Welcome, guest [login | register]

Posted by Fred on September 12, 2007 at 7:41:26 am EDT
In reply to building a campfire - sometimes it's just not right posted by bheiser1 on September 11, 2007 at 7:08:52 pm EDT

Before you grab the tar and feathers, keep in mind that in an alpine environment that fire ring can stay "fresh" for a long, long time. It may have not seen use for many years. At one time it was the norm to build a campfire - especially if you wanted to eat hot food. Backpacking stoves weren't always the convenient and safe little bombs they are today.

What really irks me back East are the numbskulls who equate a fire ring with a garbage disposal - those folks who attempt to burn their (foil) food packets - why does it irk me? I'm one of the idiots who cleans that stuff out of the fire rings while wandering along the AT. Yes, I'm also dumb enough to pick up your discarded candy wrappers, soda cans, beer cans, bottles and the like. This explains why my daypack or backpack tend to be rather unique, they weigh more at the end of some hikes than they did at the beginning. Anyhow - enough of my "issues".

If you really want to do the environment a favor, and you're in an area where NLT is accepted, do what you can to rid the area of the fire ring - scatter the ashes and stones, try to return the area within the ring to something approximating "normal" for the terrain (keeping in mind, however, that it's likely that the soil layers under that fire ring are essentially dead and it'll be a few years before anything can grow in it, especially in an alpine environment).

And do me and the rest of the world a favor - pack out your trash - after all - it weighs less empty than it did full.

Replies

View: flat | threaded

There have been no replies

Post a Reply

Before replying, please read the complete thread.