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Old 07-22-2015, 02:25 PM   #1
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Campfires--yes or no?

Gotta admit it---we LOVE having a campfire. We're the first to admit that there are some rules and guidelines that need to be followed....like keeping water handy, not leaving it unattended, burn small and hot to decrease the smoke etc.

So many places don't want foreign wood, which I fully understand. We either buy from the local area/campground or else bring those compressed logs with us.

But alot of places aren't allowing campfires. Not only in times of firebans and drought.
Some private campgrounds place sites so close together there isn't room for a fire ring.

Most times, if we are able, we have a small fire in the evening for our own enjoyment...plus, it's a great way to meet people.

What do you do? Anyone tried the propane fires that are sold?
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Old 07-22-2015, 02:58 PM   #2
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Can you send s a link to an example of the "Propane Fires" you are asking abut. I am a littler lost, unless you are talking about patio "Fire Pits"



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Old 07-22-2015, 03:04 PM   #3
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I know they are popular with some people, Theresa. I have sat around a few of them. They do not have the same character a real fire has, nor do they kick out the heat that coals do. Another thing for me, is I would much rather have cool ol' campfire smoke in my face, than the smell of burnt propane.

But, if someone had one where fires were not allowed, and invited me to sit and have a cocktail with them, I most certainly would be in for it.
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Old 07-22-2015, 03:11 PM   #4
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In our area most campgrounds require you to buy wood on site or show that the wood your
bringing into the campgrounds is state certified. When firewood certification became law ,the price of a bundle of firewood went up and the size of the bundle went down . It can easily cost $25 for a 3 to 4 hour wood campfire. We too are looking into a propane log setup . Not the same ambiance as a wood fire but more cost effective . Plus no issues with smoke
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Old 07-22-2015, 03:26 PM   #5
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I have had one for about 4 years now - a small Fire Dancer. takes up very little room, weighs little - lid that screws on to it for packing away. I have been allowed to use it at times when there has been a camp fire ban and other times not.

I have found in cool weather it works well under the awning and does generate some heat. I have a pop up for really bad weather with sides and it works well inside of that to warm things up & keep yourself out of the rain - you can't have a real fire under a pop up or awning like that. Its cheap to use compared to paying $6 for a small bundle of fire wood at a state park. I have a small 10lb tank I use for it and my outdoor stove.

As Jim says it doesnt bet a real fire though - but in the event your camping in the pouring down rain or if you only want to sit outside for a hour of so it an easy start up and shut down and provides an ambiance may not otherwise have.

If I had the storage room I would go for the large one that Costco sells though.
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Old 07-22-2015, 03:46 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carol H View Post
but in the event your camping in the pouring down rain......
...... use a big ass tarp!

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This was taken early this spring at our rec property.
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Old 07-22-2015, 04:05 PM   #7
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My take on campfires. A number of years ago, in our backpaking stage, campfires were prohibited in some areas because of a lack of fuel. We quickly learned that a campfire was not a necessity, in it was not even desirable. Here's I learned, A campfire is a light that draws your attention to it. You stare at the campfire all evening. Thus destroying you night vision. Without the campfire there are more stars in the sky, more critters to be seen, and more bears that turn into stumps.

Even today many of the places we camp there are no campfires allowed. Death Valley's Sun Set campground comes to mind.
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Old 07-22-2015, 04:08 PM   #8
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Is this the one? http://www.amazon.com/Convert---Ball...rds=firedancer
Looks like great fun-- especially for those one night stops, where you'd really like a little ambiance for a short time.
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Old 07-22-2015, 04:10 PM   #9
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Is this the one? http://www.amazon.com/Convert---Ball...rds=firedancer
Looks like great fun-- especially for those one night stops, where you'd really like a little ambiance for a short time.

I don't know where your "one night stops" are but mine even that would not be allowed. Rest Areas, WalMart, Truck Stops would frown on that if not kick you out for using it.
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Old 07-22-2015, 04:15 PM   #10
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Around here, having a campfire while camping, backcountry or not, has never been an issue, fire bans aside. It has always been something we have done. I would venture to say I have spent over a thousand evenings sitting by one. A fire has a life to it, and is a great focal point for sitting around, chatting over cocktails, playing guitars and singing, or just plain warming up by on a cold night.

All you have to do is step back a short ways from the campfire, lay back, and marvel at the millions of stars in the Milky Way. We have done this many hundreds of times.

Seeing campgrounds that don't allow fires is a fairly new thing to me. I fully understand the reasoning in many cases. I just find it strange. This is where those propane fire pits might be handy, I just could not bring myself to lug one around. Last year at a music festival, in the campground we made a symbolic fire using one of those LED lights on a stick markers, and spread red flag tape around it to resemble flames. Then about a dozen of us sat around chatting.
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Old 07-22-2015, 04:18 PM   #11
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thanks, everyone! the one propane unit i've heard about is called little red campfire...or something like that.

A few years ago, while staying in Gamble Rogers Rec'n Area near Flagler Beach, Florida, we were strolling the campground and saw our first propane unit. It was actually quite large and was hooked up to a 20 lb tank. There were 8 people sitting around that fire and seemed to be enjoying it just fine.

