Fixing Tent and Awning Leaks

Tent and awning leaks are more obvious and usually more immediately problematic than RV leaks.  If there is any problem with the integrity of your tent, it will leak when it starts to rain and you will know it and will need to mitigate it right away.

Tent and awing fabric is easily damaged by embers blown from a fire, by debris falling from trees, by gnawing pests, and by accidents as well as ordinary wear and tear.  It is best to make repairs as soon as possible, both to protect the contents/occupants and avoid further damage.   Bird droppings that aren't cleaned off can damage fabric, weakening it or damaging the water proofing so it fails when it rains.

Small leaks in awnings might be ignored for a while but larger tears should be patched or the awning should be rolled up until it can be repaired.  Often a judicious application of duct tape is sufficient to control an awning leak and secure a tear until you can get it home and make permanent repairs.

As always, prevention is preferable to repair.  Inspect your tent or awning and address any problems regularly, especially before you start on an outing.   Things to look for include loose stitches or visible needle holes in the seams, frayed or otherwise damaged fabric, and broken or missing ties and zippers to close windows and doors.  Loose stitching should be re-stitched to maintain the integrity of the seam.  Visible needle holes can often be sealed using a wax sealer or a waterproofing liquid or spray to cover the holes.  Broken or missing ties or zippers should be replaced.  Things like bird droppings and sap should be carefully removed before they can introduce damage or attract pests that will cause damage.

Some temporary emergency repairs can be done using waterproof tape, like Eternabond.  Waterproof tape is sometimes hard to find and kind of expensive.  It is advertised for use on RVs but should work just as well on tents and awnings.  In a pinch you might be able to make temporary repairs using duct tape.  The tape will stick best if applied to dry surfaces but sometimes you can make it stick to wet ones.  Mythbusters once used duct tape to repair underwater leaks on a leaky boat in the water but I have never had very good luck using it on wet surfaces.  Waterproof tape is designed to stick on wet surfaces.  Tape can be used to cover leaking seams and thin spots and tears in the tent or awning fabric.  Clear tape will make most repairs almost invisible.  Use a single piece of tape oriented to the direction of the tear on small tears.  Larger tears may need to be secured by sturdy strips of tape across the tear before putting one over the tear to seal the leak.

Large holes may require stitching or even patching with additional fabric to effect permanent repairs.  Patches should be of a material and weight (and color if possible) similar to the original material.   Patches should be stitched to the outside of the tent and should be at least 1/2" or so larger than the hole.  Hemming the patch to prevent unraveling is a good idea too.  Try to match the color as closely as possible to maintain cosmetic appearances.  I patched a large hole in the roof of a blue cabin tent with white canvas when I couldn't find anything to match the original fabric.  It was only about 3" across and not too noticable and it sure beat having a big hole in the roof!  Once stitched into place, seal the seams using wax, liquid, or spray seam sealer.

An alternative sometimes used instead of repairing leaks in the field is to cover the tent with a tarp.   That is one way to get immediate relief from water dripping on you and your belongings and may allow the damaged area to dry enough for you to make temporary repairs with duct tape.  Installing a tarp takes a bit of time and skill and you will want to leave an easy way to get in and out of your tent with the tarp in place..  If you know or suspect you have leaks you may want to set up the tarp over your tent BEFORE it starts to rain.  Polytarps are small, light weight, and inexpensive so it would be a good idea to get one big enough to cover your entire tent and tuck it in one of your camping bins.  Be sure to inspect the tarp from time to time.  It would be really disappointing to pull it out when needed and discover a kitchen knife in your camping bin had made holes it in or holes had been worn in it by heavy items in the bin or perhaps even by its own weight over time.  Awnings are usually pretty difficult to effectively cover with a tarp, but it might be worth a try if you have away to securely anchor them so they protect the awning.

Leaks in the tent floor can be more difficult to find and more difficult to repair.   Once again, prevention is better than repair so always clear the ground of rough debris and use a sturdy, waterproof ground cloth beneath the tent.  Protect the floor from the inside use a sturdy ground cloth or foam tiles.  Check to see if the water entered the tent from a door or window before assuming there is a leak in the floor.  If you get water coming up through the floor you not only need to patch the holes but you need to find out how and why the water is getting under the tent and take proper measures to stop it.  A tent that is properly set up should not have water underneath it in the first place.  Make sure the ground cloth doesn't extend beyond the walls of the tent.  If possible, trench around the tent, digging a little ditch to catch and redirect water from running under the tent.

Stay dry!

