Camp fire bowls/containers

[hobson]

I'm hoping this is in the right section.

My wife and i are planning a walking holiday, which is going to involve some sites and some wild camping, now i don't want to get into a debate on lighting fires/when and where/when not to or that you just can't, as I'm well aware of accepted conduct when camping and have always gone on the 'take only pictures, leave only footprints' mantra.

I'd like to be able whilst on our little jaunt, to light a fire, but for many reasons would like to light it IN something rather than on the ground, so what's out there these days that is small and light enough to take in a pack, easy enough to get out and use without a huge fuss and will keep a fire contained?

I can only think of the fold-able fire bowl from Light My Fire, any others i should look at?

 

[Harvestman]

I can't be specific, but have a look at fire-retardant material - a thick square of cloth can be packed easily and just needs a cup-shaped depression (dip in the ground, a few rocks, etc) to put it in. I use a sheet of material under my woodburner, and I'm fairly sure I could light a fire in it if I had to. Don't know if this is a long-term suggestion though.

 

[redandshane]

I think Tengu may have the very thing for you

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82004

 

[Vickyjs]

A cheap wok (take off handle) and some tent pegs to support it works well.

 

[bilmo-p5]

A cheap wok (take off handle) and some tent pegs to support it works well.

Take 2, then you've something to cook in. One will stow inside the other.

 

[SimonM]

You could get a Grilliput for about £15



or a veg steamer from Wilkinsons for £3

Simon

 

[mrcharly]

There are little multi-fuel stoves (alcohol or wood) such as the honey stove

http://www.penrithsurvival.com/buy....e-also-known-as-the-bees-knees_1593344755.htm

 

[Chrisj]

I have a yukon from this chap. http://www.canoepaddler.me.uk/Products.php Completely dismantles to carry flat and fits nicely in your pack and is a nice size to cook on or for a small gathering to sit around. I also got the top plate so that I could use the kelly kettle on top and this works brilliantly.
I got the heavy duty on which is pretty heavy but then I usually use it with the canoe so weight isn't so much of an issue. He does do lighter versions though.

 

[wildranger]

It's still possible to light a fire and leave no trace even if you light it directly on the ground... If you scrape out a shallow pit with a stick or a trowel and have your fire in that, let it burn down to ashes and then cover the pit back in with the excavated soil and replace the leaf litter or material that was originally above the site, it will look as if nobody has ever been there! However maybe you have other reasons for wanting to contain your fire in something that I haven't considered...

 

[hobson]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Wildranger, a lot of the places I've camped have had a lot of peat, which once it catches is next to impossible to put out, so it's not only about leaving no trace but keeping things safe and not damaging the environment I'm in.

Also, i think when people see a fire contained and not just on the ground it gives a better impression, as it makes you look more responsible, maybe it's just me though!

 

[Highfield]

The Hobo stove baking bannock.

 

[MartinK9]

You could get a Grilliput for about £15
View attachment 8256


or a veg steamer from Wilkinsons for £3

Simon

+1 on that

 

[Dreadhead]

It's still possible to light a fire and leave no trace even if you light it directly on the ground... If you scrape out a shallow pit with a stick or a trowel and have your fire in that, let it burn down to ashes and then cover the pit back in with the excavated soil and replace the leaf litter or material that was originally above the site, it will look as if nobody has ever been there! However maybe you have other reasons for wanting to contain your fire in something that I haven't considered...

i wouldnt be so sure, the trace is left when the fire leaches chemicals intae the soil n whatnot and possibly a water source if closeby. it may be small and most likely harmless but nontheless can still have an affect.

 

[hobson]

Martin, thanks for the pic, is that one of those drainer things you put cutlery in on top of the bowl part? kudos for the simple idea if it is!

 

[bilmo-p5]

i wouldnt be so sure, the trace is left when the fire leaches chemicals intae the soil n whatnot and possibly a water source if closeby. it may be small and most likely harmless but nontheless can still have an affect.

But might not the chemcals leached from fire residues be beneficial to the soil below?

 

[Kerne]

Are you carrying a "proper" stove for cooking in the campsites? if not, why not go the whole hog and get a BushBuddy/Bushcooker?

There are several threads on these:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25717&highlight=bushbuddy
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35778&highlight=bushbuddy
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71824&highlight=bushbuddy

I am a complete convert to my BushBuddy and carry it on day jaunts to brew up a cuppa and for overnighters to cook on. It fits perfectly inside a Snow Peak titanium pot for a complete lightweight cooking system. Perfect for one but a bit limited for two, perhaps, which is why I often combine it with a Whitebox meths stove for flexibility and when I'm with someone else.

 

[Nicklas Odh]

A small fire on the ground does not affect the nature, you burn natural materials after all.
The drainers in the two bottom pictures are IKEA. In Sweden they cost about 40 SEK, maybe £3. The fuss is to make a nice looking bigger hole in the side
In winther time fire baskets are popular. They sometimes come with a plate to catch the ashes. That plate can easily be placed on some stones and used as a fire base. Yes, it will be hot but it cools down fast if the ashes are soaked in water. Also if you want to start a fire when the ground is full of snow/ wet, the plate is useful.

 

[mrcharly]

A small fire on the ground does not affect the nature, you burn natural materials after all.

Not true.

Even a small fire kills the microbes etc in the soil under the fire. It will change what grows there.

This isn't an issue in a sparsely-populated country, but when numbers are high and many people use a spot, it doesn't take many small fires to start having a permanent effect.

I'm a great fan of back-country travelling and using campfires; I started walking and camping in Australia where it used to be normal to light a fire just to make tea and toast during a 30min stop. But with the growth of designated trails and campsites, this behaviour isn't sustainable. Hence in Australia it is now illegal to use anything other than 'fuel stoves' on the trails.

 

[hobson]

Yes, we'll be taking a normal stove too, for places/sites where fires are either not allowed or impractical, but i love having a fire, whether to cook on, take heat, use for light or even just because i find lighting fires kind of therapeutic!

But for the mentioned reasons i don't like to light them on the ground, especially when wild camping, so wanted something i could have a fire in but keep it off the ground and contained.

There are some good ideas here though, so i'm going to have a look round next time we go shopping and see what i could put together...

 

[Nicklas Odh]

Since some smart*** invented the "single use BBQ" the countryside, at least in Sweden, is riddled with patches of grass burnt to crisp, discarded alu containers and the occasional roasted/toasted plastic dustbin or forest fire.
I have used one of those contraptions once. When I was finished using it I dipped it in the lake and brought the remains back home.
It is so fun and cool to throw together a BBQ and burn some hot dogs, drink beer and misbehave, to bring home the empty beer cans and the used up BBQ is unheard of.
At one bird santuary the people who ran it had put up one steel dust bin for those BBQs. It was evident that some *** did not put his grill out properly before discarding it since the paint was cinched.
The swedish archipelago also gets those everywhere.

Even a discarded satellite dish och an old hub cap works as a fire base. Just keep it well from the ground.