Camp Fires - Montana Owners Club

TheCoachPotatoes · 10-06-2007, 02:58 PM

I'll probably be kicked off the forum for this, but sometimes I just hate camp fires. Am I the only one? I will admit that I have had some great times sitting around a fire with nice people and having good conversation. However, there are times when other people's camp fires seem very iritating to me. I'm not sure if it's what they are burning or if it's because I'm not part of it. Maybe, I'm becoming a party pooper here. I do think maybe our style of camping has changed and actually we really aren't camping at all. I'm sitting here in the Monty with laptop on my lap and Al is sitting next to me with his laptop on his lap. 15 years ago we were camping out of our canoe up in the Adirondacks. What have I become?? Now you can understand why we call ourselves the COACH Potatoes. We enjoy hanging out in our Coach. Yes, we do venture out and see the scenery and enjoy the outdoors. We just aren't so much into campfires anymore. I think I'll turn on our electric fireplace for some ambiance!

jrgwdenner · 10-06-2007, 03:04 PM

Nita, it sounds as tho you are describing us. We put our radio/CD player in the basement so we could play it while we sat outside and we've never used it in over a year. Maybe if we had a TV out there..... We live in the Montana when we're on the road and like the air conditioning, TV, and laptops while we sit in our reclining loveseat. I think we gave up camping a long time ago. I love to walk around outdoors but I hate to sit where the bugs will catch up with me. They always seem to find me first!

indy roadrunner · 10-06-2007, 03:37 PM

The DW has allergies and smoke from camp fires really bother her sometimes. I do like a nice camp fire when the wind is not blowing and the smoke goes straight up. I don't like it when every body has a fire going and it seems to be blowing our way. Even with the camper shut up A/C going it still gets smoke inside. We were at a campground where the smoke was just laying down around everything. You couldn't hardly see the camper next door. Sometimes people don't know how to build a good fire and that creates lots of smoke also. But just like bugs - it goes with the terriory.

bncinwv · 10-06-2007, 03:53 PM

I must admit that we burn campfires and usually nightly. We always use hardwoods only so that by itself minimizes the smoke to the extent we can. My weakness is hot dogs cooked on the flames and marshmallows. My weaknesses have been inherited by the DD's also. I will apologize in advance to all future neighbors, but unfortunately where you see us, I can guarantee you will find an evening campfire.
Bingo
On edit: On the bright side though, if you see our campfire burning, consider it an invitation, marshmallows are on me!!!!

TheCoachPotatoes · 10-06-2007, 04:12 PM

Hope no one takes offense here. I'm half joshing, because I really did use to enjoy campfires. Bingo, I'm thinking maybe it's an age-related thing. I do have allergies and that has something to do with it. Don't worry, I never complain about people's fires and would love to join you should the occasion arise. Having good conversation and being with good people outweighs the negatives. Besides, I'll bet your campfires aren't smoky! Some people will burn anything including plastic and their garbage.

bsmeaton · 10-06-2007, 07:26 PM

Seems back in the days of the tent, the campfire was the focus of camping. It kept you warm, you cooked on it, and it was the entertainment. With the RV, there are other things to focus on.

I've been carrying around the same bundle of wood I bought at a campground in South Dakota back in 2003. Not that I'm against the campfire at all, I just don't seem to get around to making one anymore. I'm just too busy running around getting the awnings set, the outside TV setup, grabbin the ice out of the icemaker in the basement, and firing up the blender to make margaritas.

Bill and Ann · 10-07-2007, 01:34 AM

The only smoke I have seen lately is coming out of the toaster. I don't particularily like to go anywhere near a campfire because the smoke always comes toward me no matter which side of the fire I move to.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 10-07-2007, 03:36 AM

Depending on the who, where, and when of our camping, we have been known to still enjoy a campfire.

Factors:

It is not tooooo hot outside, something about a campfire when it is still 85 degrees at 10 PM just does not compute.

There is an inexpensive source of campfire wood nearby, since we are in an area of quaranteen, from that emerald ash borer, we are not going to transport wood from one place to another, at all.

Don't like to have to smell people burning plastic, or almost as bad, burn treated wood. Goodness that stinks, and I have been told is dangerous to breathin that nasty stuff.

Campfires that are taller than my Tana, they are called campfires NOT bonfires! Bonfires are for football game pep rallies!

Chuck and Carol · 10-07-2007, 04:08 AM

Odd there should be a topic on campfires. We were just talking about that. Between the states not allowing wood to come in and a ban in ALL the states we have been to this year, we haven't had one. I love a good campfire once it gets going and is at that glow point. Other than that, the smoke is just too much.

TheCoachPotatoes · 10-07-2007, 04:21 AM

Here is a Native American saying I like

"White man make big fire, can't sit near. Indian make little fire, sit near."

