Does anyone else hate camp fires?

[digger bear]

Originally Posted by purman

Stand back a Good five feet and throw the cup on the fire.

Right after you say "Hold my beer and watch this!".

[76sovereign]

No But I agree a good campfire shouldn't smoke for very long at all..good dry wood is what U need. Some pits are so deep that the fire can't get enough oxygen to do any thing but smolder.

[purman]

But what about a flaming marshmallow on a stick. Now dont' go cutting sticks off of bushes that would be wrong. I got my kids these cool roaster that extend and have a crank on the handle to rotate them as they cook.. You can even burn hotdogs on them..

Now last fall when we borrowed our friends AS. One of my marshmallows caught fire. I wiggle the stick. to put it out..

So my daughter thought she would try it, but wasn't as gentle. It ended up on the side of our friends AS...

Yes one sticky mess

Now that could have easily have been the guy next door. (sometimes that could be a good thing)

So make your smore's responsably... and making them over the BBQ is not the same thing. I know,,, Two whiny kids prove the point...

I do agree, you dont' need a big fire, and make sure the wood is dry..

Now I have done lots of backpacking and was a mountaineer guide. We didn't have camp fires to often. But we did at the beach, and it was no camp fire it was a signal fire. They were fun, but then no one else was around.


I'm for them but consider your neigbors as always.....

[purman]

Originally Posted by digger bear

Right after you say "Hold my beer and watch this!".

As you step on all the empties on your way to the fire

[purman]

Originally Posted by 76sovereign

Some pits are so deep that the fire can't get enough oxygen to do any thing but smolder.

Thats when you start blowing on it and then still can't get it going and hyperventilate. Just don't pass out on the smoking fire.

Or sometimes it catches and you lose your eyebrows.

either way you neighbors will not think much of you..

Thats why you need the white gas...

[nvestysly]

Originally Posted by eubank

Shucks, they came up with smokeless tobacco, so why not smokeless fires?

Lynn

My wife and I certainly enjoy sitting around a campfire. Whether it's as a couple or visiting with a group. Some of the fun of camping is a campfire.

However, we don't enjoy the smoke. Neither of us is allergic but it makes our eyes sting and our clothes stink. Once the clothes are in the trailer everything stinks.

Our solution is a Yukon Legend fire pit. It makes a nice size fire and you can roast marshmallows and cook a hot dog. It comes with a grate that allows you to use a frying pan. All that and the convenience of on/off propane. Not need to spend time making a fire and no need to quench hot coals. I know, I know... that's blasphemy for a purist.

I took it to the Nth degree and fabricated a T adapter and a 50ft hose so I simply connect to the main propane tanks on the trailer. No need to carry around a 20 lb bottle.

Some campgrounds don't allow campfires but Yukon Legend (and similar products) are considered gas grills so you can use them almost anywhere.

The Yukon Legend propane campfire / portable fire pit - Campfires and Fire Pits .com

Lucius

[funkill]

Originally Posted by Grand Master

I agree with the original post. The last time we went to a State Park our trailer smelled like smoke for several days. NOT pleasant.

My Mom & Dad bought their 1st. Airstream in 1955 to TRAVEL, not to camp. They called themselves boulevard campers. In fact, Wally Byam promoted caravans and rallies rather than camping. That is what set him and Airstream apart from the hundreds of other travel trailers out there. The canned hams and boxes were for camping, but Airstreams were for traveling.

That is what makes Airstream special. It is not just that it tows better, but that Wally created a mystic about these trailers that attracted a more "sophisticated" clientele.

We did sometimes have campfires while caravanning, but it was in the center of the wagon wheel, and far away from the trailers.

Mike Brumback
#1200

Whoops - guess I be misrepresentin'...

[easyride]

I`m with the campfire crowd,sit around,drink a few cool ones,and tell lies.But if your camping in Fl.,palm trees don`t burn. Dave

[funkill]

Originally Posted by easyride

I`m with the campfire crowd,sit around,drink a few cool ones,and tell lies.But if your camping in Fl.,palm trees don`t burn. Dave

Is that true? Naw... my friend is a firefighter - showed me how quickly palmetto's will burn by placing them on a bon-fire. They lit up fast - and were gone. Good news though - not much smoke.

