Why does the smoke always follow me!?

[jimbo75]

My mates always seem to stick horrid damp wood (and god knows what else on the fire).
There's definately an art to it... Use the right woods, and make sure its dry or split.
It is the annoying thing though!! Especially when your lungs ache the following morning...
Reminds me of my smoking days!

 

[wicca]

Speaking of smoke..I've just got back after a little jaunt. Went into the local shop to get the milk and the young lady said, "I can smell smoke" I told her I'd been camping and the old boy behind the other till said "You smell like bloody Davy Crockett!! ( which dates him a bit...like me..)

 

[Mike Ameling]

It's those negative waves, man.

Always with the negative waves, Moriarty, always with the negative waves!
(Donald Sutherland in Kelly's Hero's)

And the people who hate smoke in their face the most seem to give of more of those "negative waves, man" and the smoke just is drawn to them!


But I'm with Wayland. You're just not worshipping/sacrificing to the right gods! Try dancing nekkid round a bonfire down in the glenn under the full moon! After a few minutes (and a couple seared spots on your nether regions) you won't be worrying about the smoke anymore!

We burn a lot of dead white elm around here - because so much is available do to Dutch Elm Disease killing the trees by the time they get 6 or 8 inches in diameter. Even if it is thoroughly dry, it still smokes a lot - with pretty irritating smoke for the eyes. Keeping lots of "flame" in your fire helps.

The best wood I've found to cut down on the smoke is dry Maple! It burns hot with little smoke.

So the best advice is to always camp with somebody else who seems to be a better version of that smoke-magnet. And be sure to thank them appropriately!

Mikey - that ... cough cough ... grumpy ol' ... cough cough ... German blacksmith ... cough cough .... out in the Hinterlands ... cough cough

 

[Mr Adoby]

This is no joke. It's true. The smoke really seems to blow into the face of someone sitting close to the fire.

There are two things that combine to make this happen:

1. As the radiant heat warms you up, the warm air around you starts to rise. This creates an updraught that suck wind in from in front of you and may make the smoke drift your way.

2. You tend to sit with the wind in the back, in the hope that the wind will blow the smoke away from you. But instead you create a turbulence and the updraught and the turbulence combine to blow smoke in your face.

What to do?

Sit with the wind coming at you from 90 degrees from either side.
Try to stay low.
Build a combined "reflector" and "chimney" behind the fire. A few logs standing up will do it. Try to make the reflector at least a meter high.

The reflector will help direct heat towards you and will also function as an open form of chimney. The smoke will follow the uppdraught created at the warm surface of the reflector, instead of the updraught in front of you.

Make a small intense fire using finely chopped dry firewood, rather than using big damp logs that burn slowly. This will make the fire burn with less smoke and the increased heat will make the smoke rise more straight up.

 

[squantrill]

I have a number of options:

1: dont sit next to the fire! sit at least 20Meters away this would require a bigger fire to keep you warm.
2: If you need to sit close to the fire dig a hole in the ground and stick your head in it..
3: Sit behind your fire buddy.
4. Turn your balaclava around on your head.
5. Push your sleeping dog closer to the fire this causes a ramp in which the soke goes over your head.
6. Book into travel lodge instead and sit next to the radiator.



I think

 

[Cobweb]

Having a reflector really helps the smoke to go up instead of right at you, it's also a great way to dry out logs for the fire, double duty!

 

[Nagual]

Perhaps as you light your fire say a few words to one or all of these:


Adranus
Agni
Apris
Belenus
Brighid
Cacus
Gerra
Gibil
Hephaestus
Hestia
Ho-Masubi
Huracan
Ishum
KitchenGod
Manco Capac
Nusku
Ogoun
Pele
Perun
Sethlans
Svarog
Vesta
Vulcan
Xiuhtcuhtli
Xoloti
Zhu Rong

Could take you a while though..


P.S. Apologies to any fire Gods I may have missed out, PM me with your names and I'll.... get my coat probably..

 

[jojo]

You are not paranoid, but you're sure it's out to get you.....

 

[ZDP-189]

When i sit next to a camp fire the smoke changes direction and goes directly towards where i am sitting. If i get up and change position the smoke will follow me again and it always seems to be traveling towards my face It can get quite irritating having to move all the time and the smoke gets in my eyes...

Why is this! does anyone else have this troubble? or is it just bad luck for me...hehe

Here is your answer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr4uF_zeT_4