Light it up and set the wood ablaze! Let's make a Bonfire!

Today's blog post is all about a end-of-summer (any time of day but that's kind of what most people do) is a Bonfire!

I remember going to a Meetup and my friends (won't disclose their real names because I want to keep them private) hosted bonfire parties! 

So we brought our people, take photos of the lake and feel the weather either blowing wind or blazing in the hot air. We did it during the summer months and into the long winter days. 

People would bring snacks; i.e. chips, quick appetizers (Spring Rolls, Samosas, French Fries) or maybe an actual dinner food, we had Indian food because my friend wanted to feed us. 

So they got a catering company or I believe it was that they brought it in themselves, but we had Butter Chicken, Biryani (Rice with chicken seasoned with spices such as turmeric, green cardamon--side note: this spice has a rich aroma, use less of it, Star Anise and Cinnamon), Aloo Gobi; which is spiced cauliflower and potatoes, Naan (bread) and for dessert, Gulab Jamun (which is milk dumplings covered in sweet sticky sauce). It was delicious!

I remember we were celebrating my friends birthday, I videotaped the entire birthday, but we had this amazing cake that was sweet and we sang, they blew the candles and the celebrations continued. 

Sometimes, we also bring alcohol in there as well (abiding rules of course). I remember I used to drink, someone brought a case of wine from a box. I could not believe my eyes when I saw that, so there I go with my red solo cup (not the 'Jazz' cup from a couple of blog posts ago) and poured myself a glass or two. My clothes got stained with the wine, oops. But every time a wine bottle is at our food table, I used to always pour a glass. 

Then we get speakers on my friends motorcycle and dance around to music, sometimes, we dance the traditional way, sometimes we do group dancing, sort of like sequenced dancing where someone makes the move and we follow! Overall, that was always fun and lose calories as well. 

I thought I also share quick tips on getting a bonfire or campfire started for yourself as well:

(pulled from the REI website)

1. Find or build a fire ring.

You have to find a fire ring or build one. Finding a fire ring is easy, you need to coordinate with parks or book a space in your city. You can also find them in hotels, homes with a backyard, or any spaces with open areas. 

Always check with a campsite operator before starting a bonfire. 

According to the REI website, if you are in 'backcountry' areas where fires are permitted (only saying this because nowadays climate change is making it much harder to start fires due to ongoing wildfires; always check with park officials first) you use the already-made ones that have been assembled. Or you can use it for SOS situations; ensure you dismantle it afterwards.

A fire ring is important because the fire can only go so far, if its not built it could start something worse - aka wildfires. 

2. Gather Fire Wood.

The second step is to find fire wood and place it in the fire ring. The easiest thing you can do is stop by a grocery store, convenience store or The Home Depot, Lowes or any Improvement store and pick them up.

According to the website, they use Tinder (small twigs, dry leaves, etc.), Kindling (small sticks from trees) or firewood (which you'll see when you buy it from the store, but essentially its the larger ones - plank of wood). If you need a reference, here's a picture:

Tinder            Kindling                    Firewood

For campgrounds: use local firewood, do not bring your own wood as it attracts troublesome insects into the forest. 

Sometimes, you can buy it from the store, or the campground has some for sale. Always use either option.

For Backcountry: Gather downed wood from your site. Never grab wood by cutting down a tree or break branches, and its for wildlife that reside from there. 

3. Build a Campfire.

There are three ways you can build a campfire. This picture was pulled from the REI website. 

One of which is the 'Cone' method, this is the one where the wood gets stacked diagonally from bottom to top. Shaped almost like a pyramid. This one is the most popular one. 

The second option is the log cabin, you can stack wood on top of each other. Just ensure you leave space for the fire to gather oxygen. 

The last option they suggested is the 'Pyramid' option which is stacking firewood like Jenga pieces. Add bigger pieces first then the smaller ones on top.

4. Light the Campfire or Bonfire. 

Get a match or lighter to light your campfire. You can also use a fire starter which its easy to use (and you can buy it from the store) and it can ignite the tinder catch a flame. 

Blow lightly at the base to provide the wood some oxygen, this will increase the intensity of the fire, as it burns, move the woods to the center to burn fully. You want to use all your woods!

5. Extinguishing the campfire. 

Always follow park regulations and check with local officials for advice and follow steps as guided. 

Extinguish your campfire or bonfire by pouring water at the center of your fire ring. (ensure you stand where the steam does not affect you). Stir the ashes, this is important you want all the fire to extinguish and there might be a lingering trace of it - and use water. Repeat if needed.

Ashes should be cool to the touch before you leave the site. 

Also. Never leave a campire/bonfire/any fire unattended!

6. Clean Up.

Clean up all the trash into appropriate receptacles like Garbage Cans, and Compost Bins. 

If you want more information, check out this website: REI's Campfire Basics

Sidenote: I'm taking a hiatus for a bit to come up with new content, I'll be back in mid-late September for my next Blog! Until then, see you!