campfire hints in the LOS?

[davidst01]

Ive been camping many times back in the mother country and know how to make a camp fire. In LOS, Ive asked the gf about logistics of making a campfire here and about buying firewood, jiffy fire lighters etc. She is looking at me like she doesn't understand.... (even after showing photos on google/photos).

She suggested that we can buy black coal and simply put newspaper under it and light it.

Have you been camping or made small campfire using this method here in Thailand? Back home the black coal method that I used before in my 'webber' bbcue would not simply light like that. The jiffy firelighters are mandatory. She is not sure if they sell the fire lighters in Robinson supermarket.

Please share your knowledge with me if you have any. I want to prove to her that Im a real man and can cook steaks on the barbie and bake some pototoes in foil. Please help me succeed with this simple task.

Also, do you happen to know if the National parks in thailand provide tents; it would be much appreciated.

[wym]

Your GF must not be a poor country girl.

Out there everyone - and lots of street vendors in the city - use those little clay pots topped by a grill. I've never watched the maid get it started, we do BBQ in our little roof garden, but can't imagine it's hard, she's no rocket scientist. She buys the charcoal in little bags for <50 baht from the corner dry goods shop.

Edited February 10, 2014 by wym

[bina]

any normal country thai makes real campfires. i dont even know what a jiffy firelighter is and noone in their right mind buys fire wood especially in thailand. and most thais that i know dont bother enjoying campfires. campfires are for cooking and then keeping warm at night and keeping away mosquitoes.

we take half a barrel (metal ones) put in tons of old wood/furniture broken down whatever) newspaper, coal, and light.

also u can use old hay/straw twisted under the coal. then u take a cigarette or three and start lighting. or a match. or if u are my husband's father, then u literally rub two sticks together or use a flint (yes, yes, he does that, he also walks around in a pakanuu and carries a large knife). my husband uses matches.

and i dont think potatoes in tin foil and steaks on the grill will impress. my husband is never impressed with that kind of bbq. thats for city people and farang americans.

they do a huge half barrel with whatever kind of metal for a grill /or large pieces of wood. the meat is cut any which way including lots of fat (yummy) and also ears, snouts, feet, intestines etc... also eggs.

then the meat is taken off, sliced in to small pieces, and dipped in supe spicey sauce.

every time we've tried to do an american or israeli style bbq its deteriorated to a thai bbq with people eating with their fingers (or using pita bread or sticky rice according to nationality); just make sure u have lots of beer and vodka/rice whiskey along side.

the little grill things? those are for sukiyaki and stuff.

to make rice on a campfire put one pot of rice and water inside another large pot with some water (hubby used the wok as a second pot, on the gas, when we were without electric this winter), cover the pot and put a wet towel over the cover.

btw, to do potatoes really well, u have to stab them, wrap them, and throw them in the coals, not on the grill.

there is only one place to prove u are a real man. and if u dont know where that place is, then u arent one...

[krisb]

Your GF must not be a poor country girl.

Out there everyone - and lots of street vendors in the city - use those little clay pots topped by a grill. I've never watched the maid get it started, we do BBQ in our little roof garden, but can't imagine it's hard, she's no rocket scientist. She buys the charcoal in little bags for <50 baht from the corner dry goods shop.

Oh &lt;deleted&gt; wym, so your telling us you can tell how much a person has in the bank by the type of bbq or campfire they start?

[AlexRRR]

Your not much of a man if you cant do your own research to find out where to get the items for this camping trip.

For you my dear friend hire a van....and get KFC thats about your limit to camping skills.

[wym]

Your GF must not be a poor country girl.

Out there everyone - and lots of street vendors in the city - use those little clay pots topped by a grill. I've never watched the maid get it started, we do BBQ in our little roof garden, but can't imagine it's hard, she's no rocket scientist. She buys the charcoal in little bags for <50 baht from the corner dry goods shop.

Oh &lt;deleted&gt; wym, so your telling us you can tell how much a person has in the bank by the type of bbq or campfire they start?

No, just that if a TG doesn't grow up cooking almost daily on a fire like this, then she is EITHER a city girl, OR not poor, perhaps grew up with servants.

By 9 or 10 a normal (poor) country girl is capable of making the whole family dinner, just part of her day to day life.

The ones without a man around (usually grandpa) can also slaughter and butcher animals.

Edited February 10, 2014 by wym

[96tehtarp]

reply deleted.

Is the OP going on a camping trip or planning an urban or rural barbecue?

Can't really reply until that's known as they are three very different scenarios.

Edited February 10, 2014 by 96tehtarp

[wayned]

WE use homemade charcoal ans start it with dried corn cobs soaked in a little desiel fuel. But I'm a poor country boy that lives in the sticks. I have and old paint bucket that I fill with corn cobs and drizzle a little fuel over them and keep the top closed. Charcoal is made by my fIL in the back yard.

[manarak]

I have a small BBQ and sometimes use it one the beach - I just buy some petroleum jelly at makro and coal and I'm good to go. One jelly is enough to ignite dry coal.

[Crossy]

Dry kindling and a bit of used cooking oil (diesel can make the food taste odd if you don't let it burn off) will get the local charcoal going no problem, it's far easier to light than those bloody briquettes we have in the West.

