Camping without a camp fire

[Byron Kinnaman]

I found myself mesmerized by the flames. Bonnie W.

That's the problem with camp fires. I usually don't have one. It's nice to be able to see the world around me and not have my night vision destroyed by a camp fire or lantern. It's much more fun to watch the bats and the night hawks come out. The deer don't shy away so easily when there's no fire or light. The stars are brighter without the campfire or light. If I'm cold an extra sweater and hat take care of that. You can hear the night noises better without the campfire crackling too.

I have a red light in the trailer, and if I need a light outside I use a red light for that too. All this keep the night vision working.

Moderators' note: This topic was split out from the one on Propane campfires..., because this is an interesting topic in its own right.

[bonnie w]

Holy Batwings, Byron !! Bah Humbug. Ok, you have a valid point re: animals, bugs, bird calls etc. but, it also helps with the mosquitoes. The campfire also keeps away wolves, cougars and bears I can only hope. You gave me a chuckle cus there is always some sensable person in the crowd

[Byron Kinnaman]

The campfire also keeps away wolves, cougars and bears I can only hope.

I'm not the least bit worried about wolves, cougars or bears. Wolves, cougars, and bears generally don't attack people unless cornered. You see I've already made an agreement with the preditors, I don't bother them and they don't bother me. Out of all the nights I've spent more than a mile from the nearest road I've never seen any of those creatures. The last bear I saw was 40 years ago in a National Park campground.

Be one with the night.

[Frederick L. Simson]

I have a red light in the trailer, and if I need a light outside I use a red light for that too. All this keep the night vision working.

Ah, memories of my shipboard Navy days...
I think I saw red filter tubes that slip over the 7" florescent lamps at WalMart. I'll have to get some.

[Brian B-P]

I think I saw red filter tubes that slip over the 7" florescent lamps at WalMart. I'll have to get some.

People working in photographic darkrooms (particularly in black-and-white) also use red lighting, and astronomers have an application very similar to the camper who wants to retain night vision.

Another option for efficient red lighting would be LEDs. Producing a single colour at the red end of the spectrum is where LEDs work best.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Looks like the mods split this off.

The red light I'm using inside the trailer is a CCFL 4". The headlight is a red LED. I've used red filters and find the red LED gives better light.

[Roger H]

Actually, for the past 30+ years, photographers in B&W darkrooms have used a Wratten (Kodak) Series OC safelight filter which is a really dark yellow-orange, not red... has to do with the "polycontrast" paper responding to different wavelengths of light for varying the contrast level of a print based on the filter one uses during printing...

But, that bit of trivia aside...

I'm with you Byron. I'm not a campfire person. I like seeing the forest dark, the stars, and the night world around me.

Roger

[Per Walthinsen]

Ah yes, the orange safelight. After 45 years of use I semi-retired them but kept them for when I can afford a Rolleiflex for some real B&W. Occasionally I dim the lights in my computer room in order to approximate the ambience.(Bright lights seem to have no effect on Photoshop. Why is that?) What nostalgia. No nostalgia for the chemicals and the fumes, on the other hand.

My wife loves campfires. I "hate" them. For all the reasons given. I pretend to have an irrational fear of CO2 and keep the windows cracked at night for fear of losing additional brain cells. Campfires, besides sending glowing embers towards combustibles, must emit tons of carbon dioxide and contribute to G.W. I believe I emit enough for one person just by breathing. OK, I said it was irrational already.

[Lizbeth]

We like campfires but we hate lanterns. Same idea.

We don't even carry a lantern anymore and hardly ever use flashlights unless it's for task lighting (hubby has a LED headlantern). People think we are crazy for not using them walking at night but most of the time we don't find it difficult.

We like campfires because we are drawn to the flame...and then there's that whole dancing thing....

[Roger H]

Ah yes, the orange safelight. After 45 years of use I semi-retired them but kept them for when I can afford a Rolleiflex for some real B&W. Occasionally I dim the lights in my computer room in order to approximate the ambience.(Bright lights seem to have no effect on Photoshop. Why is that?) What nostalgia. No nostalgia for the chemicals and the fumes, on the other hand.

Per, all you need is a little glacial acetic acid in a bowl next to the computer. Maybe an open bottle of rapid fix on the side... fix you right up!

A Rolleiflex? I think you HAVE been inhaling too many darkroom fumes!

But back to the issue at hand... Although Lizbeth, I find the dancing argument compelling, the US EPA estimates that for every 1000 pounds of hardwood open burned the following pollutants are produced:

Respirable Particulate – up to 20 pounds
Carbon Monoxide – up to 146 pounds.

The respirable particulates are less than 2.5 microns in size which means that they settle in the deep lung tissues and are not expelled by exhaling. Further, many of them are carcinogenic.

If you really want to know more, here's a link:

http://www.iowadnr.com/air/citizen/b...effect_alt.pdf

Roger

[Suz]

campfires ... I'm not really a night time campfire person. It seems that just as I get it going good, it's time to put it out and go to bed.

The one thing that I always love is a wood fire to cook my breakfast on. I love to smell bacon cooking and coffee perking as it mingles with the smells of the fire. Yummmmm. I think it reminds me of the backpacking days. I don't do that very often, but it's a real treat when I do.

[bonnie w]

I don't think I've ever seen a campfire slow down a mosquitoe.I'm not the least bit worried about wolves, cougars or bears. Wolves, cougars, and bears generally don't attack people unless cornered. You see I've already made an agreement with the preditors, I don't bother them and they don't bother me. Out of all the nights I've spent more than a mile from the nearest road I've never seen any of those creatures. The last bear I saw was 40 years ago in a National Park campground.

Be one with the night.

Here is an invite to visit north Vancouver Island (Port Hardy) as you will rarely miss seeing deer crossing the rural hwy. or seeing black bears. I live at the end of Port Hardy Bay, and beside me is the Quatze River where salmon spawn. It really brings out the eagles, mink, bears etc. The bears use the sides of the river as their road. The tourists are in absolute awe watching the wildlife. (I live year round in a 30ft. Holidare).

Here's a wee story from last summer from the caretaker here. He glanced across the park and saw two black hairy legs going back and forth along one side of a big trailer. Turned out the woman inside had made a pie and the bear was going back and forth at her window trying to get a smell.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Here is an invite to visit north Vancouver Island (Port Hardy) as you will rarely miss seeing deer crossing the rural hwy. or seeing black bears. I live at the end of Port Hardy Bay, and beside me is the Quatze River where salmon spawn. It really brings out the eagles, mink, bears etc. The bears use the sides of the river as their road. The tourists are in absolute awe watching the wildlife. (I live year round in a 30ft. Holidare).

Here's a wee story from last summer from the caretaker here. He glanced across the park and saw two black hairy legs going back and forth along one side of a big trailer. Turned out the woman inside had made a pie and the bear was going back and forth at her window trying to get a smell.

Becareful what you wish. I just might come that way sometime. That area is on my list of places to visit.

[Fred Bell]

My 8-year old daughter and I started star-gazing this past summer. We didn't build one campfire and didn't miss it either. Campfires are warm, but stars are cool.

[Christi V.]

I love a campfire... thats apart of my camping.. but I cant ever keep the darn thing going..

[Jan Adams]

I think it is a real shame that EVERYONE in the camp has their own personal campfire. Personally, we don't have one because we don't have room to bring firewood and I would rather ask a neighbor if we can share their fire.

Then, I bring out the pie makers with the pizza makings and a good time is had by all.

[Anne H]

I love a campfire - but totally agree that it seems so wasteful (to me) for every campsite to have their own - I really liked the common fire at the N OR Gathering.