Emmel · 10-07-2007, 05:20 AM

I LOVE a big juicy steak cooked over the open fire, big pot of beans, hamburgers and hot dogs! Then to just sit there watching the little indians running around in the flames, or was that the tequilla? I cook breakfast over the flames and try my best to NOT let the smoke bother the neighbors, but sometimes you can't help it.
When we have a fire beside our our home away from home, by all means plop down a chair and join us, nothing more relaxing than a cold one and great guests to enjoy the fire.
When we can't make it out on the road, like now, family health, we enjoy a fire pit on our deck in the evenings.

Fordzilla · 10-07-2007, 07:41 AM

We light a fire as soon as we are set up and level. Then keep it going all weekend long. We cook all our meals over the open fire. I consider it a challenge to cook anything you can think of on the fire. We have 100's of pounds of cast iron skillets, pans, dutch oven's, biscuit trays, etc... I think the DW likes it too as it gives her a break from the cooking duties during the week. We only burn real wood and try to keep the smoke to a minimum. It takes a lot of fire wood though. There have been weekends where we can burn up an entire pick-up load of wood within one weekend.

mamashappy · 10-07-2007, 09:47 AM

campfires ... depends on where and who you are with i guess. i do like to see small camfires glowing at night in the campground. if it is just the DH and me, then we find ourselves enjoying the a/c, bug-free 5ver. If it is chilly and we have company, then a fire is a must. our kids usually stop in and they like to cook whatever they can over the fire also. and of course, you need smores! we are in the Scharnburg Park near Everly, Iowa for a long weekend. The Halloween party is next wkend with the Chili Feed and lots of little trick and treaters headed this way! wish we could stay for that! Some folks here have their decorations up already!

Glenn and Lorraine · 10-07-2007, 10:54 AM

Lorraine and I don't do campfires especially when the outside temp is in the hi 70s, 80s or higher.
It made no sense to me to build a campfire after you just roasted in an un-air conditioned dining room such as we did at the Amish dinner. Most everyone was using paper plates to fan themselves it was that hot. As soon as the meal was finished we had a stampede to the door and our air conditioned trucks. We than went back to the CG and had a campfire. To me that just did not compute. Personally I can gather around in a circle and enjoy the conversation and fun and I don't need a blazing fire or any fire in the middle to do it. And as the evening went on the circle got larger and larger to the point that you couldn't feel the heat any longer but you still had to contend with the smoke. Maybe all those years as a firefighter just turned me off to fires.
I fully understand Emmel's and Fordzilla's way of thinking. Cooking over an open fire is great but sitting around an open fire when it is already too darn hot just doesn't make sense.

rldriver · 10-08-2007, 09:19 AM

Very interesting thread, my DW "has" to have a fire in the evening. I enjoy it but still get smoke in my eyes. I like the fire but on a cold night it's hard to keep both sides warm.

She likes fires so much that she has her own poker that we carry with us. I used it as a bat one time and broke it, boy did I get what for. She, (well we), will walk the camp ground and pick up fire wood after the people go home.

Happy camping,
Dick

adelmoll · 10-08-2007, 01:26 PM

I love a campfire on a chilly evening but if it's warm enough for the mosquitoes then it's inside for me... The thing that bothers me are the campers that have to have such a big fire that it looks like a bon fire... I have seen many that are singeing the trees. Now that scares me and I don't want to be anywhere near them.

Helen

Bill and Lisa · 10-09-2007, 09:05 AM

For us, a fire is a "depends" thing. Depends on our mood, Depends on how tired we are, Depends on if it is too hot out. Sometimes we like them and sometimes we don't. For a while in Virginia because of the drought and the underlying peat ground fires were not allowed. We purchased one of those propane fueled campfires and have used that. We visited a little at the campfires at the fall rally but not alot mostly due to the temps and the long days neccesitating getting off our feet and cooling down. Smoke is a big factor with DW's allergies.

Bill

Trailer Trash 2 · 10-09-2007, 09:46 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by TheCoachPotatoes

Here is a Native American saying I like

"White man make big fire, can't sit near. Indian make little fire, sit near."

We personally love the camp fires, and will invite my fellow camper next to us to join the fire ring, we have meet many wonderful campers that way, and are still communicating with most of them today.
But with all the red flags alerts a camper must be alert with there fire, and have a hose ready for any emergency that might flair up.

Merv · 10-18-2007, 11:00 AM

Our campfire is a "depends" situation also.
It depends on if I remembered to bring the kindling.
It depends on if I can find any firewood.
It depends on if I can get the wet stuff lit.
It depends on if it is pouring down rain and I cant get it lit.
We will always have a fire if it is permitted. Its just part of camping for us. Most of the time we are in National Forest campgrounds that have plenty of space between campsites, so bothering the neighbors should not be a problem. Besides, most of them will have fires burning also, unless they have the same "depends" list that I have.
Merv

mgdg · 10-23-2007, 01:29 AM

A fire is a must!!! That is a big part of camping for us. When we were in Destin Fla. in April I think we were the only ones in the campground that had one every night. There were no bugs or mosquitoes at all and the night air was cool. It seemed as the sun went down everyone went in their RV`s for the evening, that`s not camping!! The few people that didn`t pull up the carpet and pull down the shades at dusk came by to chat and we met some great people. Long live the campfire!!

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