How Important Is a Campfire to You?

[Evolute]

First, let me be clear that I fully understand and appreciate that fires play a large role in emergency wilderness survival. I also understand that making fires, with primitive materials, in difficult circumstances, can be difficult, and requires learning and practicing the skills. I have no issue with that, and that's not what my question is about.

I get the impression that a lot of you consider campfires to be an important part of the camping experience, even for casual camping (such as backpacking or car camping in the Summer, where you have a tent, sleeping bag, stove, warm clothes, etc.), when and where campfires aren't really necessary. I get the impression that a lot of you make a campfire every time you camp. If you consider campfires important, and always have a campfire when you camp: Why?

I camp fairly often (though, not as much as I used to) – currently probably about 50-150 nights per year. Some of this is car camping, and some of this is more primitive camping. I rarely have a campfire – I'd guess less than 1% of the time. I'm not especially fond of campfires, and generally don't need one. I'd rather not spend time making a fire pit, nor gathering wood, nor tending to my fire, nor cleaning up to leave no trace of my fire. I'd rather not impair my night vision, and (to a lesser degree) my senses of smell and hearing. I'd rather not draw attention to my camp. I'd rather not smell like smoke. I'd rather focus on the wilderness I'm camping in, than focus on a fire. I'd rather do other things than sit in front of a fire.

I'd be really interested in hearing those of you who always have fires, and always want fires, explain why. Also, if this describes you: have you tried camping without campfires? What was your experience without a campfire like?

Thanks.

 

[hoopster]

There's just not a lot I'd rather be doing than sitting around a fire. I guess I'm just a simple fellow. You make some great arguments for not having one unless necessary though. Interesting topic.

 

[RescueRiley]

It's a ritual for me... in a world where meaning has been bled out of almost everything (at least here n the city) a sense or ritual combined with a primal elemental force is important to me I find it appeals to a part of me that his hard to access in everyday life.... and there's nothing finer in my mind than sitting by a fire with a full pipe, a warm drink, and a good friend or 2

 

[pitdog]

To me there is very little that compares to sitting close to a campfire in an evening, the crackle sounds, flickering of the flames as they dance in front of you and the smell of smoke as it permiates the air.

Definitely one of the highlights for me, just sitting next to the fire with a bottle of beer, letting all the stresses of day to day living drift away with the campfire smoke !

 

[TKAZ]

I won't go camping in areas I can't have a camp fire. it's just not camping without one. I can sit there all night and just relax working the fire, cutting, splitting wood and tending to the fire late at night is very relaxing for me and it's something I will look forward to all day. Most of the camping my wife and I do is in the fall and it gets rather cold in the mountains, a fire for many reasons is a must.

 

[hollowdweller]

I love them and yes although 99% of the time I cook over them I don't have to. It's mostly psychological.

There's a quote on one of the Ray Mears videos and he talks about the psychological value of the campfire. He says it better than I ever could. I wish I could find it and quote it back!

Good topic by the way!

 

[RedbeAR15]

Campfires warm the soul! I rarely camp without one.

 

[pitdog]

I have to ask ya Evolute, what is it that you do which needs so much time that you can't waste it on a fire ?

From my own perspective when I camp it is mainly to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, the fire takes little preperation and maintenance and adds heaps to the enjoyment.

 

[akennedy73]

I've camped with and without fires - many places don't allow it. I always prefer a fire - I can't say why except that I get an immense amount of satisfaction watching flames and smelling woodsmoke. I grew up in a wood heated home and watching the fireplace as a young kid was our version of TV. Honestly I kinda assumed everyone would prefer having a fire over not having one - it's interesting to me that fire isn't a universal preference. My experience camping without a fire is that I usually at least burn a candle! Guess it's a psychological thing - which I can't explain. Its certainly not some fear of the dark or the woods - I feel quite safe in the woods because the truth is there isn't much out there to get me predator-wise. It just puts me in an almost trance like state and I somehow feel connected to all the people who came before me and sat in front of fires - sounds crazy but it is some kind of primal experience - at least for me.

 

[Moosez45]

Its primitive TV. I can sit and look at a fire roll away to coals. It soothing, entertaining, relaxing, and primal. Fire is what has kept man in the survival game. It has been used to heat us, create safe water to drink, heat food, used as a tool, scared off predators, and many more things I can't name. For me, a fire is the center of the camp. All things revolve around it. I also use fire to heat my house. I have no other way to heat with, other than building a fire in my wood stove, during the winter. I can go on, but I won't. Uhg like fire.