Fixing RV Leaks

Nothing short of a fire or major accident will destroy the structural integrity of your RV faster than a water leak.  You my get leaks from plumbing, roof damage, cracked seams, old caulk, and around windows, doors, and other openings.  If you see signs of leaks or water damage, the first step is to locate the source of the problem.  Signs may include drips, puddles, wet spots on the floor, ceiling, or walls, soft spots in floors, ceilings, and walls, and discoloration of upholstery, carpet, ceilings or wall coverings.  Water damage can be sneaky.  Water can seep into ceilings, walls, and floors and they my get rotted out to where major structural repair is required before you even notice it if you aren't paying attention.  Odd, musty smells, soft spots, and discoloration are some of the clues that point to water damage in progress.  One of the problems with water damage is that it often goes unnoticed until things are almost beyond repair.  Keep an eye open for possible signs and seek rapid remediation.

You may be able to mitigate some leaks in the field.  Others may require significant work by you or a professional RV technician when you get home.  A waterproof tape such as Eternabond or Gorilla All Weather Outdoor Waterproof Duct Tape would be handy for field repairs.  Even ordinary duct tape might help mitigate leaks for a while.  The sooner you can stop a leak the less damage it is likely to cause.

It may take quite a bit of investigation to locate the source of a leak.   Even what appears to be rather obvious, like a drip around a roof vent, is frequently traced to a problem some distance away.  A hole in the roof or spot where caulking has failed far from the vent may be where the water is coming from.  Water will sneak around inside the ceiling until it finds the easiest way out, like around the interior trim on a roof vent.  Then it appears that the vent itself is leaking.  Of course, the vent could be leaking, but if further investigation proves the caulking around the vent is in tact, you may have to look elsewhere.  Similarly, the real source of just about any leak might be several yards away from where the symptoms show up.  We once discovered damp carpet next to the outside wall in the bedroom of our Class A motorhome.  At first we suspected a problem with the screw strip on the outside at about the same height as the interior floor.  Eventually we discovered the wetness only showed up after using the shower and we tracked it down to a problem with the plumbing in the shower, more than 10' away on the far side of the bathroom!

Many RV leaks can be traced to places caulking or other sealing materials have eventually failed.  RV roofs normally need to be re-caulked every couple of years.  I solved that problem on one Class A by having a commercial roofing company seal the entire roof including all the seams.  The white sealer they used is also used for commercial buildings and they gave a 10-year guarantee against leaks.  The roof actually has an expected lifetime of more like 20 years.  RV roofs always have seams around the edges where the roof meets the walls and often have cross seams where different pieces of the roof were joined.  There is also caulking around vents, air conditioners, and any other accessories mounted to the roof.  Over time caulking dries out and begins to crack or pull away from  roof or the accessories it is meant to seal.  When this happens you must completely remove the old caulk and re-caulk.  Of course, it is best to do this before the old caulk fails, hence a common suggestion of re-caulking every couple of years.  By doing so not only will you avoid the damage that failed caulk would allow, removing the old caulk will be easier before it becomes too brittle.  A waterproof tape like Eternabond or Gorilla All Weather Outdoor Waterproof Duct Tapecan often be used to tape over leaking seams for in the field repairs.

Leaking roofs often lead to failed infrastructure.  If the roof feels spongy, the underlying roof structure has been compromised and you will likely have to remove the roof and replace the damaged sections of underlayment instead of just sealing the leaks.  That is one reason it is important to find and fix leaks early, before they lead to dry rot and difficult and expensive repairs.

RV Windows are normally sealed with butyl tape (sometimes called "dum-dum tape").  Like any other sealant, it eventually dries out and begins to leak.  Replacing it means removing the window frames, scraping off the old sealant, applying a new strip of sealant all around the window, and reinstalling the frame.  When reinstalling the frame take care not to over-tighten the screws as this will dent the frame.  Sometimes you can effect a pretty good temporary seal around leaking doors and windows using a good clear silicone sealer like DAP.  Lay a bead of about 3/16" along the edge of the frame, making sure there are no gaps along the frame or the wall.   This will probably control the leaks for an extra season or two until you can remove the windows and re-seal them properly.  DAP is best installed on a dry surface so you might have to wait out a storm before you can use it to re-seal your windows.