Agreed---it certainly doesn't provide the ambiance of a "real" fire....but cost-wise, I'm sure it cannot be matched. Firewood is expensive.

A number of years ago in Myrtle Beach, campfire wood was really expensive (I don't know why--but it's not so dear anymore). We were heading to the local Walmart for groceries and noticed a new home build. There were scraps of wood everywhere and when we pulled in, asked the workers for the foreman and inquired as to whether we might have some of the scraps, he told us to take as many as we wanted. We loaded up the car with 2 x 4 pieces. Sure, it was soft wood and spit a bit, but the price couldn't be beat!
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Old 07-22-2015, 04:28 PM   #12
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Seeing campgrounds that don't allow fires is a fairly new thing to me. I fully understand the reasoning in many cases. I just find it strange. This is where those propane fire pits might be handy, I just could not bring myself to lug one around. Last year at a music festival, in the campground we made a symbolic fire using one of those LED lights on a stick markers, and spread red flag tape around it to resemble flames. Then about a dozen of us sat around chatting.
LOL I attended a 4 day music fest at the Columbia Gorge in Washington and they did let us use our propane fire pits (as long as they were not sitting on dry grass) but no wood fires - but all we had to do was look across the river to see a REALLY big wild one that also provided us with that campfire smell we needed.

Its pretty common here in southern BC to have a campfire ban for at least part of the summer camping season but normally they will let you use propane fire pits - unless the fire hazard rating is at extreme as it has been for a better part of this summer and which case they will/have outlawed the use of propane fire pits as well in most areas of the province.
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Old 07-22-2015, 04:35 PM   #13
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This year at the same music festival, in Salmon Arm, we are going to raise the bar with our campfire, and add a small fan to move the flagging tape about, better symbolizing a true fire.
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Old 07-22-2015, 04:42 PM   #14
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I Googled Fire Dancer and I got a link to some "Fire Dancers" guaranteed to light up any party. But I also found this listing for Fire Dancer and also Little Red Fire Pit. But they are a bit $$$$$:


http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_7kg78y5x4m_b



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Old 07-22-2015, 05:03 PM   #15
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My take on campfires,
I grew up camping and my earliest fondest memories of my parents and grandparents are from sitting around one swapping stories and sharing dreams around one.
We were a close family and often were together, conversation was always the agenda for the evening. I recall those times but for the life of me I can't remember them with the same fondness as the ones where a campfire was involved.
Maybe it the way a fire illuminates and draws attention to each individual. Whatever's the reason I want my family to have what I had.
Btw, wire mesh logs filled with wood pellets cut the cost and supplements a nice evening fire.
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Old 07-22-2015, 05:35 PM   #16
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Sorry for the double post. Something went haywire with the wifi I guess.
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Old 07-22-2015, 06:22 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman View Post
My take on campfires. A number of years ago, in our backpaking stage, campfires were prohibited in some areas because of a lack of fuel. We quickly learned that a campfire was not a necessity, in it was not even desirable. Here's I learned, A campfire is a light that draws your attention to it. You stare at the campfire all evening. Thus destroying you night vision. Without the campfire there are more stars in the sky, more critters to be seen, and more bears that turn into stumps.

Even today many of the places we camp there are no campfires allowed. Death Valley's Sun Set campground comes to mind.
I agree Byron. On a recent 60 day trip we had 3 campfires, mostly for roasting hotdogs on our rare non-healthy food occasions. That said fires are great when folks gather. I try to bring kiln dried scraps from home. So far rangers say OK. Dry hardwood burns hot and smokeless. Vendor supplied campfire wood is usually so green its hard to start and lays down a smoke screen worthy of a beach landing.
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Old 07-22-2015, 06:23 PM   #18
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Yeah, some of us have the Repose wood pellet fire logs from reposenow.com . They make for some affordable campfires, with a 50 lb bag of pellets only costing a few bucks. And no worries about carrying beetles or diseases with your wood pellets from home.
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Old 07-22-2015, 06:56 PM   #19
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Have used this one for a couple years now, comes in handy when you spend the day away from the camp site, like fishing or late day hikes. It's nice when you can come back at 9 pm, light the fire for an hour while you ready dinner over the charcoal grill. Turn it off, put it under the fifth wheels overhang and go to bed.

The gas smell seems to go away once it heats up, that or you get used to it and can't smell it anymore. Can't tell which!

Can't see the flames if it's not dark enough.

This one is too low to the ground.

Have to almost sit on top of it to get much heat, although I don't have it cranked up. They suck a lot of gas.

Runs off the trailers quick connect.

Can use it under the awning.

We use a real fire if we have friends with us, not a lot of ambiance with the propane fire. But it's too convenient to ignore for a quick fire whenever you want one.

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Old 07-22-2015, 08:12 PM   #20
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I Googled Fire Dancer and I got a link to some "Fire Dancers" guaranteed to light up any party. But I also found this listing for Fire Dancer and also Little Red Fire Pit. But they are a bit $$$$$:


http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_7kg78y5x4m_b
The Fire Dancer is pricey but its loved by its owners due to its small size and how well it closes up and stores away. Costco sells one called an Outlander? that is larger and way more BTU's for about $90 but that one does not pack away as well.
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