Moose

 

[tknife]

When backpacking I don't have fires mainly because well, they usually aren't allowed past the base camp areas. But in established camps I do enjoy cooking over the fire, warming up and sitting around it talking to my camp mates. I guess what I'm saying is I can do with or without fire, but I generally enjoy one if it's in an area where I can have it.

 

[jahv220]

There is definitely a huge morale component to fire building for me. I spend a lot of time camping before I made Eagle in the scouts, and the fire was always the central totem of the campsite

 

[HeavyHanded]

There are few things in life better than a campfire, a bit of dark liquor (or cold beer), good friends around, the sound of the night in the woods overlayed with the crackle of a fire.

It's also the only way to manufacture one of my favorite smells in the whole of experience, campfire-scented dog.

 

[TwinBlade]

I echo every single thought above my post. Aside from the fact that it will cook your meal, make you warm and boil water, I can absolutely lose myself for several hours in front of a good fire in the evening. I don't go to church because I am quite honestly not interested in any organized religion, but you can be certain of the fact that there have been many times where I have had a pow wow with my maker in front of a fire.

 

[hollowdweller]

Some FIRE PRON

 

[ElSitherino]

I like to cook, so a fire is necessary for me, or at least the option of a fire. I usually spend my first hours in the day, on the first day, setting up my camp and getting a few days worth of wood. It takes relatively little time since I mostly look for fallen wood (which gives me the opportunity to also scout out the area) and break it down to size for either my portable firepit or the fire pit of a provided camp station. I usually have enough for my entire excursion, but if I don't I have no problem throwing some wood in my trekking pack to take with me back to camp. I love hiking and I understand wanting to do other things, but I am a little confused by the thought that one can't appreciate both of these tasks with a little time management.
I'm sure you've got your impressions, and I respect that, I'm just not sure if I understand your meaning (which is a problem on my end).

It's a good question to ask though, some people do make rather useless fires (comparatively)

 

[hushnel]

I don't always have a fire, unless I'm going primitive. If I'm alone I find the fire company, it needs me to survive, I find warmth and security in it. I keep a pot of hot water ready for hot drinks or washing. I feel connected to the thousands of generations of us and think what must be similar thoughts to my ancestors who sat and contemplated life, God and the great unknowns, as I gaze into what undoubtedly was part of the genesis of social human experience.

If I'm camping in a group it's the spark of conversation, the glow of it lights the faces of each of us equally without the intrusion of social status, like the idea of King Arthur's round table. Jugs are passed and stories are told, all done a hundred thousand time before. We are the same creature that first walked upright and bent the elements as tools to our wills and desires by fire. That we are not very different. Camp fires are social, our ancestors are closer. The great achievements of Man are marked by what we have done with fire. From chasing away the darkness, extending the day into night to fix and create without wasting precious daylight we needed for hunting and gathering, to landing on the moon propelled by great balls of fire, on components formed by fire insulated from the return to earth by ceramics made in the heart fire, and all contrived by knowledge given to us by fire. It created us, it will distroy us, it is our greatest too and our greatest folly, it is our inspiration. It is the first thing we learned to control and the first thing to bite us when we don't.

Not only can I not imagine camping with out it, I can't even imagine life with out it.

 

[Pritch]

Mike,

When I am bowhunting, I generally have a cold camp. I'm on the go all day - from before first light until after dark. And Ill be doing it all over again in just a few hours. I don't have the energy or the time to spare, and I don't want to smell of smoke. This is probably analogous to your photographic pursuits as well.

That being said, in almost any other situation where I'm camping, I look forward to a fire and am really bummed if there are fire restrictions in place. Spending time watching the "campfire channel" is an important part of my outdoor experience.

 

[Moosez45]

I don't always have a fire, unless I'm going primitive. If I'm alone I find the fire company, it needs me to survive, I find warmth and security in it. I keep a pot of hot water ready for hot drinks or washing. I feel connected to the thousands of generations of us and think what must be similar thoughts to my ancestors who sat and contemplated life, God and the great unknowns, as I gaze into what undoubtedly was part of the genesis of social human experience.

If I'm camping in a group it's the spark of conversation, the glow of it lights the faces of each of us equally without the intrusion of social status, like the idea of King Arthur's round table. Jugs are passed and stories are told, all done a hundred thousand time before. We are the same creature that first walked upright and bent the elements as tools to our wills and desires by fire. That we are not very different. Camp fires are social, our ancestors are closer. The great achievements of Man are marked by what we have done with fire. From chasing away the darkness, extending the day into night to fix and create without wasting precious daylight we needed for hunting and gathering, to landing on the moon propelled by great balls of fire, on components formed by fire insulated from the return to earth by ceramics made in the heart fire, and all contrived by knowledge given to us by fire. It created us, it will distroy us, it is our greatest too and our greatest folly, it is our inspiration. It is the first thing we learned to control and the first thing to bite us when we don't.