RV roofs are subject to damage from falling debris, like tree branches, hail or even wind.  If a large branch falls on your RV it may crush part of the roof.  When that happens about your only option is to rebuild the damaged section, and that may very well require professional help.  If a branch pokes a hole in your roof you might be able to repair it yourself.  A small hole, say less than 1", can usually be sealed with a sealant that is appropriate for the roof material.  Typical RV roofs may be fiberglass, aluminum, or rubber.   Rubber roofs require special sealants that are compatible with the specific type of rubber.  Holes in fiberglass and aluminum can usually be sealed with any good exterior sealant.  You might need a little patch of fiberglass cloth to reinforce holes larger than the width of a pencil.  If you get an even bigger hole, say a few inches across, you can sometimes reinforce them with a drywall patch and then cover the whole are with appropriate sealer.  On holes up to a couple of inches or so I've even used an old tin can lid.  One downside to using tin is that it may rust, so the plastic or aluminum drywall patches are preferable.  In a pinch you might be able to cut a patch from a plastic lid or even a milk carton.

Waterproof tape is a handy way to at least temporarily seal leaking seams and small holes.  You might be tempted to try it with ordinary duct tape, but unless you can dry the surface before applying the tape, it probably won't stick very well or for very long.  Waterproof tape will stick to wet surfaces and prevent any further intrusion, giving you time to get home and make proper permanent repairs.

Plumbing leaks can be difficult to locate.   As mentioned before the source may be far away from where the water is detected.   Sometimes you can get a clue about where the leak is coming from based on the color or smell of the leaks.  Foul smelling, blue, green, orange, or brown liquid is probably coming from the black water tank.  Gray, soapy, or greasy liquids are usually from the sinks, showers, or gray water tank.  Clean water is usually from the fresh water supply system.  While these may be good clues as to what is going on, they can not always be counted on.  Sometimes clean water leaching through building materials may pick up colors or odors.  Likewise, contaminate from gray or even black water tanks might be caught and filtered on their way to where they finally show up.  One way to help diagnose the source of a plumbing leak is to turn off the water pump or disconnect the city water.  If you immediately see a decrease in the flow or have a hissing sound that goes away, you know it is related to the water supply.  If you can't see the decrease or change in sound it may take some time to determine if the leak is in the supply side or in one of the drain systems.  Leaks inside walls or under floors can be VERY difficult to locate.  Always check the accessible plumbing inside cabinets and behind furniture first.  That is the place things usually get jostled around and start to leak.  Another fairly common source of damage to RV plumbing is unintentional penetration of plumbing by screws used to install accessories.  If a leak shows up soon after installing a new accessory and especially if it is anywhere the new installation, that could be the cause.  Damage like this usually involves opening up the wall or floor and replacing the damaged section of pipe.  Violent twisting of an RV on rough roads (or off road!) can sometimes cause plumping fittings to separate or leak.  If you suspect an event like this try to trace all the pluming lines where ever they are visible:  under sinks, inside cabinets, etc. to look for leaks.  If you are lucky you may be able to tighten the fitting.  If that doesn't work you will need to replace it.  Many RVs use a type of pipe called PEX for fresh water lines.  They usually have crimp fittings that require special tools for installation but there are some replacement fittings, like Flair-It brand fittings, that usually don't require special tools.

Anytime you have a leak there is a good chance there will be residual water under the surface that may cause future problems.  Sealing out any additional water may also seal in the water that is already there, allowing it to continue to stimulate further rot.  If have access, do whatever you can to dry it out.  Sometimes a heat gun or even just a hair dryer can be used to speed drying.  

When I lived in southern California and even in Utah, leaks were an inconvenience.   Now that I live in Oregon where it rains a LOT, leaks are a major concern.  If YOU live in a wet climate, finding and fixing leaks as soon as possible will save you a lot of frustration and money.

 Don't take a leak, take care of it!

Wranglerstar on Youtube -- A Good Resource For Campers

I have found an excellent source of woodsman information on the Youtube videos by  Wranglerstar.  You might not find him under camping or RVing.  His focus is on modern homesteading and he covers a wide range of useful subjects, from how to sharpen tools, to felling trees, and construction techniques and he frequently reviews and tests tools, often at the request of his viewers.  Many of the skills and much of the information he provides can be directly applied to camping and RVing.  Just go to Youtube and search for Wranglerstar.  I have found his videos to be entertaining as well as educational and many of the skills he presents can be directly applied to camping.  He has over 2000 videos online and is constantly adding new videos so be sure to check back regularly.  He has reviewed a number of Harbor Freight Tools and tells you what works and what doesn't.

Wranlgerstar rocks!

How To Build A Campfire Safely

 Oh yeah!  What'so hard about building a campfire?  Just throw some wood in the fireplace, stove, or fire pit and light it!  Right?  WRONG!  There are better ways, ways that make it easier and safer to light your fire.  Doing it wrong can be frustrating and delay getting your fire going but, more importantly, it can be hazardous!  In more than 40 years of camping I have seen many different ways of building campfires, some rather clever and successful and some definite disasters!  I've seen more than one over-ambitious camper go home without any hair on his arms and missing his eyebrows after over-dousing a fire with gasoline.  A well built fire will be safe, comfortable, and enjoyable.  And it isn't that hard to do.