I recently saw a posting for firewood on craigslist. It was advertised as good for a Bombfire (and I didn't get the impression it was a joke).

[TinShack]

Campfires YES!!! Burning trash in the campfire NO!! I hate people who use the fire ring as a trash pit. I love a good well made wood smokeless campfire and I pride myself in making them. Mongo like sitting around it on a chilly evening, eating beans, and farting.

When I can't have a wood fire, I take out the trusty Firedancer propane pit which is OK as a substitute but not the same. If there are no fires allowed, then I guess I can run the fire video loop on my laptop or TV and use my handwarmer

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by crazylev

Use natural starter for fire i.e. dry newspaper, dry pine cones make great starters, or in a pinch Weber Charcoal starters the little wax cubes.

Jonathan

Pine cones make wonderful firestarters, also dried palm fronds if you are in a place like Edisto Beach SP. They burn like tissue paper, kind of bring out the pyro in a person.

[pacer]

My wife and I love camp fires. It's part of the camping experience. Usually when we have a roaring fire we get company. We always have extra chairs set up for visitors and that's one of the pleasures of RV'ing.

If camp fires bother you so much than you should stay overnight at a commercial RV park.

[Stephen Mick]

Campfires when there's a chill in the air? Yes.

When it's 90 degrees in the shade? No way.

What cracks me up are the folks who build a bonfire then sit fifty yards away. Morons.

But on a practical note, here's something to remember… Packing firewood from one area to another can transport wood-boring insects. In fact, it may be illegal, depending on where you are.

[henw]

We use to cook on the campfire everyday. Dutch Oven, grill grid, baked potatos in the coals.
Maybe they should have the equivalent of a homeowners assoc. for campgrounds.
Lots of you can't do that rules.

Tom

[A/SimpleLife]

Great topic!, close to my heart... err, lungs. I hate breathing smoke. Seems unhealthy, not good for the body. They banned smoking in public places here in Florida because of the health hazard. Fresh, pure, unpolluted air is hard enough to find as it is, and that is one reason why I leave the city. That being said, it is fascinating to watch a good campfire and food cooked in the coals tastes great. Fires were a big part of our ancestry. But I think the world has changed. Maybe each campground could have one central fire, would promote a lot of camaraderie. Self extinguishing at midnight.Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer. I do like the propane fires.

[TinShack]

It's easy for people in a comfortable Airstream to say they don't like fires for various reasons. If it gets cold, we can crawl into the comfort of the trailer. If we get hungry, we can whip something up on the stovetop.

If we were camping in a tent and relying on the fire for heat and to cook your food, we might feel differently. I spent a lot of time in a tent in my younger years, and the campfire was not just for ambiance, but was a necessary tool for heat, light, and cooking and besides, it helps to keep the bears away.

[68 TWind]

I like Duraflame logs. We get the fire, the light, the charm, but NO SMOKE.

[Fyrzowt]

Originally Posted by CA Streamer

It's easy for people in a comfortable Airstream to say they don't like fires for various reasons. If it gets cold, we can crawl into the comfort of the trailer. If we get hungry, we can whip something up on the stovetop.

If we were camping in a tent and relying on the fire for heat and to cook your food, we might feel differently. I spent a lot of time in a tent in my younger years, and the campfire was not just for ambiance, but was a necessary tool for heat, light, and cooking and besides, it helps to keep the bears away.

Steve hit the nail on the head here. Good post.

I like a campfire when it's cool outside. I much prefer to be outside than in, if I have a choice.

Besides, the smoke smells like overtime...

[klattu]

One of the main reasons I don't camp at Wal-Marts anymore...they keep demanding that I put out the campfire.
Its just not camping without one.

10-4 on the NASCAR races,
I live about 2 miles from the big one in Alabama, each morning the week before race, is a nice smoky smell in the air.
About 11am you can tell the drunks are waking up, as you can then smell bacon.

[toastie]

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