fire ban

Jebby14 wrote:
camp fires are a major focal point on camping trips for us. my next trip is looking like it may be under a total fire ban. this makes me sad :(. anyone have any fun tips for evening socializing? will be going with some old coworkers and our children. several toddlers and 2 babies.

You mean this OP question.... not what this thread went off on a tangent about?

I vote for propane if it's allowed, but that may be an extra cost if you don't already have one.

Cards/boardgames. Smores can be done in ovens or microwaves if a gas grill isn't available or allowed. Movies for the kids with popcorn if you can find an outside way to display it. Flashlight hikes for kids. Fresh baked cookies (mentioned once but a good idea). Fake fire (like mentioned) but could be any battery lantern with either cellophane or orange/yellow cloth and some sticks around for ambience.

I have a set of old artificial electric fireplace logs. The type with the light bulb inside of a coloured rotating drum. During campfire bans, I put it in the fire ring, plug it into the inverter and wait to see how many fellow campers try to rat me out to the campground host.

Bacon! The cause of, and solution to, all of the world's problems.





(paraphrasing a popular quote)

We are old school (60's camping) and brought up before todays droughts that are prevalent throughout the Country especially out West.

With that when we can...and I say when we can...this is what we enjoy;












Camp on!!!

wing_zealot wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:
You can make smores and hotdogs over a small propane cook stove. If that is allowed.

Me, I'm glad to be anywhere there is NOT a campfire. 6 years full timing and I have yet to meet a camper that knows how to build a smokeless campfire. Or more importantly one that knows how to extinguish a campfire before they go to bed. So others don't gag to death from the smoke coming into their RV all night long.:(

Seems to me you shouldn't be a camper. The normal camping lifestyle is entirely opposite of what you seek. That's like being a chef that hates cooking; destined to be totally miserable.

Wow, I didn't know being a "camper" has such strict rules: "Do it my way". That may explain why I'm an RVer and not a "camper". Of course for all I know that may be against the rules too. And who knew there was a "camping lifestyle".

Seems as though camping has stricter rules than a HOA. :)

rockhillmanor wrote:
You can make smores and hotdogs over a small propane cook stove. If that is allowed.

Me, I'm glad to be anywhere there is NOT a campfire. 6 years full timing and I have yet to meet a camper that knows how to build a smokeless campfire. Or more importantly one that knows how to extinguish a campfire before they go to bed. So others don't gag to death from the smoke coming into their RV all night long.:(

Seems to me you shouldn't be a camper. The normal camping lifestyle is entirely opposite of what you seek. That's like being a chef that hates cooking; destined to be totally miserable.

2oldman wrote:
Nobody runs a diesel truck in the CG for 8 hours.

you would be surprised, and some do run Generators more than 10 hours a day, and some try to run them during quiet time. I'd much rather smell a fire

DW hates the smoke and smell of a wood fire. She loves smores. I love the fire but not the smores. Bought a Fire Dancer propane fire with ceramic logs some years back. We were allowed to use it in CA during an open fire ban when Yosemite was threatened (we were outside the park camping). Open fire ban in CO next year not allowed. We have used it multiple times in campgrounds without fire pits and wood fires not allowed. It's a nice trade off. I bought an 11 lb propane tank to use with it. That doubles as the fuel source for my "crab boil" burner when at home.
Now I'm hungry.............. Greg

It's called a campfire for a reason. If a ban is in place you just have to deal with it

2oldman wrote:
Nobody runs a diesel truck in the CG for 8 hours.

Very true, some of those smudge pot fires get started at 8:00am and go until midnight. Cough, cough. They do seem to produce much more smoke than fire. Kind of like watching musical chairs as the sitters move around the "fire" to get out of the worst of the smoke.