Most techniques for building fires can be used for campfires, fireplaces, and wood stoves.  Getting a fire going quickly and easily usually depends on proper preparation.  When building a campfire, always make sure your site is properly prepared.  Clear the area for at least 5 feet around the fire pit and at least 10 feet overhead.  When lighting fires in fireplaces and stoves check the dampers and flues and ensure there are no combustible materials on or near the device before igniting your fire.  Proper techniques for starting a fire include the preparation and use of tinder and kindling to get the fire going, the adding appropriately sized fuel as needed.

The first step for building a campfire is to prepare your fire pit.  One of the most common and iconic fire pits is the rock ring.  Another useful option for use in the wilderness is Dakota fire pit.  Always clear the ground around any fire pit for a radius of 5' to make sure your campfire stays where you want it.  When using fireplaces and stoves it is always best to start with a clean space.  Take care removing old ashes as they can sometimes contain hot spots!  Be sure they are cold before putting them into any trash bins.  As a firefighter I once responded to a dumpster fire caused by someone dumping hot charcoal in it.

To build a rock ring, gather enough rocks to make a circle about 3'in diameter, larger if you have a large group and need a bigger fire.  Rocks about 8" or so in diameter are usually large enough to do the job but small enough to move without straining your back.  Scrape the ground inside the rig to remove ALL combustible material and build up a berm along the inside of the ring to fill the gaps between the odd shaped rocks.  You want to control the flow of air to your fire, not have it susceptible to every little ground breeze that blows by between the rocks!

If there are no rocks around, dig down a little bit and build a berm to make a fire pit.  You need something to define the fire area and contain and control the spread of hot ashes once the fire gets going.   A rock ring or berm also helps mitigate ground-level breezes that might have an adverse affect on your fire and control ashes as the fuel burns.

To build a Dakota fire pit, dig a hole about 1' in diameter and about 1' deep.  Then make a smaller hole, 3-4" in diameter about 1' away and dig a tunnel from the top of the small hole the bottom of the larger hole at about a 45 degree angle.  The smaller hole and tunnel will provide a draft down to the bottom of the fire pit.  A Dakota fire pit make a good cooking fire and will not be very visible.  If you need to warm several people or need a signal fire, use a regular rock ring fire pit.  A Dakota fire pit lets you conserve your energy because it usually takes less work than building a rock fire ring and it will conserve fuel since it is quite efficient as a cooking fire.  If your goal is heating an area or a number of people use an open fire pit.

The traditional way to build a fire is from the bottom up. Start with your tinder, then small kindling, then larger kindling, etc and finally add your big logs on top.   Here is an article on tinder and kindling.  The two most common ways to this are the log cabin and tipi structures.  In both of these methods you build a sort of cage of firewood around  your tinder.  For a log cabin structure, the cage is a square shape by alternating pieces of wood stacked  perpendicular to each other around the perimeter, all built around your tinder and kindling.  For the tipi form, the "cage" is built in tipi shape, leaning the tops of pieces of wood against each other to form a cone above your tinder pile.  Then light the tinder and your fire should slowly grow as it consumes larger pieces of fuel.  As it burns, keep adding fuel until  it is a big as you want it.

 Firestarters can be used as an aid to getting your fire going.   You might buy commercial firestarters or make your own.  Bascically a firestarter is bundle of combustible materials that is easy to light and will continue burning long enough to get your tinder and kindling to burn.

 I saw an interesting alternate way to start a fire in a wood stove on a Youtube by Wranglerstar.  It is a top down method.  You start by laying your larger pieces of firewood on the bottom, then lay a second layer of medium sized pieces perpendicular to the first, leaving about a 1" air gap between each piece.  Note each layer is laid all the way across the fire, not just around the outside like  you would with the log cabin method.  Then add your kindling and tinder on top, nestle in some fire starters, and top it off with more kindling.  Then light  the fire starters and you're ready to go.  An advantage to this method is that it doesn't need the frequent attention bottom up fires need to add fuel.  It is pretty much self feeding as the fire works its way down.  Once you set one up like this and light it, you won't need to add fuel for probably at least an hour, depending on how much fuel you start with and how fast it burns.  That can be a particularly nice feature if you have other things to attend to, giving you time to take care of them or for your shop to warm up  before your fire goes out.

I suggest you give the top down method a try one of these days.  It takes a little longer to set up, but not much.  And it frees you up from constantly tending the fire to get it going so overall it may actually save some time.  That can be really handy if you have other tasks around camp or are just firing up the wood stove out in the shop and have other things to do while it warms up.

