;D What's funny is my manhood was indeed challenged this trip but because my trusty stove wasn't working so well. It required pumping every so often hence the more traditional fire desire. Nice to have backup.

Years ago I got laughed at for the better part of a week for bringing my brand new stove and enough freeze dried for six. Redundant! Then one night all was forgiven as they came out of their tents one by one for the best meal (Mandarin Orange Chicken) they ever had. The stove, the tarp, the chicken and even I became the object of many toasts around a fire that never would had been built w/o the fuel, as in calories and therefore mood the stove provided.

I like fire in general but even more on solos. I'm a night owl and consider a fire to be fair notice to all the larger than me creatures not to accidentally step on me and to stay out of camp until I'm all tucked in for the night. I'll sometimes sleep under the tarp and consider it's footprint my personal space once the fire dies. ;)

  (You need to Login or Register. It's a bit deep horizontally so for cooking I'd find two grill worthy rocks to set on that beautiful hearth. The next person to use that campsite would probably wonder what the  I was thinking and remove them but at least there wouldn't be any foil hidden underneath.

I like fire so much there's even a Quetico style fireplace in my suburban back yard. We use it fairly often and everyone loves it. I hate picking out my mother in laws cigarette buts but the first experienced Quetico tripper to see it commented something like "Nice, wait, where does the grill go." (Two cinder blocks a on a raised base would satisfy the cook in me.)

Traveling through many of the same areas for so long I choose campsites to aim for based on weather and what distinctive amenities would be favored by it. Personally I think all campsites should have two fireplaces, one for fair weather and one for foul. (Or is it fowl as in duck? ;)) If the kitchen gets direct sunlight for the senior special that's usually a strike. Morning sun is always a big hit.