View Full Version : Camp Fires
Hey, I was just curious if fire rings were the norm at shelters? Just wondering about frequency of camp fires in the evening when people are hanging out after a long day.
peakbagger
03-05-2012, 17:33
Many shelters have fire rings and some dont as they are not allowed. I dont see a lot of folks staying up late tending the fire, so usually its best to have a small one if someone wants it. Of course if its cold and wet many will try to have a fire to dry out their clothes and get some warmth. These are usually pretty ugly as the wood and the pit is damp and the main output of the fire is smoke.
Most shelter sites have a obvious browse line around them where anything that will burn has been picked up and many small branches will be broken off. If you want a fire, take a nylon strap, walk 5 or 10 minutes down the trail and pick up deadwood off to the side of the trail, bundle it up and secure it with the nylon strap and walk back to the campsite with bundle in hand. If you cant break the wood by bending it and snapping it, leave it be.
If I have the time, I try to burn out the pit getting rid of the oversized chunks that inevitably get left in and I usually pick out the foil and glass in the morning if I know I am near a place to get rid of it properly. One practice I dont agree with is leaving the fireplace full of trash in the morning expecting that someone will deal with it that evening.
Majortrauma
03-05-2012, 17:54
I like having a fire. It's caveman TV. A fire is part of the ritual for us and the crew that I hike with.
I/we do our own pit maintenance and in the last 300 miles I have cleaned at least 6 fire pits down to the ground with flat rocks or whatever I could find to make them usable not only for me but for the next 500 people that go thru there. Found a lot of weird **** in there too.
We also rebuild the walls and replace the fire cracked rocks (don't use rocks from the nearby stream!).
If you like a fire, make a fire if it's safe. Don't worry so much about what other people do or think.
Emily Harper
03-05-2012, 18:08
For the first half of my thru-hike I made a fire every night to cook on. It took some time, but I became skilled and carried less weight that way. There are several states up north that prohibit fires.
rocketsocks
03-05-2012, 18:11
Many shelters have fire rings and some don't as they are not allowed. I don't see a lot of folks staying up late tending the fire, so usually its best to have a small one if someone wants it. Of course if its cold and wet many will try to have a fire to dry out their clothes and get some warmth. These are usually pretty ugly as the wood and the pit is damp and the main output of the fire is smoke.
Most shelter sites have a obvious browse line around them where anything that will burn has been picked up and many small branches will be broken off. If you want a fire, take a nylon strap, walk 5 or 10 minutes down the trail and pick up deadwood off to the side of the trail, bundle it up and secure it with the nylon strap and walk back to the campsite with bundle in hand. If you cant break the wood by bending it and snapping it, leave it be.
If I have the time, I try to burn out the pit getting rid of the oversized chunks that inevitably get left in and I usually pick out the foil and glass in the morning if I know I am near a place to get rid of it properly. One practice I don't agree with is leaving the fireplace full of trash in the morning expecting that someone will deal with it that evening.Toughs unused peaces of black unbured wood(charcol)that are left behind are great for sarting a small hand warming fire,done this many a time.
rocketsocks
03-05-2012, 18:12
Toughs unused peaces of black unbured wood(charcol)that are left behind are great for sarting a small hand warming fire,done this many a time.Thought I'd use "Tough" instead of "Thoughs" to make up for the other thread.
lush242000
03-05-2012, 18:29
Hey, I was just curious if fire rings were the norm at shelters? Just wondering about frequency of camp fires in the evening when people are hanging out after a long day.
Some shelters have them and some don't. Nothing like a little hiker tv to end the day. If there is a ring and I mean a true fire ring and there is no current prohibition....make a fire.
Lone Wolf
03-05-2012, 19:04
Hey, I was just curious if fire rings were the norm at shelters? Just wondering about frequency of camp fires in the evening when people are hanging out after a long day.
they are the norm and just about most nites someone will have a fire
Slo-go'en
03-05-2012, 20:26
But after a while they become just too much work to bother with...
they are the norm and just about most nites someone will have a fire
Thanks, everyone. I'd rather smell like a campfire than just about anything else.
Thanks, everyone. I'd rather smell like a campfire than just about anything else.