No matter how you chose to build your fire you will need tinder and kindling and a source of ignition to get it going.  Tinder is very small, dry combustible material like dry grass, wood shavings, or cotton balls.  Kindling is small twigs or sticks, usually smaller than the diameter of your little finger. See my post on log splitting for more information about making kindling. Matches and lighters are the most common and convenient sources of ignition, but in a survival situation you may need to know How To Start a Fire Without Matches.  Normally you start with a small bundle of tinder which can be easily ignited, then add kindling until the fire is large enough to ignite bigger pieces of fuel.

If you are new to building fires you might want to practice in your backyard before setting out on a camping trip where your skills could be put the test and consequences of failure very inconvenient and unpleasant and maybe embarrassing.  Make sure fires are allowed in your jurisdiction.  Cooking fires, like BBQs and small campfires, are usually permitted in residential areas, but some places do prohibit open fires (like campfires) in your own backyard.

Speaking of Fire restrictions.  In many areas you will encounter more stringent fire restrictions during dry summer months, especially in forested areas.  These restrictions are NOT harassment!  They are in place because the risk of a forest fire is great.  Sometimes you can still have a campfire in a forest service approved fire pit (usually only found in forest service campgrounds) but in extreme fire conditions NO fires will be permitted.   Some people think it is OK to have fire after a day or two of rain, but that isn't enough to eliminate the dry condition of the trees so the forest is still a large mass of dry, ready fuel so ALWAYS check the fire condition at the local ranger station or camp host before lighting up!  Remember, if you cause a wildfire you can be held liable for the damages, and that can run into many millions of dollars!  Last year I was called out with our fire department to put out a brush fire at a local campground.  One of the campers had ignored posted fire restrictions and direct personal orders (multiple times!) from the camp ground personnel about having a campfire during the then posted Extreme Fire Danger.  Their belligerent refusal to comply resulted in the loss of several acres of forest at the campground and they were fined by the campground and probably faced further charges for damages from the forest agencies in charge of the area

Learn to burn and burn to learn!

Risk Management for Campers, Boaters, and RVers

Just about every part of our lives involves some kind of risk management.  Whether it has to do with health, traffic, crime, or weather, there is always some risk associated with everything we do.  Some risks are acceptable, some are not.  Some people manage risks effectively, others seem overwhelmed by them.

Non-riders used to criticize the "risks" they thought we were taking by riding dirt bikes.   In actuality, the highest risks were driving the freeways to get to our riding areas, very much like the risks they took driving to work everyday!

Have you ever seen the 4-quadrant risk management chart?  That may seem like a trick question because there are more than 1 4-quadrant risk management charts around, with different charts designed to focus on different aspects of your life.  The one I've found most useful is not related to any particular business or endeavor.  It applies to evaluating ANY kind of risk.  The four quadrants are:  1) High risk/low frequency, 2) High risk/high frequency, 3) Low risk/high frequency. and 4) Low risk/low frequency, in order of decreasing risk

High risk/low frequency are those activities which we seldom do but have a high cost if something goes wrong,  This is where we are most likely to encounter problems because we don't face the situations often enough to develop good skills or procedures for handling them.  High risk/low frequency events often underlie serious failures even by highly trained professionals.

High risk/high frequency are those activities which do have a high cost of failure but we encounter them often enough to develop effective procedures and skills for dealing with them.  For that reason, they represent a lower risk than high risk/low frequency problems.

Low risk/high frequency activities are next in line.  Because they are low risk we don't have as much to lose, even if they are high frequency.  Plus the high frequency tends to give us experience in dealing better with these situations.

Low risk/low frequency activities are the lowest priority, simply because there isn't very much as stake and it isn't very likely to happen.  However, the low frequency may mean we are less likely to be adequately prepared to deal with these kinds of situations.

And, yes, there is a sort of a conflict between the ratings of high and low risk versus high and low frequency.  High risk/low frequency is more likely to cause us grief because the cost is high and our lack of familiarity with the situation significantly reduces our ability to handle things successfully.    While you might think the same logic should be applied to low risk/low frequency events, the combination of minimal cost and minimal exposure combine to give make this category of less concern.

I have a personal standard for risk measurement.  When evaluating any decision I ask myself if either the cost or probability of failure is high.  If either the cost of failure or the likelihood of failure high for a given choice, that choice should be discarded.  I figure that if the cost is high enough it doesn't matter how low the probability is, I don't want to take that chance  Likewise, if the likelihood of an unacceptable outcome is high, no matter how low the cost, it might not be a good choice.

