Campfires are an awesome thing.
They provide warmth, are great to sit around, cook some s’mores, and give you a warm, cozy feeling.
But there’s always that one pesky problem with campfires.
The smoke always seems to follow you!
Maybe it’s just because it really annoys me, but it always seems to be in my face more than others.
So I dug a little to get to the bottom of it.
Why does campfire smoke seem to follow you?
I’ve finally found the answer!
It’s All About Airflow
When it comes down to it, the reason that smoke ‘follows you’ is because of airflow.
It’s not that it is actually following you, but it’s physics working its magic.
When a fire burns, it creates a partial vacuum.
This vacuum sends the hot air created by the fire upward and pulls cooler air into the fire.
All things being equal (and with no wind), an undisturbed fire should send smoke straight up into the air.
Now, the issue is we create a tiny disturbance in the vacuum when we stand next to the fire.
Two things happen as we are sitting there getting warm:
We Create A Low Pressure Area
As mentioned before, the fire in front of us has created a vacuum.
As the hot air and smoke rise, cool air is pulled in all around the fire to fill the vacuum.
When we stand next to the fire, we are blocking some of that air from filling the vacuum, which creates a low pressure area.
The smoke created by the fire will start moving in the direction of the low pressure area, which gives off the impression that the smoke is following you.
Our Clothes Are Absorbing Heat From The Fire
The other thing that is happening to cause following smoke is our clothes are absorbing heat from the campfire.
The heat that absorbs into our clothing is what helps make us warm on the inside.
But it also warms the air around us.
That warm air will start to rise, further affecting the vacuum.
Since the air is rising, the smoke will gravitate toward that empty space and, you guessed it, give you a wonderful flow of smoke straight to the face.
Unfortunately, these reactions occur regardless of where you are sitting by the fire.
Teepees Have Anti-Smoke Technology
Teepees are an awesome creation that, among other things, helped the Indians to not have to inhale smoke from their fires.
Teepees are portable, tent-like structures that allowed Indians to set up and take down their living quarters quickly, which helped them to follow game migrations.
These structures were used to stay warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and dry during rainstorms.
But what they also did was work really well to funnel smoke out of the top using smoke flaps.
When opened a certain way, the smoke flaps would be able to funnel smoke out.
The funnel created is strong enough to prevent that same disturbance in the vacuum we talked about.
This means no smoke in your face!
Now obviously you won’t have a teepee at the ready when you are building a fire, but it’s a good way to visualize how smoke ends up following you and how it can be prevented.
Can You Avoid Getting Campfire Smoke In Your Face?
Now that you hopefully have a better understanding of what is going on with the smoke coming from a fire, the question still remains: can you avoid that smoke?
And the answer is: yes.
You absolutely can avoid the smoke.
To do that, just don’t have a fire…
In all seriousness, here are some ways to avoid getting smoke in your face:
Avoid The Vacuum
We went over what happens while a fire is burning: heat and smoke are rising and the air around the fire is being pulled in.
But there is a limit to where the new air is being pulled in.
There are a ton of factors that come into play when determining how far away you should be to avoid affecting the vacuum (how large the fire is, any obstructions around the fire, etc.).
Just play around with it and keep moving backward until the smoke stops ‘following’ you.
Utilize The Wind
There is always a chance that you’ll have some wind blowing around you and your fire.
If that’s the case, don’t sit on the side of the fire that the wind is blowing toward.
The smoke is going to be carried in the wind toward that direction.
By avoiding sitting downwind, you can keep out of the smoke.
Now, there is always a chance that the wind will change direction.
If that is the case and it starts blowing towards you again, you’ll have to reposition yourself.
It helps to know which direction the winds will normally change to and sit on the side that the wind never changes.
For example, if you are in an area that is heavily blocked by a large structure or trees to the east and west, you can sit on one of those sides.
That way while the wind may change from blowing North to South and vice versa, it will never blow towards you directly.
It sucks to have to plan accordingly but unfortunately there’s not too many other options.
I guess you could always bring a giant fan to create your own wind, but that’s not very practical!
Avoid Creating A Tailwind
This method contradicts the last method, so use whichever you think will work best.
In the last method I told you to move away from the wind, but this will also create a tailwind.
And if the tailwind is strong enough it can bring the wind with you!
To avoid creating a tailwind, try limiting your movement around the fire as much as possible.
A lifting of your leg or shift in your chair could be all it takes for you to become the smoke’s new target (embrace it, chosen one).
If you are going to be shifting to a new spot around the fire, try to walk away from the fire a little bit to avoid bringing the smoke with you.
Aim For Having A Smokeless Fire
Now a fire can’t ever be totally smokeless (unless you’re a wizard), but it can be darn close!
And this method can help you avoid the physics of smoke coming from a fire altogether.
To make your fire as smokeless as possible:
- Use dry firewood – all firewood has some moisture, but the drier the better. Damp firewood creates more smoke!
- Allow airflow in your fire – position your firewood in a way that allows for airflow to prevent a buildup of smoke.
- Debris causes smoke – leaves, grass, and other materials, make great tinder, but also produce more smoke. Try to limit the use of them especially after your fire has been established.
- Avoid using greenwood – greenwood is another word for freshly cut wood. As I said before with firewood; the drier the better. And greenwood is far from dry!
No smoke equals no problem, right?
Using those tips above will help make your fire as smokeless as possible, allowing you to breathe fresh air!
Have Any Other Tips For Avoiding The Smoke?
Who knew something so seemingly simple could be so complicated?
Campfire smoke will follow you based on airflow and voids in the vacuum fire creates.
Knowing how they work will help you to keep that smoke out of your face.
And always try to have as close to a smokeless fire as possible to avoid the problem in the first place.
And just remember, if you can’t shake the smoke, blame it on the old wife’s tale that ‘smoke follows beauty’!