Campfire Chat & channel thought

Join me at the campfire for a chat and some bacon.

[@redcanoe14]

Greetings from BC Canada.Well, yesterday morning was almost Spring like, but it has snowed all night and dropped to -10C. I enjoy winter but this has been one of the longest winters for years. That said, it has not been as cold as it was last year (I wasn't living up here then though). It dropped below -35C last year, but less snow than this year. It has not been lower than -24C this year. Last week we were fighting mud and run off from the thaw, cutting a ditch to re-direct water into a gulley. To share our perspective on camp fires. In Provincial Campsites camp fires are not supposed to be over half a metre high. During summers (often late May/June, local regions impose a total ban as the risk of Wildfires is very high and last year, the worst on record, there were over 1,000 wild fires in BC. One was 545,000 hectares (over 1 million acres), Ashcroft and the City of Williams lake were evacuated. The fire ban was not lifted until the end of September. Thousand of evacuees were temporarily re-located in Kamloops, 45kms from where I live. Many fires are caused by irresponsible campers who leave campfires un-attended instead of putting them out. Virtually all summer last year we had smoke, the valleys were bad, not too bad up here on the mountain. In summer most campsites permit fires in a steel fire ring (like a truck rim). In the bush it is wise to keep fires as small as possible and to make sure you have at least a 5 gallon drum of water and a shovel to deal with a fire once you break camp. Most forests around here are Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine at lower elevations, up here Spruce, Noble Fir, Silver Birch and Aspen. Aspen and birch are not particularly volatile when green, though Spruce is. I light fires well away from trees and scrape away vegetation where the fire will be. I usually use a 'Trappers Fire' just for making a brew. In winter when in deep snow, a Scandinavian 3 log fire (2 base logs, one propped up on top) when it is very cold a typical 'Tipi' Fire only partially heats your front, and you have to keep rotating (most heat rises in a plume. I have lit 3 tipi fires in a triangle and stood between them :) I like your Dakota Fire Pit set up, I have never built one of those. Enjoy your trip to Norway!

[@adventureoutdoorsuk9271]

Woodsman Spirit Thanks for your reply. Very interesting to hear you use the scandi fire. I've used a very small version of the Scandinavian fire and it's very efficient and manageable. So yesterday I found the Dakota fire pit had 2 problems, the first was that the heat it generated was incredible. I won't be using it again without protecting the 'walls' better. It took a very long time make it safe to walk away from. The other problem is practical really. It takes a while to build, and unless you were intending to stay a while the effort isn't worth the reward. I also had to maintain the air inlet. Next time I may demonstrate my version of the Swedish stove, which I have used a few times now. It is very safe, very efficient and very fast, especially to brew just brew up and get your hands warm. A few years ago I was in Nova Scotia and went up to the Cape Bretton Highlands. The forest up there is really dense and there were lots of signs reminding people of fire safety. I watched the Canadian wildfires on the news and was heartbroken, you just know that for the most part it is a result of human negligence. I'm looking at a Kelly kettle setup at the moment. I like the idea of having a safe and efficient fire for boiling water. Yesterday's fire was great to test out but as the ground dries into summer, I'll revert back to safer over ground fires, when I need them. My location is very wet, so it offers some protection for over half the year. Looking forward to your next upload Chris. Ps are you still drinking Yorkshire Tea? 😉

[@redcanoe14]

Hello AOU :) Easy question first, "Do you still drink Yorkshire Tea?"....here is an old quotation you will no doubt be familiar with..."Tha' can tek't lad art'a Yorkshire...but tha' can't tek Yorkshire art't lad!"....(3 mugs so far before noon). A good friend of mine who lives across the valley (he and his wife emigrated from Bingley 6 years ago) swears by his Kelly Kettle and takes in on most of his hikes, it seems pretty efficient with Spruce Twigs. Four Dogs who marker the Mors Bush Pot (Mors Kochanski) make a small titanium Bushcooker LT stove which appears very efficient. Just to comment further on wildfires, I have been involved in fighting a couple in the last 10 years both on my former property and a neighbours, it is very frightening and distressing to see the damage.

[@adventureoutdoorsuk9271]

Woodsman Spirit Thanks for that, and indeed I am familiar with that phrase. Late here, just finished a marathon monopoly session, but thanks for sharing and remember....see all, hear all, say nowt. Eat all, drink all, pay nowt. If ever tha does owt for nowt, do it for thisen.