Light My Fire, Pros and cons of having campfires. Options

[Jerry S.]

Hi everybody,

For those of you who don't know my camping and RVing credentials: 15+ years in tents and 15 + years RVs; 49 states and most of Canada; over 200 campgrounds and RV parks; 5 months of RVing a year for 10+ years since retiring. I discussed my views about the site in the Campgound Reviews (mostly with Texasrvrs) string in this Forum a few weeks ago.

Since my area is about to be hit with really fridged (highs less than 10 degrees) for the next 4 or 5 days, I thought I'd try to start a hot topic. As mentioned in the aforementioned string discussion, there are some park amenities that one camper considers a positive and another camper considers a negative. One of my favorite examples is campfires.

I have read many pro campfire reviews complaining about: lack of fire rings; the size, placement, and/or what the rings were made of; restrictions, etc. Many write about the tradional aspect of campfires: just siting around it at night; s'mores; treat for the kids or grandkids; etc.

The anti-campfire people say: their rigs fill with smoke; embers and ash fall on their rigs and awnings; they can't sit outside at their own sites because of the smoke/smell; the inherent danger of open fires; the things some people try to burn; fires in 80+ degree weather; etc.

The one complaint of the pro-campfire people that I have the biggest problem with is being upset about restrictions. While some parks may ban fires for their own reasons, many bans are due to governmental (municipal, state, federal) decisions. These can be permanent or temporary but almost always based on public safety issues. I have been out west numerous times over the years in states that have dozens of fires burning tens of thousands of acres and some camper will complain about not being able to have a campfire. They act as if it is a constitutional right.

One more thought to get the ball rolling. All you have to do is read how many reviews complain about the lack of space between RV sites to realize that most RV parks are not condusive to campfires - at least to your downwind neighbors.

I could go into each of the pro and anti items above, but I'll wait to see what others think.

Jerry S.

[Jerry S.]

And again,

John Blue: I knew other walkers existed but so seldom see any of them. I do have some question3 for you about the computer/cell/antenna set up but I'll put that in the "Chat" section of this Forum in the next day or two. I don't want to get that far off topic in this string.

Cheryl: You have sort of proven another point: just because you've never experienced or observed something in a park doesn't mean it never happens. If you are always out and about, you can't know what goes on during the day at the park? Under certain circumstances, I often don't leave a park for a day or two. I walk, do laundry, use the pool and other park facilities, etc. On the fire topic, for example, I have seen campfires (with too much liquid fuel, I assume) with flames shooting 6 t 8 feet in the air. It does happen.

Big Ben: I'll take your opening sentence as both a compliment and a pun. While your generalization makes sense, my experience and observations say there are plenty of full-timers out there who, at times, will have a campfire. Probably not the majority, but certainly not only 1 or 2%.

Later,

Jerry S.

[Cheryl Fuller]

And again,
Cheryl: You have sort of proven another point: just because you've never experienced or observed something in a park doesn't mean it never happens. If you are always out and about, you can't know what goes on during the day at the park? Under certain circumstances, I often don't leave a park for a day or two. I walk, do laundry, use the pool and other park facilities, etc.

I'm sorry, but I guess I don't understand how I have proven your point - if you are at the pool or walking around or doing laundry, wouldn't that constitute being out and about? But since you raised the issue, it would occur to me that the original poster of the comment about people hibernating in their rigs, only coming out to walk their poodles, would have no way of knowing if that were true, unless he was hibernating next to them. Otherwise, how would he know they did not go out when he was not spending his time watching their RV.....