The Perfect Private Island Campfire
Believe it or not but there is an art to making a campfire. A perfect campfire is a combination of safety, style, and craftsmanship. Here at Private Islands Inc, we all love to have campfires on our retreats up to one of our Private Islands. Therefore we thought we would share some of our tips for making the perfect island campfire.
Chris’s Tip: “It’s all about the location” says our commander in chief and CEO Chris Krolow. The perfect campfire is dependent on finding the right spot. Chris suggests making sure you find a clear area in the sand or gravel and avoid trees, bushes and root systems that can spark fires. Finally Chris adds “An open area means that there is less potential debris for people to trip over and being away from trees means you get unprecedented views of the night sky.”
Kyle’s Tip: “If you build they will come” proclaims our always eager intern Kyle. Kyle maintains that the perfect campfire is a blend of form and function. “If you don’t build you fire pit correctly and you don’t use the right materials the fire will be too big or too small.” Kyle suggests digging a shallow hole in the sand or rock as the base for the fire pit. Once this is done outline the hole with rocks to give it that “boy scout campfire look.” Finally Kyle says “place some twigs in the base of the hole and then build a twig teepee with the remaining twigs, finally throw in some old magazine or newspaper as these are the perfect materials for getting your fire going.” “Don’t use the logs and larger branches until later on” Kyle adds, the fire needs to be strong before it can support the larger materials.
Alexis’s Tip: “Its all about style” say our director of operations. “The perfect island campfire is one that is comfortable for 
the guests,” she adds. Comfort for Alexis means figuring out what direction the wind is blowing and putting the chairs/bench upwind from the smoke. Finally, Alexis adds, “ensure that you bring lots of wool blankets for your guests, they provide extra warmth, are more flame retardant than other materials, and they give the campfire party a rustic feel”
Aaron’s Tip: “It’s all about fun, food, friends and music” says our resident musician and web designer Aaron. “If no one shows up it’s not really a campfire, it’s just a burning hole” Aaron proclaims. Aaron notes that when you are staying on an island the noise tends to travel across the lake to the neighbouring cottages so you might as well invite them over instead of keeping them up all night. How does Aaron recommend entertaining his guests? “It’s a mixture of Canadian beer, s’mores, my acoustic guitar and maybe a bad joke or two.”
One tip all the staff at Private Islands Inc., can agree on is that safety is the most important factor. This means drinking responsibly, choosing an exposed location and dousing the fire at night to ensure that it is completely out. “You need to dowse the flames, turn the remaining material over with a shovel and then dowse the fire again to ensure there are no smoldering embers remaining,” adds Tyler one of our programmers.
Taking these tips into consideration the next time you have a campfire will ensure that you have a safe and fun campfire the next time you visit your island.
