Campfire Ideas for the Green Kind
A campfire is an outdoor fire at a camp site that provides warmth and light, plus heat for roasting food. It can also be used as an insect repellent, and a beacon for hiking and wildlife-watching. Many established campgrounds even offer a flat stone or metal fire ring for added security. Campfires are a popular element of camping nowadays. They provide a fun, relaxed, outdoor experience.
However, in order to have a successful campfire, a few campfire essentials are needed. Most basic equipment for campfire cooking includes a campfire rack, a six-inch metal stick to poke a hole into, a utensil or knife, a lighter (usually made from cast iron or aluminum), and matches or oil. The utensil or knife serves the purpose of cutting up the fat of the animal that has been roasted, for example, chicken. The lighter helps to avoid getting singed, which may result from flying fat and grease. If you choose to use matches or oil, choose one that will not leak or catch fire. To avoid accidents, it is wise to keep the matches contained within the fire ring itself, as they could easily be blown away or ignited by a gust of wind.
Another good campfire accessory is a good supply of dry woods or brush to burn. This may include dead branches and twigs from trees in your yard or a nearby forest, hay, or straw. It’s better to have dry material, rather than wet, so that the flames do not sputter out or catch on anything flammable. The fresh air will open the air passages around your body and emit more light.
When using dry materials, it’s a good idea to have a fire extinguisher available. Never leave a campfire unattended. If an ember starts to smolder, immediately remove it, covering it with a cloth to keep embers from falling into the fire and starting a new fire. Do not try to clean an unattended fire. The smoke and embers may cause an explosion, which could result in serious injury or even death.
In order to cook on a campfire, it is important to have a campfire grill or campfire stove. These are especially important if you’re going to use the campfire to cook outdoors, because there is no table to place hot coals on. If you don’t have a campfire stove or grill, try using a small grill, a hot dog, or a small fire bowl. You can either bring food to your campfire with you, or roll up a sleeping bag, a blanket, and some hot coals and start cooking.
For those who want to cook on their campfire but don’t want to waste their time waiting for the tinder to burn down, consider using a campfire starter fire. Campfires made of tinder or wet grass are excellent for starting fires. Another option is to add a few pieces of tinder, some oil, dry straw, and a bit of water, to a few pieces of wood that you already have burning. This is similar to using an open flame as a star fire. When the tinder and wood start to crackle and catch fire, add the hot coals, dry logs, and your meat.
Some campfires don’t allow the use of a lighter. If you have to use a lighter, a small portable fire ring is useful for holding tinder and logs. Use the campfire ring to keep all of your firewood together, then light the ring, place the wood in the middle, and light the end of the ring. When the tinder catches fire and starts to burn, take the ring out and place the wood on top of the fire.
If you’re looking for something a bit more interesting than regular old campfires, consider making your own fireplaces. Camping fires are great because they allow you to get close to the nature you are enjoying. If you use wet firewood and dry, lightweight logs, you can create an interesting campfire look without any of the mess or hassle of using seasoned woods and embers. An easy way to make your camping experience a bit more interesting.