[fifthcolumn]

You can get tents in most if not all NPs - Thai Andaman Marine Parks.

The only place where you can have a fire in the Andamsn is Koh Tarutao. A few parks look away if you have a cooking fire, not csmp or bonfire although I have seen a few people make fires on Ao Molae.

Honestly, I just bring gas for cooking. Who the hell wants to make a fire in the morning for a coffee?!

Enjoy the camping, we always do

[simon43]

Light a small piece of paper and throw a gallon of petrol over it - that usually works for me.....

Keep some 3rd degree burn cream handy

[T_Dog]

Dry kindling and a bit of used cooking oil (diesel can make the food taste odd if you don't let it burn off) will get the local charcoal going no problem, it's far easier to light than those bloody briquettes we have in the West.

Crossy is spot on about the used cooking oil. Soak a little into newspaper, cardboard, or even an old cotton shirt and it makes a great charcoal starter. You can also buy the pitch filled kindling at any street market which is how most locals in our area get a fire going.

[apache9441]

you can buy 'Fat wood' which is like pine wood with lots of resin. the resin helps it burn longer like a candle effect. you can buy a small bundle in local markets for 5 baht or so. split it as fine as you can and then light it and place a few sticks under your Charcoal or whatever wood your using.

[willyumiii]

Buying fire wood?

Jiffy fire starters?

Let me make a guess here.

In a campground with picnic tables, a concrete fire pit and a grill and maybe a store with cold beer in the campground?

Not exactly back to nature but a way for city and suburban folks to play "nature man".

Go out and collect some dry fire wood. Not to big, start small with twigs to get things going then add some larger pieces.

Here in the tropics, your best " fire starter" will be dried coconut husks. Pull them apart and it looks like Shredded Wheat cereal.

Put this under the dry twigs you have collected.

A small piece of paper and a match or lighter should be all you need to get it going.

MOST IMPORTANT:

Have your fire in a safe location. Bare mineral soil or rock at least ten feet cleared all the way around the fire with no overhanging branches.

Go without a fire if it is windy.

Always make 100% sure your fire is 100% out before leaving the area and never leave a burning fire unattended!

This may seem extreme, but I spent almost 20 years as a wild land fire fighter in California USA and could not count the acres and homes I have seen destroyed by careless campfires.

[firefox999uk]

Up here in real Thailand we sometimes use old rubber inner tubes cut into thin strips to get things going, but thats

only if the wood is still a bit green, otherwise just a bit of kindling and a disposable lighter.

And yes take note on Willyumiii`s fire safety advise. I spent over 30 years putting out peoples mistakes.

[Rorri]

lol..having a good laugh, the OP says he's been "camping" many times, yet he has to rely in jiffy firelighters. I've always used the available wood, you know the stuff that come from trees and maybe a small amount of paper. Man, you really need to know how to make a fire.

[lucjoker]

Your GF must not be a poor country girl.

Out there everyone - and lots of street vendors in the city - use those little clay pots topped by a grill. I've never watched the maid get it started, we do BBQ in our little roof garden, but can't imagine it's hard, she's no rocket scientist. She buys the charcoal in little bags for <50 baht from the corner dry goods shop.

Oh &lt;deleted&gt; wym, so your telling us you can tell how much a person has in the bank by the type of bbq or campfire they start?

sure !

only people with BBQ from stainless steel (brinkmann,.......) have a bank account with big money.

All clay pot users have one ,but not much on it .

Those who burn also rubber tires and plastic bags ,dont have a brain ,so also no bank account .They have sex for a shot of thai wisky dough,lol .

those who bbq on their roof.........well........cant believe what i write ,lol !

[mmh8]

hope I'm first on this suggestion

gasohol 91, 95, benzene etc, even the alcohol ones, get a dose of that, chuck it on your bits of wood, charcoal, tree, unwanted furniture, and set it alight, easy to transport, take a hose attach to tank of your motorbike or motor car, suck it up to get flow started then collect etc.

then light match throw on top and run.

[Fullstop]

"Camp" fire hints

Rub two boyscouts together.

Sorry.

[malt25]

This is one of the most entertaining posts I've read in a long, long time.

I'm an ol bushy from way back so won't even start on how to light a fire.

Me thinks OP is best to stop enroute & buy some cooked chook from roadside vendor. It will have been cooked over charcoal & will save all the problems related to his short comings.

If OP really wants to experience the caveman experience he could always ask the local chook cooker (roadside BBQ chicken vendor) for a bit of charcoal & instructions how to get started .He could always ask said chook cooker if he could spend a night or 2 with him & family... That'd be very much like camping.

Op, take a small fire extinguisher with you....... me thinks you just might need it.

Hope you enjoy your camping. I really do.

[lucifer666]

You have camped many times before but cannot light a fire ? Maybe you would be safer at home.

Here, you can buy Easy Light BBQ Briquettes (AKA Charcoal). The bag that they are contained in is already soaked in lighter fluid and easily lit with a cigarette lighter, you don't even need to open the bag.

[Mudcrab]

OP is a real Bear Grylls .

Edited February 11, 2014 by Mudcrab

[dunque]

here you go - one of the Ray Mears methods