Charcol as fire stater?

[kennyd63]

Has anyone used charcoal to get your firewood started? Well I have, and I'm still using it. I just buy a bag of Match light charcoal. Place a small amount on the center of the fire ring or pit, place your log on it and BAM!! Instant fire. No more messing around with twigs, news papers or buying log starters. A bag will last me 3 seasons... Remember once the fire start you just keep adding on fire wood to it...

Happy Camping!!!:W

[mhardin]

Ole Man Dan wrote:

mhardin wrote:
Why does everyone want to stink up a good campground with wood smoke?

Why not just string up enough lights to make the night look like Noon in Arizona in mid-July and enjoy the sound of the generators? Sheesh!
:R

In the South East we have lots of Camp Fires.
Lots of string lights attract mosquitoes to the light.

I like to 'Stink up the Campground' as you put it.
I even burn a little Pine to help keeps bugs away.
Lots of folks like to build a fire, sit out and drink Coffee, till late.

Sometimes... (GASP) Some of us like to cook over an open fire too.
I know a couple of places that don't allow fires. I never camp at those places.

It was a joke. Don't worry, I'm keeping my day job.

[Ole_Man_Dan]

mhardin wrote:
Why does everyone want to stink up a good campground with wood smoke?

Why not just string up enough lights to make the night look like Noon in Arizona in mid-July and enjoy the sound of the generators? Sheesh!
:R

In the South East we have lots of Camp Fires.
Lots of string lights attract mosquitoes to the light.

I like to 'Stink up the Campground' as you put it.
I even burn a little Pine to help keeps bugs away.
Lots of folks like to build a fire, sit out and drink Coffee, till late.

Sometimes... (GASP) Some of us like to cook over an open fire too.
I know a couple of places that don't allow fires. I never camp at those places.

[BossCamper]

A couple of years ago I was camped next to an old fallen white birch tree. Birch bark is one of the best natural fire starters you can find. It'll even light up when it's wet! I have a couple of zip-lock bags of birch bark. It only takes a little strip for each fire.
In my backpacking days I was always on the lookout for loose birch bark.
Please don't go stripping a live tree for it, but if you see some on the ground, take some and try it. If you haven't tried it, you'll be surprised!

[jerry1946]

I like campfires and outdoor cooking, just becaues I like campfires and outdoor cooking !!!

[johndeerefarmer]

I carry pine kindling. A squirt of lighter fluid on it and the fire is off to a roaring start. Add my logs and I am ready to cook, warm myself and relax myself by the view of the dancing flames- this is what a campfire is all about. 🙂

[NYCgrrl]

A perfectly innocuous thread gone weird :S

Since I frequently cook with charcoal I just dump the hot stuff into the firepit when dinner is over and add wood. Easy peasy.

[beemerphile1]

Yawn, aren't you being a little absurd Go Dogs?

[Go_Dogs]

I said, 'Enjoy'! If that's how you roll, have at it. However,you are a little defensive. Why is that?

[am1958]

Why would I keep a grill in the fridge?

Please, do everyone here a favour. Stop being such an utter nonce and stop telling people you don't know how they should live their lives.

For your benefit, because I know it's crossed your mind more than once, anal-retentive is hyphenated.

[Go_Dogs]

If you have room for a case of beer, you have room for a hygienic portable grill. If you and your family enjoys food bathed in toxic fumes and charred dog poop, prepared by an inebriated chef-Enjoy!

[am1958]

Go Dogs:

Methinks you thinks too much...

One presumes you don't grill anything because of the carcinogens produced when you do so...

You keep worrying I'm going back to my case of beer...

[Bigbird65]

There is a great product on the market called Fatwood. I use it to very easily build a camp fire. I put a crumpled sheet or two of newspaper on the botton, 5 or 6 pieces of Fatwood and a little kindling (optional). A few smaller logs are placed on top. Light the newspaper and add logs as needed. No chemicals are involved. Google Fatwood.

[Go_Dogs]

am1958 wrote:

Enjoy your case of beer and filthy cooking area. Unless you're some kind of environmental engineer, (which I highly doubt), you have no clue how certain chemicals will react, when exposed to high temperatures.

Seriously, what kind of "chemicals" are you suggesting people bring camping with them? As to "filthy", after being heated into the hundreds of degrees for an hour or two I'm willing to swab my fire pit and your cooking utensils and see which one makes the most colorful cultures.

I've been doing this over 50 years and you waited until now to tell me it's killing me...

You can certainly do as you like. However, even commonly used plastics emit toxic fumes when exposed to flames-ask any fire fighter. Not to mention, cooking food over burned dirty diapers, dog poop, raccoon spit, etc. is very unappetizing.

[am1958]

Enjoy your case of beer and filthy cooking area. Unless you're some kind of environmental engineer, (which I highly doubt), you have no clue how certain chemicals will react, when exposed to high temperatures.

Seriously, what kind of "chemicals" are you suggesting people bring camping with them? As to "filthy", after being heated into the hundreds of degrees for an hour or two I'm willing to swab my fire pit and your cooking utensils and see which one makes the most colorful cultures.

I've been doing this over 50 years and you waited until now to tell me it's killing me...