Outdoor recreational activities, such as RVing, OHVing, boating, and camping,  like everything else we do, have some risk associated with them.  A lot of the risk of RVing, boating, and OHVing is associated with driving or operating our vehicles.  Risks of camping usually involve weather, accidents, or illness.  Regardless of what the risks are, there are always ways to mitigate the risks to minimize our chances of being injured or suffering a loss.   

Vehicle risks can be mitigated by proper maintenance, appropriate and legal use, adequate insurance, and using proper personal protective equipment.  

Camping risks can be avoided by careful planning, keeping eye on the weather, and through safe camping and campfire practices.   

Boating risks can be minimized by following regulations, having required safety equipment, and wearing appropriate Personal Flotation Devices (e.g., life jackets).  

Overall, the more we participate in a particular activity, the better prepared we are to deal with anything bad that may happen.  But, of course, doing some more frequently also exposes us to more opportunities for this to go wrong, especially if we aren't conscientious about doing things safely and correctly.  We always need to make sure we aren't developing bad habits.  ALWAYS follow appropriate safety procedures and obey laws, rules, and regulations to prevent accidents and avoid litigation,

For anything you chose to do, examine the potential risks and determine if they are acceptable, or if there is anything you can do to make them acceptable, before proceeding.

Stay safe!

Fire Pits for RVing, Camping, and Boating

Campfires are one of the best and most popular camping traditions.   Even boaters often go ashore to have a campfire on the beach.  Most places you will camp may already have a fire pit.  Developed campgrounds almost always one and many times you will find left over fire pits in dispersed camping areas built by previous users. It is almost always advantageous to use a previously used site when doing dispersed camping and is more friendly to the environment.  Having a ready-built fire pit in a previously used site saves a lot of time and effort and often you may see where other vehicles have already been parked on the most level part of the site.  Having a ready-made rock ring can save you from lugging lots of heavy rocks around to build your own.  Many campers bring their own portable fire pit with them for use where ever they go.

The rock ring fire pit is one of the most common forms of fire pit.   Easily constructed from loose rocks they are not only popular in dispersed camping but you will often find them in developed campgrounds.  If you need to build your own the process is a little tedious but well worth the effort.  Begin by clearing the ground where you will build your fire all the way down to the dirt.  Remove all flammable material such as twigs, branches, weeds, and roots.  Collect enough rocks to make a circle the size of the fire you want to build.  A fire pit with a 3' diameter is usually about right for most family or small group campfires.  If you are solo camping you might want a smaller one or, if you will have a large group around the campfire, make it bigger.  Usually something about 5-6' across is adequate for most groups.  Beyond that you're moving into the area of bonfires instead of campfires!  Bonfires should be reserved for special events for large groups and require extra preparation to make sure they don't get out of control.    For building a fire ring for a standard campfire you can use just about any size rocks that you can move by yourself.  I find that those 8" to 12" are about the right size for most fire pits.  If you use smaller rocks you may have to pile them up to form a little rock wall about 8" to 12" high.  Then scoop out the dirt from the middle of the fire pit to build a little embankment against the inside of the rocks to block drafts.  Before you light your fire be sure to clear the ground outside the rock ring of all flammable material for at least 5 all around.  Stack your fire wood outside the cleared area.  The cleared area helps prevent an accidental spreading of your fire and gives you a good place to sit to enjoy your fire.

If there are no rocks around, dig down a little bit and build a berm to make a fire pit.  You need something to define the fire area and contain and control the spread of hot ashes once the fire gets going.   A rock ring or berm also helps mitigate ground-level breezes that might have an adverse affect on your fire like making it hard to light or blowing embers that might ignite surrounding materials.

Metal fire rings are found in some developed campgrounds.  Sometimes they are as simple and mundane as a section cut from a 55 gallon steel drum.  Other, more decorative ones are formed from sturdy sheet metal and often have woodland or wildlife scenes cut into them so you can watch the flames dance behind the cutouts.  Watching the campfire is always enjoyable and the cutouts make it even more so.  You can purchase metal fire rings to bring along when boondocking, if you have room to carry them.  Some are even collapsible for easy storage and transport.

