Quick Concept for Minimize Campfire Impacts
Grabbing Your Group's Attention (10 minutes)
Share this scenario with the group. Imagine you are camping in the mountains.
The air is a bit chilly as the group prepares the evening meal. You plan to
build a fire to cook hot dogs and heat cans of chili. The fire will also take
the chill out of the night air. As you begin to pile sticks inside the fire
ring, a ranger approaches your group and informs you that there is a ban on
fires because of dry weather. You will not be able to build a fire.
The Activity
How will your group solve this problem? What will you do about dinner? How
will you deal with the chilly air? How will not having a fire affect your
nighttime activities? How could you have better planned this outing?
The Discussion
It is recommended that all visitors to natural areas minimize their use of
fires, even when there is no fire ban. Create a plan for your next outing that
does not include fires. You may want to discuss different types of food, food
repackaging, and the value of using lightweight foods instead of canned goods.
Discuss the value of contacting land managers in advance to learn about local
restrictions. Refer to the Background on the Principles of Leave No Trace for
details to assist your discussion.