Not only can I not imagine camping with out it, I can't even imagine life with out it.

Very well said. Thanks. Moose

 

[Evolute]

It's a ritual for me... in a world where meaning has been bled out of almost everything (at least here n the city) a sense or ritual combined with a primal elemental force is important to me I find it appeals to a part of me that his hard to access in everyday life.... and there's nothing finer in my mind than sitting by a fire with a full pipe, a warm drink, and a good friend or 2

Interesting.

I don't have to deal much with meaninglessness. I know it's available, but I find plenty of meaning also available, and I prefer and enjoy it. I think some people's locations, jobs, responsibilities, and so on, force them to put up with a lot of meaninglessness. I'm fortunate to have avoided this, so far.

Most of the camping my wife and I do is in the fall and it gets rather cold in the mountains, a fire for many reasons is a must.

Again, I want to be clear that I understand that there are situations where a campfire is a must, and that's not what I'm questioning.

It's mostly psychological.

There's a quote on one of the Ray Mears videos and he talks about the psychological value of the campfire.

I can certainly see the psychological value of a fire in a survival situation. For me, I'm not sure it's offering me much, psychologically, in more prosaic situations.

I see several of you mentioning that fire is part of relaxing and alleviating stress, when you're camping. I'm not that stressed, in general, and normally not particularly stressed when camping. For me, there's not a lot of stress/lack of relaxtion to be corrected – and if there were, I'm not sure that a fire would be especially therapeutic for relaxing me and alleviating my stress.

By the way, I like Ray Mears.

I have to ask ya Evolute, what is it that you do which needs so much time that you can't waste it on a fire ?

From my own perspective when I camp it is mainly to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, the fire takes little preperation and maintenance and adds heaps to the enjoyment.

Pit, when I camp, it's because it's part of my job. Of course, I chose my job because I like the outdoors.

For those of you who aren't aware, I photograph nature for a living. You can see a bit of what I do, here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturography/show/

As for what I do which needs so much time:

Most of the time when I'm camping, I have to be out working on photographing from before the first glimmers of daylight until after the last glimmers of daylight. In the Summer, when the days are long and the nights are short, this can leave precious few hours for everything else. Especially when you factor in that most of these morning shoots require driving and / or hiking into the desired location in time, and most of these evening shoots require hiking and / or driving from location. I usually camp in a different place most every night, so I also have to find where I'll camp, and set up camp, after dark, and break camp and leave, before light. I also have to make dinner, etc. And I also sometimes have to do a lot of maintenance with my camera gear, such as: replacing used camera batteries and flash batteries, recharging batteries, deleting unworthwhile photos, backing up memory cards, cleaning the camera sensor, cleaning lenses, and so forth. There's also a lot of studying maps, studying guidebooks and natural history books, and various preparation.

On the occasions when I do have plenty of time, I do stuff like stargazing, listening to the river, hiking in the moonlight, calling my loved ones (if I have a phone signal), tending to hygiene (clipping toenails, washing my feet, washing off DEET, brushing my teeth, etc.), observing nocturnal animals, possibly reading a book, or replying to emails (if I have a signal), talking with my friends (when I'm camping with them), thinking, planning, etc.

I could have plenty of discretionary time, and still find many things I'd rather spend my time on than a fire. The issue is not so much that I couldn't possibly make the time for a fire; the issue is that a fire is lower priority for me than many other possibilities.

Honestly I kinda assumed everyone would prefer having a fire over not having one - it's interesting to me that fire isn't a universal preference.

I like the dark and the quiet. I know some of you have mentioned enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. I enjoy them, too – and I find I get a much richer experience of them, without the fire.

Just to be clear, I do have the same gene for pyromania as everyone else and I like playing with fire. I'd just rather not have one when I'm camping.

It's also the only way to manufacture one of my favorite smells in the whole of experience, campfire-scented dog.

That made me smile.

However, for me, both the smell of dog and the smell of smoke are going to work against doing my job – they'll both scare off 90% or more of the animals in the area.

When I am bowhunting, I generally have a cold camp. I'm on the go all day - from before first light until after dark. And Ill be doing it all over again in just a few hours. I don't have the energy or the time to spare, and I don't want to smell of smoke. This is probably analogous to your photographic pursuits as well.

Yes.

Thank you, all, for your answers, so far.