My favorite portable fire pit is an old washing machine tub.  We call it R2D2 (because of its squat round shape and the way the fire sparkles through the perforations like R2D2's lights) and have used them for decades after being introduced to one by a fellow dirt biker.  With their porcelain finish they are both easy to clean and very durable.  In fact, we've been using the same one in my dirt bike trailer for more than 40 years!  Most washing machine tubs have center tube where the agitator used to be.  Sometimes that gets in the way of putting wood in the fire but if you cut your wood the right size that isn't a problem.  I make use of the center tube by sliding it down onto a cut-off RV table post and using a 3-pronged portable table base for the post.  I cut the table post so the top of the tub is a comfortable height for cooking.  It also makes a nice space beneath the tub to warm toes on cold nights.   I bolted a pipe flange to a wire grill from an old BBQ to install the grill on the fire pit using the top of the agitator tube.  The perforations in the tub protect the fire from wind gusts yet allow sufficient circulation for a good burning fire.  At the end of the night I put a metal trash can lid on top.  When its time to pack up it is easy to dump out the ashes.  The holes in the washing machine tub flicker enchantingly when with the flames.   It is a bit large to haul around in the family car but it fits well along with our dirt bikes in our motorcycle trailer.  We like our R2D2 so well we put one in the fire pit in our picnic area by our house and anchored a second one in a little cove for a fire pit down by the McKenzie River behind our house.

If transportation space is an issue you can find collapsible fire pits.  They are often made of metal panels, sometimes wire mesh and sometimes solid sheet metal and can be folded flat so they take up little space in your car trunk or RV cabinet.

Gas fire pits are becoming more popular, especially with RVers.  They are clean, easy to transport, set up and light, and you only need a small propane cylinder to run them,  They may lack the fragrance of a wood fire but still provide the same warmth and ambiance, without the annoying smoke of some wood fires.  To put out the fire simply turn off the propane supply.  You can buy wood chips to sprinkle on some gas fire pits to add fragrance to the smoke and flavor to anything you cook over it.  You can run them off the propane tank on your RV using an Extend-A-Flow kit that taps into your RV propane system near the tank.  Sometimes you may still be able to use a gas fire pit during early stages of fire restrictions where real open campfires are prohibited.

As mentioned in the first paragraph, clear the ground of flammable material for 5' all around ANY campfire as a safety measure to make sure your campfire doesn't spread.  You should still clear the area around gas fire pits to prevent burning material dropped from items cooked over the campfire from igniting fire outside the fire pit.  Marshmallows seem to have a wondrous way of flaming up even when you are going for golden brown!  Also make sure there are no branches at least 10-15 feet overhead that might catch fire.  Also, be careful building fires under trees when there is snow.  The heat can melt snow on the branches and cause it to fall on the campfire -- or on you!

It can be fun (and around) in these pits!

PPE -- Personal Protective Equipment ( YES, again!)

I have written about Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) before.   I bring it up again because I see way too many people failing to use appropriate PPE for the recreational activities in which they are involved and often suffer unnecessary injuries because of it.  And now, with the COVID-19 situation, EVERYONE needs to be aware of and make use of appropriate PPE on a daily basis!  Also, as a volunteer firefighter, I am continually reminded of the absolute need to wear appropriate PPE for ANY activity.  The need in the fire service is pretty obvious and difficult to ignore.  It is way to easy to ignore proper PPE precautions when performing many routine tasks, like chopping firewood or building campfires.  I've seen too many dirt bike riders injured for lack of proper body armor and, quite honestly, have to admit having been guilty of it myself.  I once rode in just my jeans instead of my riding pants and knee pads and ended up with one leg bruised from ankle to knee for several weeks,  It wasn't supposed to be any kind of vigorous ride and I was in a bit of a hurry.  Bad mistake!  I came up over the crest of a little rise, the back wheel hit a rock and kicked out from under me and the motorcycle landed on my unprotected knee.  If I had a been wearing the knee braces I normally wear when riding, it would have been no big deal.  Since I had left them off, I ended up getting an injury that took weeks to heal. Never again!

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is not just for sissies!  Many vocations and avocations have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that is peculiar to their specific needs.  Doctors and other heath care professionals wear face masks, eye protection, and latex gloves.  Firefighters wear heavy, fire-resistant "turn outs".  Road workers wear reflective vests or suits.  Football players wear helmets and pads.  Race car drivers wear helmets and fire-resistant suits.  OHV riders wear helmets, goggles, and other "body armor".  Boaters need personal flotation devices (life vests or belts).  Hey, you probably even use PPE in your kitchen at home -- in the form of hot pads or oven mitts -- or at least you should.

Some Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is required by law or by regulations in a particular sport.  Sometimes PPE is matter of choice.  However, it is called PERSONAL Protective Equipment because it protects your person, not so much because it is a personal choice.  In come cases, PPE is required by law or other safety regulations but proper PPE should always be considered and worn by anyone when possible.  Anyone involved in any activity that requires PPE must wear the designated equipment.  Anyone involved in any kind of activity that has any risk of personal injury should always wear proper PPE.  A thought that puts it in perspective for me:  when riding a dirt bike, its OK to put your head in a $10 helmet -- IF you have a $10 head!   Good helmets run at least $200-300. Yes, some PPE can be expensive, but always consider how expensive it might be NOT having proper PPE!  Medical bills and loss of income while disabled will usually be much higher than the cost of protection, to say nothing of pain and suffering!

