottom layer, add two logs at a time on top of the coals.

Tip: This is the best build when you'd rather sit and relax than keep adjusting the fire. It also makes less smoke at the start.

1. Check which way the wind is blowing.
2. GrabberPut your biggest log on the side the wind is coming from. It works as a wall.
3. Put your tinder on the other side, right up against the log.
4. Lean thin sticks against the log so they cover the tinder like a roof.
5. Light the tinder. Once the sticks are burning, the big log will start to catch too.
6. GrabberAdd more logs next to the big one, two at a time, to grow the fire.

Tip: On a windy night, keep the fire smaller than usual. Wind can carry sparks a long way.

1. Start a log cabin fire. Hardwood like oak or maple makes the best coals.
2. Let it burn until the logs are glowing red and breaking apart.
3. GrabberMove the pieces that are still burning to one side of the fire ring.
4. GrabberClose the jaws and use the tip to spread the coals into a flat, even layer on the other side.
5. Cook over the coals. For marshmallows, go slow. Flames burn the outside before the inside gets warm.
6. GrabberKeep the flame side going, and move fresh coals over to the cooking side when you need more heat.

Tip: To check the heat, hold your hand flat above the coals where the food will be. If you have to pull away in 2 or 3 seconds, it's hot. If you can hold it there 5 or 6 seconds, it's medium heat, which is good for roasting.

1. Start a small teepee in the middle and let it burn until you have some coals.
2. GrabberLay five logs around it pointing inward, like spokes, with the ends just touching the fire.
3. Only the ends in the middle burn, so the fire stays small and steady.
4. GrabberWhen the ends burn down, push each log toward the middle. With the jaws closed, push on the outer end of the log.
5. GrabberFor a bigger fire, push all five logs in. For a smaller one, pull them back a few inches.

Tip: This is the easiest fire to control. Push the logs in for more heat and pull them out for less.

1. Check local fire rules first. Many places limit fire size or ban fires when it's dry.
2. Clear the ground for 10 feet around the fire. Have a full bucket of water and a shovel nearby before you light it.
3. Build a log cabin base with a large teepee of sticks and small logs inside.
4. GrabberLean bigger logs against the outside to make a tall cone. Keep the wind at your back while you work.
5. GrabberOnce it's going strong, add logs from the side and set them down gently. Throwing a log onto a big fire sends sparks everywhere.
6. GrabberWhen the cone falls in, don't try to rebuild it tall. Keep it a low pile and add two logs at a time.

Why 36": A big fire puts out heat several feet away. The extra 10 inches on the Bonfire Edition lets you place logs without leaning into that heat. For a normal campsite fire ring, the 26" is plenty.