Campfire Culture

Fire has been man’s lifeline since the beginning of time. Food, warmth, and light are what fire gives to man. In many cultures, fire is the symbol for life, and anywhere you go today, fire is still used in a powerful way. The campfire to many that live for an outdoor, dirt bag lifestyle, a campfire is a sign of community. Never are you alone when around a campfire, no one has the feeling of depression in a campsite around a campfire. There is something that draws us to a fire, like mosquitos to a light.

The main reason that the campfire is so appealing is the community that gathers around it. I just imagine two cavemen, wandering around during the day, only to come back to a warm, cozy fire deep in their homey cave. But it doesn’t stop there. Go to any campsite around the world and you will see that the fire is the central part of any spot. It is the bush town hall, the place where everyone is welcome to discuss opinion or tell stories.

My personal campfire reminds me of a simpler time in my life. My whole family gathered around, roasting marshmallows and store-bought hot dogs. I learned about my parents past around a campfire, how they met, why they chose the careers that they chose. My dad slowly sipping on a beer, would tell us ghost stories that his dad told him. I wouldn’t sleep at night but still couldn’t wait to hear more. We would wake up the next day with a cologne of smoke that we couldn’t and didn’t want to get off. Only to go back to the fire in the morning for warmth and a rundown of the day’s activities.

My family in Southern California doesn’t have a traditional campfire story, but a fire pit is still a big part of their lives. My grandad is a fire cooking expert. He knows the ins-and-outs of cooking over an open flame. My trips to their humble house in Rowland Heights CA, a suburb in L.A. county, were filled with fire memories. Every night we would sit in their backyard, the sounds of sirens and city noise in the background, eating some of the best food you could imagine. My whole extended family would gather around that small, stone pit and talk stories for hours. We would be so full that we could barely walk inside.

As I travel around the country, it is always fun to hear of other people’s memories around a campfire. My fiancé speaks of her bonfires on the beach in Hawaii growing up. She tells me that the sky is always as clear as ever and that their little spot on the north shore of Oahu was always empty. She tells me that the mix of salt and smoke in the air was intoxicating. She speaks of the island treats that they would bring, pork grinds and spam musubi (which I still can’t find the stomach for). The sound of a soft ukulele playing in the background. And that of all the things that she misses about that island, those are the nights she misses the most.

My friend in Georgia tells me of his campfires at their hunting camp south of Augusta. Always in the brisk fall nights. They would wake up early and travel out to the woods to set up a tree stand, when they returned at night to an old cabin on their land with a pit that has seen hundreds of flames. His story takes me back to the 1800s of pioneers living quiet, peaceful lives. There they are, in the middle of the woods, rifles perched against the cabin, sitting around a fire telling old fishing stories of the monster that got away. There they pull out an old fireside grill and cook the most delicious of southern cuisine. He tells me they sit by that fire so late they can barely keep their eyes open in the stand the next day.

The campfire is an essential part of the world's culture. It is hard to believe that in some parts of the world, people still depend on fire. I think we take advantage of that. The tool that we use for fun, is used somewhere else for life. It is important that we respect the power of fire and that we use it correctly. Needless to say, the campfire is an essential part of everyone’s life. Some of us, especially those who live for the outdoors, will always have fire to communicate with others. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. I write this article to show the different types of communities that use fire as a tool. And the importance of this tool. So for those of us that have those memories, keep using them and build new fires.