CAMP ARSENAL

I want to share with readers my small devices that provide additional convenience when organizing a campfire at a rest stop during a weekend hike or journey through one’s native land.

One of the common “campfire” problems is finding and preparing stakes for setting up a tent and forked sticks for a crossbar, as well as the crossbar itself for hanging pots or a bucket over the campfire. Most often, young trees suffer from this, being mercilessly cut down — and all just for one-time use.

Since I go on hikes frequently, I decided to optimize my equipment in this regard.

Stakes and Stands

First of all, I solved the problem of stakes and stands for the tent — I made them from metal angles with 30×30 mm flanges. I ended up with eight stakes 150 mm long and two stands (according to the tent height). I cut one end at an acute angle so they would enter the ground more easily and hold the tent guy lines more reliably. In addition, it is advisable to bend a tab from one of the flanges at the upper ends of the blanks — we get a convenient support platform. Moreover, the tips of the stakes can rest against it when folding, which makes them safe to carry. For the same purpose, it is worth making packaging cases for them.

The same flanges must be provided at both ends of the stands: one will support the tent fly, and the other will serve as a safe base when the stand rests on the floor of the tent being set up.

Everything for the Campfire

I handled the campfire accessories as follows. From the mentioned metal angles, I prepared two stands intended to replace forked sticks. I drilled an 8 mm diameter hole in the upper ends, inserted an S-shaped hook made from 3 mm diameter welding electrodes, having removed the coating from them. I hung a metal chain about a meter long left over from previous household tasks on these hooks: it began to serve as a campfire crossbar.

For hanging pots and a kettle on it, I made several hooks from the same electrodes, also S-shaped, but with additional bends at the ends so they wouldn’t catch and, moreover, it would be more convenient to remove the suspended container together with the hook. Actually, it is advisable to have more such hooks than the suspended cookware: after all, with their help you can also adjust the suspension level depending on the state of the campfire.

Chain and Case

By analogy with the hooks, you can also make the chain-crossbar itself if a ready-made one is not available. This may even be more convenient, since such a chain, if desired, will be detachable, which will provide additional convenience when folding it for transport.

For the stands, stakes, and hooks, sew a special case from leatherette or canvas, with a shoulder strap — for convenient carrying like a rifle.

Such a set will be useful not only for a tourist, but also for a hunter or fisherman, any lover of active outdoor recreation.

A. SMELYANSKY