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Do you build a campfire in the wilderness?


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Do you always build a fire?

 

 

Ever gone a whole backpacking trip without one?

 

 

I haven't built a campfire while wilderness camping/hiking for over 10 years. The only time I ever build a fire while backpacking is to lighten my load of stuff that is okay to burn and always in an already established fire ring and then only when I'm out for more than 10 days.

 

 

If you ALWAYS build a fire, try going without. You won't believe the freedom and savings of quality time in the wilderness that affords. Not to mention probably being better for the wilderness.

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You bring up a great subject...

 

everytime I go wilderness camping I will make a fire. For me the fire is a source of heat and security. Mind you the fires i tend to make are quite small and operate with a reflector wall. I tend to start them by various methods to make the experience enjoying. Friction and bow, Magnesium Block, and once with my glasses.

 

As for the environment, I agree that burning wood puts CO2 in the air, but I wonder what the impact of a small camp fire does compared to a gaz lawnmower, Vespa motorcycle, SMART car...etc

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I recently went backpacking with my son and originally did not plan on having a fire. In the end I gave in, I could not resist spending the time with my 11 year old son 7 miles into the forest sitting around a fire. He is in Scouts and is very aware of LNT camping (they are teaching LNT now unlike when I was in and was taught to trench around our tents) and I feel we did an outstanding job of cleaning up after ourselves. As the previous poster mentioned we built a very small fire and actually waited until dusk. We also used it cook part of our meal.

 

I can understand the concern and have a backpacking stove. We used the stove for breakfast. We will have some backpacks without fires and some with.

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Here in the UK and around Europe, the warnings about campfires seems always to be about the potential of the fire getting out of control. About the fire turning into a wildfire / bushfire type-scenario rather than any environmental impact. I'm sure the amount of CO2 that your campfire pumps out is FAR less than the CO2 your car pumped out getting you to the edge of the wilderness you wanted to hike in anyhow. Not that I'm judging anyone with that statement - I drive to the mountains so I can walk in them too.

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I agree with most of the opinons here, there a many reasons to build a fire. Most time I build a fire to cook with since I combine fishing or/and hunting with my hikes and camping. But the fire also has many more uses, if with friends it creates a gathering point, and like mentioned before it keeps insects and wildlife away. Any impact it creates is minimal and since many places I camp have been visited before I reuse the same spots.

 

O-Mega

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Any impact it creates is minimal and since many places I camp have been visited before I reuse the same spots.

 

 

I'm honestly not interested in impact from a campfire. I should probably clarify that my message isn't overtly green.

 

 

I generally hike alone and I discovered for myself that a responsably maintained fire was a drain on my time and didn't much improve my enjoyment of my time in the wilderness. The feeling of freedom from not having a fire to maintain was GREAT the first time I tried it for a whole trip and I never looked back.

 

 

Deet keeps the bugs off me and I can see the stars better without the light pollution of a campfire to dim them in my camp. I'd rather look at stars than a fire any day and now I don't have to walk out of my camp to see them. :(

 

 

If you hike alone, try it without a fire sometime. You'll notice a big difference.

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When I go overnight backpacking I'll skip the small campfire mostly if I'm packing in a no gathering area. Since I live in a Desert you generaly have to bring your own fuel anyways. I like to have a small fire and just let the embers roil with no open flames to see the starlight :(

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Deet keeps the bugs off me and I can see the stars better without the light pollution of a campfire to dim them in my camp. I'd rather look at stars than a fire any day and now I don't have to walk out of my camp to see them. :)

 

 

If you hike alone, try it without a fire sometime. You'll notice a big difference.

You'll hear no arguments from me on most aspects of not having a fire. However, I draw the line at a full body coating of deet and this night was one of those where it didn't matter what you had on, you were food for the buggers.

 

Standing in the smoke was more enjoyable than standing in the cloud of bugs. The endurance was for only a couple of hours and we purposely kept the fire smoldering rather than flare up to provide light. It stayed small and died after a couple of hours to get us past the evening air raid. The bats came out and did a fair job of chasing them out of the area allowing us to watch a beautiful moonrise reflecting off the white dead stands in the forest

 

Otherwise, being in the wilderness on a dry summer evening without a fire would have been preferential.

Edited by TotemLake
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Making a fire is part of the camping experience for my husband and I. Generally, we try to stay at a site which has a firepit and build a small one there. I've never found taking care of a fire to be difficult. 'Course, we live in an area where there is firewood to be had in the woods. Some areas are not so suited for a fire.

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Fire is nature's televison.I couldn't imagine going camping without one.

 

I agree. Unless fires are expressly prohibited, or there is a elevated risk of forest fire, I will always build a fire. It just doesn't seem right gathering around to sip beers, smoke stogies and chat around a flashlight.

 

I just make sure that if there is an existing fire ring, I use it, or if there is no existing fire ring, I will make one, then break it up when I'm done.

 

If there is a dry stream bed I will build the fire there. There are no leaves or duff to catch fire, plenty of rocks for a fire ring, a stream bank for a convenient seat and all traces wash away the next time it rains.

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Most all states that I am aware of require permits and the majority of wilderness camping forbid such fires. Leave No Trace is the rule.

