Dakota Fire Hole Pit

 

The Dakota fire hole system was named after the Dakota Native American people who developed the technology centuries ago. The system originated in today's North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesota. 

It was designed to combat the constant wind that blew over the Plains, and to prevent prairie fires which would scare off the bison. 

The Dakota fire pit was made up of two holes, a bigger and a smaller one which were connected by a tunnel. 

The fire was lit in the bigger hole, and the tunnel provided a constant feed of fresh oxygen into the fire, making for an almost smokeless fire. Since the fire was underground and protected from the elements, it was concealed and burned much hotter, making it ideal for stealth camping and cooking. This is why the U.S. army has been teaching its soldiers how to build a Dakota fire hole since the Vietnam war, where it was first used by U.S. soldiers to stay hidden from the Viet-Cong in the Vietnamese jungles. 

The only downside to the Dakota fire pit is that it needs to be built on rich and firm soil, as it is almost impossible to make one in frozen, sandy or heavy soil. The Dakota had the benefit of living in the grassy North American Plains, where the soil was ideal for the Dakota fire pit.

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