Campfire smoke!

[Steve70605]

Originally Posted by Mudfrog

Campfires are a big part of the experience for us. We find ourselves, along with friends and family, sitting and talking around them a lot of the time we're camping.

At the same time, I have forgone starting campfires when I knew the wind was blowing straight into someone else' campsite. I've actually put the fire out a few times when I noticed its smoke was heading straight to someone's front door.

X2 for us!

We also go camping to enjoy a nice camp fire (any temperature outside). We are also respectful of others. We too, have suffered from unwanted smoke from less considerate folks. We have asked others when the smoke has gotten to our unit to move the fire if possible when this happens. Really if you take the time to talk to your neighbors they usually are not doing it to be nasty. You might even find a new friend!

[reubenray]

I don't mind the smoke until they start throwing their trash on it especially anything that is petroleum based.

[MSHappyCampers]

Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

We share your feelings about the campfires!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

[Podivin]

On the up side, it cuts down on the flying biting bugs.

[Whirrlly]

108 heat index in our state park right now and campfires ARE going and I will never understand it LOL as no one is making smores or even near the darn things, just blazing away in absolute high heat and stink to heck and back no allergies or asthma stuff here but I despise smell of campfires.....but as others have said, if allowed ya darn well are gonna have to get used to it or move, go home or quit camping near fires what else can ya do? nuttin!

[Mike and Cha]

I could never understand a campfire in the hot weather either. We used to do a lot of boat camping on Lakes on the Colorado River, Mead, Mohave, and Lake Powell. During the summer months the heat would be 100-110 and some would complain all day how hot is was, even though they could just jump in the water. And then at night it may cool down to maybe the 80's and they would want to have a campfire. Of course boat camping is a lot like MH'ing and carrying capacity can be an issue, so firewood was always the least priority to me(at least during the summer).

[Bob_C]

I can see where a small portable log splitter might come in handy.......ain't chopp'n any wood....

[jlechmanik]

Staying at Oregon state parks we found this to be the "weekend warriors" (note we were there for 2 to 3 weeks). Every Friday night they arrived. Set up their campfire (temperature didn't matter) then started their drinking and loud talking. Till late at night. Then repeat Saturday night (unless the loud trains drove them off). Then left Sunday morning. Peace and smoke free quiet till Friday.

I never felt the need for a campfire but understand others do. But for warmth while hanging outside. Just to make it hotter on a hot night I just don't get....

[raineman]

Originally Posted by Rimoskeeto

Hi, we are in South Carolina now,it is 95 degrees right now! If you can believe it people around us have smoldering campfires,not cooking campfires just fires! Very high humidity so the smoke hugs the ground! Have job related asthma and cannot even go out to enjoy the outdoors because of these (campers)! Why can’t campgrounds have no fires areas,yes I know you can’t control the winds,but it would be better than sitting in smoke!

Welcome to camping. Campfires are a vital piece of the camping experience.

[Capt Steve]

Complaining about the smoke in a campground is like going to the beach and complaining about the sand. It is a campground and every site has a fire ring... duh!

I do agree that it is ignorant to use them to burn trash, diapers, green wood, plywood etc. A proper fire should smoke very little but then I guess not everyone was a Boy Scout.

If you do not want smoke switch to the RV parks which usually do not permit fires of any kind. We are in our annual Red Flag fire ban pending the arrival of the Monsoon. In the next couple of weeks the serious rains will begin and the ban will be lifted. Until then we know and accept the fact that no open fires will be permitted with the possible exception of the self contained propane fire pits {yes, we have one and use it often} and even these are often banned depending on the location.

As noted repaeatedly above campfires are huge part of camping and if they are not your cup of tea then perhaps you need to be somewhere else. I've never understood folks who insist others have to change or cease their legal behavior just because they don't like it, just makes no sense at all.

[JMonroe]

At one time I was a volunteer camp host at one of our home county parks. One of my responsibilities was to check and clean out the fire rings, if necessary. Couldn't believe what I would find in them.

[CampDaven]

Grew up camping.
If we wanted to cook: campfire!
We still cook over the campfire, with some recipes IN the campfire.
And the proper wood for cookin is perfect!
Trash provides “holy crap” responses. Food needs pure wood.

[tcg]

No idea what job related asthma is but I have life related asthma.

It's triggered by many things including my cats.

We were camping this past weekend in hot humid weather and I had two of our cats with us.

Fires galore along with pollen and all kinds of other triggers floating about.

I took an extra inhaler and went with it.

Had loads of fun but kept an inhaler nearby and used it.

I think I need to sharpen my kindling axe though. It should have taken my finger clean off, instead it just filleted it.

That took my mind off my breathing issues for a bit and my wife said she's taking away all my sharp things.

Look for campgrounds without campfires, deal with it, or reconsider camping altogether.

[Tony Lee]

I've never understood folks who insist others have to change or cease their legal behavior just because they don't like it, just makes no sense at all.

50 people having to be tolerant just because 1 person is inconsiderate makes far less sense though.