As an alternative to campfires, you are encouraged to use a stove in the wilderness. This minimizes the impact on soils and vegetation.

 

Washington State

"Campfires - To protect vegetation and soils, campfires are not allowed above 3,500 feet or in some high-use areas below that elevation. "

 

Nevada

"In all Nevadas Division of Parks & recreation areas, Fires are permitted in designated areas only. "

 

TN

"The kindling of any fire is permitted only:

In designated camping and picnic grounds when the fire is confined in a fireplace provided for the use of visitors, or grills, or in locations marked by the Superintendent; nor are they

in other locations, including backcountry, wilderness and remote sections of the park areas . Permits are required"

 

Vermont State Parks

 

"All fires must be built only at these designated sites and in the provided fire rings."

 

New yORK

"Fires must be built in existing fire pits or fireplaces only, and users must get permits to camp in wilderness areas." In fact a recent press release in NY says

"to ensure compliance with regulations rangers will be patroling the wilderness areas to enforce the regulations."

 

North Carolina:

"All North Carolina state parks are wildlife preserves.Cooking & recreational fires are permitted only in designated areas with fire rings."

 

Calif.

"Campfire permits are issued at no charge to insure fire restrictions are followed correctly., and they are not given for wilderness camping.

 

Camping Rules in all of NJ Parks:

"Fires — Fires are permitted only in stoves, fireplaces or designated ground fireplaces or in approved campstoves provided by the camper. No wilderness area fires are allowed.

 

Pa rules for all state owned wilderness areas:

"Fires are only permitted in fire rings and grills and must be extinguished when not in the designated camp site

 

All National Parks Wilderness Areas

" fires are prohibited; use a backcountry stove for cooking."

 

In fact Without posting all 50 states regs, I have not located 1 state that permits fires in wilderness areas. The general rule of thumb is

Fires (except at specific sites with metal fire rings)

 

The entire Appalation Trail does not permit open fires either,

"Fires are allowed in the fireplaces at the leantos, but wood is short and a lightweight backpacking stove is strongly recommended."

Edited by chstress53
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Fire is nature's televison.I couldn't imagine going camping without one.

 

I agree. Unless fires are expressly prohibited, or there is a elevated risk of forest fire, I will always build a fire. It just doesn't seem right gathering around to sip beers, smoke stogies and chat around a flashlight.

 

I just make sure that if there is an existing fire ring, I use it, or if there is no existing fire ring, I will make one, then break it up when I'm done.

 

If there is a dry stream bed I will build the fire there. There are no leaves or duff to catch fire, plenty of rocks for a fire ring, a stream bank for a convenient seat and all traces wash away the next time it rains.

Good point.Also good idea about the dry creek bed.

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New yORK

"Fires must be built in existing fire pits or fireplaces only, and users must get permits to camp in wilderness areas." In fact a recent press release in NY says

"to ensure compliance with regulations rangers will be patroling the wilderness areas to enforce the regulations."

 

Not sure where you got this. I've been camping in NY's wilderness areas for years without a permit and with a fire. NY's wilderness areas are managed by the DEC and regarding fires, their regulations say:

 

"a. No fires are permitted except for cooking, warmth or smudge. No fire shall be lit until all flammable material has been removed from its perimeter as is necessary to prevent its spread. No fires shall be left unattended until extinguished."

 

Camping is allowed nearly anywhere as long as you are at least 150 feet from a road, stream or body of water and below 3,00 ft in the Catskills and 3,500 feet in the Adirondacks.

 

Permits are only required for groups of 10 or more of if you are staying in one spot more than 3 days.

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New yORK

"Fires must be built in existing fire pits or fireplaces only, and users must get permits to camp in wilderness areas." In fact a recent press release in NY says

"to ensure compliance with regulations rangers will be patroling the wilderness areas to enforce the regulations."

 

Not sure where you got this. I've been camping in NY's wilderness areas for years without a permit and with a fire. NY's wilderness areas are managed by the DEC and regarding fires, their regulations say:

 

"a. No fires are permitted except for cooking, warmth or smudge.

 

A new term there for me sorry, so I have to ask. What's smudge?

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New yORK

"Fires must be built in existing fire pits or fireplaces only, and users must get permits to camp in wilderness areas." In fact a recent press release in NY says

"to ensure compliance with regulations rangers will be patroling the wilderness areas to enforce the regulations."

 

Not sure where you got this. I've been camping in NY's wilderness areas for years without a permit and with a fire. NY's wilderness areas are managed by the DEC and regarding fires, their regulations say:

 

"a. No fires are permitted except for cooking, warmth or smudge.

 

A new term there for me sorry, so I have to ask. What's smudge?

 

A smoky fire used to keep insects away.

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Well it all depends on where I am at in the Desingnated Wilderness Areas that I patrol for the USFS.

 

The general rule is 200' from a trail of water source fires are permitted. If I'm in a designated travel zone, then the rule is no fires, campstoves only, and one must camp at the designated campsites.

 

So if I have a fire its usually done in a #10 can placed on some rocks with a dirt base underneath it. I keep the fire small and when I leave in the morning the stove is used as a receptacle for waste water and the wet ashes are dispersed and the fire ring removed.

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