My plan was to be camping right now. But I drove 2.5hrs to the campground yesterday only to find there is a burn ban in place. I thought maybe I could find a propane firepit at a store somewhere nearby and that would be ok. Not the same, but I was already loaded, at camp and excited to be there. But the nearest store that might have something like that was an hour away, it was already 4pm. I was near a bordering state, so I looked to see if I could find another campground, nope. Burn ban there as well. As lovely as it sounds to sit outside in the dark by myself drinking whisky, I turned around and headed home.

So I'm just curious to hear others take. For me, a campfire is a very large component to camping. The smell, the smoke, the light, the warmth, cooking and yes, the companionship are just important to me. Much of my calm and relaxation in camping comes from just sitting quietly and staring into the flames. Without it, just not the same.