Re: building a campfire - sometimes it's just not right

I agree with the principle, and furthermore, gathering wood and messing with a fire makes you filthy, and as I type this, I'm wishing that my vest didn't stink of wood smoke from last Saturday night. Am also remembering the lamb chops and roasted potatoes.

If a fire-ring is already available, and there is a supply of wood at hand, in my opinion the damage from building another fire there is quite trivial.

That said, I've sometimes demolished other people's fire rings in places where their existence seemed entirely irrational or particularly ugly.

In the few cases where I've built fires with no pre-exisiting fire ring, it's good to carefully scatter ashes and replace the sod. Most but perhaps not quite all of the evidence can be obliterated this way.

Above and just below treeline, there is little or no wood anyway, and fires are foolish or impossible.