Society has collapsed and most of the surviving humans have fled into the wild.

Hunting animals and gathering wild fruits and medicinal plants have become daily routines for those who have made it out alive.

Of course, there are plenty of ways to cook without electricity. But what happens when you don’t want to attract any uninvited guests while you’re roasting that hard-earned small game?

Some of you will say to “drop the spices,” which is also a viable solution since they spread fragrant smells like crazy.

But what happens with all the smoke that’s spread uncontrollably over the treetops?

Or the flames that can make you an easy target during those rough nights? How can you conceal these signals so you can feel safe?

After all, you don’t want to reveal your position to any cut-throats. So, what’s there to be done?

The easiest fix to this problem is the “Dakota fire pit.” It won’t mask the smoke, smell and light entirely, but it’s going to bring them to a bare minimum.

The process of making this fire hole is really basic and involves little manual labor.

Here’s how you can do it:

• Start by digging a generous hole, about 2 to 3 feet deep. You can adjust both the width and depth of your fire pit based on how large you plan on making the fire.
• About a foot away from this hole, dig another pocket, about 1.5 feet deep and with a smaller radius. Continue with a tunnel that should end up in the previous hole and connect them both. You’ll know the proportions are right if you can fit your arm through. The tunnel entrance will help fuel your fire by sucking up air in the main cavity.
• Now it’s time to light that fire up. Pile up dry wood and tinder inside the main pit. To generate as less smoke as possible, you’ll have to place the broader pieces of wood at the base of the hole, then top them with abundant kindling.

Light it up and you will have a covert fire pit that will allow you to cook safely, warm yourself up, dry your clothes, and so on.

It won’t get rid of the smoke entirely, but it will diminish its range considerably. However, the flames will barely be noticeable, allowing you to sleep more relaxed at night.

In case you cannot have a meal without spices, I advise you to not use them during the cooking process and sprinkle them only after your meal is ready. This way the fragrant smell won’t catch the attention of anyone or anything.

Although this trick is most useful during an end-times scenario, or during times of war, you can employ it whenever you’re out camping into the wild or inside disputed territories.

Note that fire and smoke are efficient animal-deterrents, while smell of freshly cooked food might attract animals from afar.

I hope this fire hole trick will serve you well in your travels and will ward off all intruders.

If you want to see this thing in action before putting it in practice yourself, you can have a look at the video below. It offers additional details, so you don’t want to miss it.