There are laws in many jurisdictions that require OHV riders (at least those below a certain age) to wear helmets.   Use of other PPE by OHV riders is usually at the discretion of the rider.  Having been a dirt bike rider for about 40 years I can personally attest to the value of proper PPE on EVERY ride.  In addition to a helmet, every rider should wear goggles.  Other useful items include proper riding boots, jerseys, pants, gloves, knee pads, elbow pads, kidney belts, and chest protectors.  You might limit what PPE you wear while riding in a UTV or side-by-side to a helmet and goggles, but I strongly advise anyone riding a dirt bike or ATV to wear full body armor.  When you part company with your ride and enter into a durability contest with the dirt and rocks I guaranty you the dirt and rocks are going to win!  You will come out the loser even landing on grass, dirt, or sand,  Wearing proper body armor will mitigate many of the injuries you might experience.  I have some rather deep and nasty scratches on the back of my chest protector that would have sliced deep into my back had I not been wearing it when I fell into a rock pile or skidded on the pavement.

I have provided other posts that describe specific types of PPE for OHV riders.  Check out the follwing links:

     OHV Helmets and Goggles 

     OHV Riding Boots 

     OHV Riding Pants and Jerseys 

     OHV Jackets and Coats

     Additional OHV Body Armor

Water sports have their own unique PPE.  For the most part this consists of a Coast Guard Approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD), usually in the form of a life vest or life belt.  Most boats are also required to carry throwable floatation devices, such as a life preserver or throwable cushion.  If you are involved in boating on cold water, a wet suit or even a dry suit may be needed to protect you against hypothermia should you fall overboard.  You may not see regulations dictating cold water protection, but a little research into deaths from hypothermia for professional racers who fell in the water should quickly convince you of the true need. Standard boating rules require every boat to carry a life jacket or vest  for every person on board,  The law does not mandate they be worn at all times but common sense certainly does.  In some sailboat races, all crew are required to wear PFDs  all the time when the winds are above a certain speed  Some folks are campaigning for a similar rule for wearing wet or dry suits when the water is below a certain temperature.   Exposure to cancer-causing UV radiation in sunlight requires proper hats and sunscreen plus good sunglasses.  In my mind, wearing appropriate PPE for any situation is ALWAYS mandatory, if not by the rules, by common sense!

PPE for some common outdoor activities may be a little less well defined.   But that doesn't mean you should ignore proper safety measures.  For hiking, properly fitted boots are a basic requirement.  A lot of folks opt for lighter weight running shoes, but they lack the ankle support often needed when hiking.  Good hiking advice says to wear an appropriate sock system.  That's right, a system, not just a single pair of socks!  A strong, correctly sized hiking stick is also a good idea.  Even a good hat and appropriate sunglasses could be better thought of as PPE than a fashion statement.  Sturdy leather gloves and eye protection are needed for cutting and handling firewood.  Gloves and eye protection are a good idea when building and lighting campfires too,  A proper hat for protection from the sun, along with sunscreen, could be considered PPE for almost any outdoor activity.  Oven mitts or other sturdy hand protection should always be worn when cooking on a campfire.  Hey, even a swimsuit could be considered proper PPE for some aquatic activities!  Bicycle riders often ignore PPE, sometimes much to their dismay when they have an accident.  A bicycle helmet tops the list, followed by proper shoes, gloves, and riding shorts.  I like to wear a baseball cap under my riding helmet because my helmet doesn't have a visor to keep the sun out of my eyes.  Cowboy hats are common head wear for equestrian activities.  They provide pretty good protection from sun and even rain.  However, they do not provide impact protection if you are thrown or fall off your horse.  Did you knot that head injuries from equestrian accidents exceed those from motorcycle accidents?  There are fairy stylistic equestrian riding helmets you should consider.

Of course we are currently required by law in most places to wear a face mask due to COVID-19.   Anyone working with COVID patients, such as first responders and medical professionals, also wear latex gloves, goggles, and often a protective gown.  To some the precautions may seem excessive, but given the risks associated with COVID-19, they are appropriate.  I know a doctor who has personally treated more than 2000 COVID patients and remained free from infection, due to proper PPE and proper protocols, such as hand washing and disinfecting equipment and facilities.

And yes, I realize this is at least a second post on PPE.  But it is a topic that too many people tend to ignore and an occasional reminder is often worthwhile.

Be protected!