Thru-Hiking Camp Fires - How often, and did you burn trash?

[Spirit Walker]

On my AT thruhikes, people built fires in the early days, when it was cold, but by Virginia they were pretty rare. As others have said, at the end of a long day, the hikers were too tired to go scavenging and generally the areas around the shelters had been picked clean by May. Occasionally someone would insist on a fire, even though it was too hot to be welcome, but I can only think of a couple of times that that happened - mostly in New England.

On the PCT and CDT campfires were even rarer. After hiking though miles of burnt forest, the idea of building a fire that isn't necessary for warmth really doesn't appeal. We built one fire on the PCT on a snowy day in a car campground in Washington, but I think that was the only one.

We got out of the habit after that, and rarely have a fire any more, even when car camping. Too much work, and at this point, the smoke makes it hard for me to breathe.

I did burn some of my trash in fires in the early days. Most of us did. When I hiked the JMT I would burn the pages of the book I was reading in a small campfire. The worst was a guy who decided to burn his sneakers in the fire - burning rubber really stinks.

[blw2]

I should add...only not aspiring to through hike because of circumstance. Maybe some day....

[KDogg]

Agree that we saw fewer and fewer fires as we went along. Basically hit camp, put up the tent, maybe clean up a bit, eat...go to bed. The few fires we made were when the bugs were really bad. The smoke and heat really help with that. Sometimes folks (partiers) arrived after we had gone to bed and made fires upwind of our tents. Not nice.

[rocketsocks]

I haven't lit a fire in about 15 years

[MuddyWaters]

I never light a fire while hiking.
I dont always mind hanging around others for a few minutes, but mostly I think the smoke and smell is annoying and as senseless
I just want to go to sleep.

[adamkrz]

My wife and I had a fire every night when legal and possible on our 2 month journey ( we were not thru hiking ), We cooked on it and burned burnable trash, Our only concern was that other hikers would join us and throw anything they pleased into our fire so we often carried out other people's debris from firepits.

Really was a pleasure to relax at the end of the day around a campfire and toss back a few drinks, We don't own a smartphone or anything to modern.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I haven't lit a fire in about 15 years

That's because we lit it for you

[rocketsocks]

That's because we lit it for you

yeah but I didn't look at it.