Camping provides some of the best opportunities to take photos and show off all the cool things you’re doing. It revolves around clicking pictures of a gorgeous landscape, mouth-watering food, great friends, ghost stories and crazy adventures. Another good thing about camping is it’s pretty easy on your wallet. Food can be made from home, bought at a grocery store, or even caught on the lake if you’re actually good at fishing. Vacations, even just for the weekend, can be super expensive. Hotels, eating, drinking and activities tend to add up shockingly quickly.
Campfires are an obvious perk to camping. They smell great, they keep away the bugs, and they provide some ambient lighting for whatever outdoor activity you have planned after dark. Nothing comforts campers more than a good camp fire at the end of a long day on the trail. Planning your fires, particularly the wood and tools required to sustain a good vacation, is often what gives campers trouble. Too little and you go a night without fire. Too much and you have to load it up at the end of the weekend and take it home. Those that know how to camp like a champ eliminate as much of the guess work as possible.
Essentials of a Camping Tent
How Long Do You Want the Campfire to Last
Depending upon your location, one would want more frequent fires in Northern parts of India than in South. Apart from climate, you might need fire for cooking which would require more wood.
* 12-14 logs (split sections of course) will provide enough wood for cooking dinner in cast iron and fueling a comfortable fire until midnight
* Lighter, dry wood will burn faster than hardwoods so take that into account
* Take enough extra wood for an unplanned bonus day to cover any contingencies – sell it off to other campers in lieu of taking it home
Tallest 15 Mountain Peaks of India
5 Essential Camping Tools
* These special tools are guaranteed to make you camping trip and camp fire much easier and memorable experience.
* A folding military inspired shovel is great for moving coals, adjusting logs in the pit, and covering the smoldering fire with dirt when you leave.
* A poker – a handy branch makes a good poker and who can resist making necessary “adjustments” to the fire all evening long
* Rocks make a great decorative surround for the standard issue rolled steel fire pit ring. It can also be built as a buffer to keep inquisitive little ones away from the fire.
* Fire resistant gloves come in handy when moving grates or cast iron
Tips for Building the Perfect Campfire:
Situate the fire at least 10 feet (3.0 m) away from tents, trees, roots, overhanging boughs or dry leaves, and other flammable items if there’s no fire ring available.
* Work on your wood pile as soon as you’ve set up your shelter. Create piles by size ranging from kindling to big logs. This makes building the first fire of the day a breeze.
* Take multiple fire starting methods with you on every trip. Some may work better than others in certain conditions.
* Smooth rocks placed along the outside of the fire pit ring can be useful for heating hands, feet, or low back while you lounge in your favorite camp chair or useful in “preheating” your sleeping bag.
Last But Not The Least, Fire Safety Tips
* Establish a “one poker” rule. Kids will want to poke the fire but that can be avoided when the poker is in the hands of an adult.
* Wear cotton or semi polyester garments. Some synthetic garments can be dangerous when exposed to an open flame.
* Fire pits get hot to the touch almost instantly. Use rocks to surround the fire pit. It makes the pit look great and creates a bit of distance between kids and the flame.
* Plan a fire control plan. Prepare a bucket of water for each tent and an especially large bucket for the campfire location. Agree on the maximum volume of the fire.
