What is it about the thought of building a good fire as night falls upon a campsite? It’s been a day filled with either miles on the road negotiating traffic and too small gas stations, or of exploring a new area on foot, but you need to take the time to stage the firepit with kindling and a few pieces of wood. It grabs the spark of your lighter and the flame slowly grows. You finally sit down, perhaps a beverage in one hand, and just look at it.
I came across the BioLite Firepit on an RV bloggers wishlist last year. It was in very limited production and when I finally ordered it it took 5 months to have it arrive on my doorstep during this past summer. It features a power pack that operates a fan to propel the air jets within the firepit to enhance the flame building and cut-down on smoke. A storage bag with a built-in solar panel to recharge the power pack… as well as a micro USB for normal charging at 24 to 36 hour intervals of fire. There’s even an app that allows you to connect with the firepit via Bluetooth to control the fan’s intensity from the lazy comfort of your chair. I haven’t downloaded it… first, it just makes me laugh to think of a fire app and, second, I am a rugged pioneer who will actually get up and go to the firepit controller and change the adjustments just like I did as a kid in the mid 20th century with our beloved Zenith TV.
But I have buried the absolute best feature: x-ray viewing of the fire itself through the see through grates that are on both sides of the firepit. With it’s slight elevation you can watch the fire not from above looking down, but from either side from top to bottom. In the camp this draws people in, the inviting crackle helps introductions and friendly conversation about where we’re from, what we’re driving, where we’re going. And when the talking fades and comes to a halt, there isn’t an awkward “what now?” silence because we have the fire to bond over as the fire flames up and around. We appreciate its compelling beauty.
I use to think of making fires when the weather is cold, when it’s a special occasion or holiday. Now as I head southward on my RV journey I plan on keeping a supply of wood close at hand so my firepit can come out stir the soul and pass an evening with endless entertainment.
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