My family took a trip to a cabin in the mountains twice this year. For my 8 year old son, the highlight of each trip was making a fire and making s'mores each night. So, Santa brought him his very own fire pit. It's one of those basic steel / aluminum models that sits above the ground and costs $79 or so.

Since we live in Florida, and the goal of this fire pit is not really to generate heat or create a long lasting fire, I need small logs that will last 30-45 minutes.

I found some 1 lb Dura-Flame logs on Lowes.com, but it looks like they are mainly used for starting fires. Would they suit my purpose on their own? Or should I use one of these logs with a basic piece of wood I buy in a bundle from Lowes?

There will be nights, like tonight, when it is cold and a full on fire would be nice. But most nights, he is just going to want to light a fire, make his treat, and then go back inside and I do not want to have to worry about leaving a fire unattended or dealing with the mess of putting it out.

I've purchased Dura Flame logs for when we find a hotel/cabin with a fireplace that requires the same (no real wood allowed) and they work fine. Not sure if it's the exact same product you speak of. I think the firestarters are exactly that, maybe just buy the larger fire logs and cut them in half or more.

if I was going to use to cook food, even smoores I would not use those types of logs. I would natural firewood. That way, even you floridians can learn to cook meat and eat like savages. Trust me, try it. Your son will be better off for it.

Could charcoal work for you? You can pretty much control the burn by the number of briquettes.

Here's a simple DIY Mini Fire Pit for S'mores. Could even be placed in the fire pit you have. Use the size pot needed ... https://www.artsyfartsymama.co...-pit-for-smores.html

Of course there is definitely something to be said for a wood fire and flames but if S'mores is the only goal, charcoal might work for you,

I wouldn’t use duraflames. I think they may even be a warning not to cook over them.

You would be better off with a propane fire pit but I you should be ok with just picking up sticks and pine cones for your purpose.

If you can't find firewood, I would use lump charcoal. Kamado Joe lump charcoal has big chunks that would work well. Light it with newspaper or paper towels soaked in a bit of cooking oil. Duraflame logs have fuel in them that would, at the very least, make food taste bad.

A bundle of wood at tractor supply or lowes is what I've used for exactly what you are describing. Occasionally I had to split the logs down one more time. They are normally less than $7-8.

I agree with a bundle of hardwood from a store. If you have campgrounds near you there are surely people selling bundles nearby. Usually a “self service” stand with $5 bundles. Use a chop saw to cut them in half.

mini wood splitter


You can split the wood bundles from lowes into smaller pieces

Construction sites. Pick up the left over blocks if 2x4 and 2x6. Make sure it’s not pressure treated. The wood is free, easy to split into kindling. Burns easy and being that it’s SPF, it’ll burn out quickly and you won’t have a long lasting fire to deal with.

we use Pinion Wood in our little fire pit. It ignites easily, burns clean, doesn't pop or give off hot flying embers, lasts a long time and smells great. It's not however advisable for direct cooking like marshmallows, S'mores etc as the smoke will taint the food. A bundle good for 4-5 fires costs about $11 at Lowes.

There's always the KFC fire log, burns for 2.5-3 hours and makes your backyard smell like fried chicken! hehehee......made from recycled materials. But if you're cooking over it, I'd use real wood. Scraps of 2x4's from a construction site work well (non pressure treated).

https://www.amazon.com/KFC-Fir...3&sr=8-5&tag=mh0b-20

Don't cook over a Duraflame log. Made with chemicals and sawdust that may not be safe for cooking over.

Get a bundle of hardwood from the grocery store for like $5. You can chunk the pieces a saw for slow burn, or split the pieces up for a fast hot burn. You can split with a hand hatchet, or learn to baton with a heavy knife.

SPF is the species of which most lumber is made. Spruce, Pine, or Fir.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by Beancooker:

SPF

I like SPF 50 so I don't get burned.

As mentioned... you for sure do't want to use Duroflame or any of the other manufactured logs.... these critters have some nasty stuff in them....

best choice for what you want is probably to just buy some of that prepacked hardwood and then split it down to 1" thick pieces.... other choice ... go to Lowes or Homedepot and buy some red oak shelving and cut and split it....

Don't over do the camp fire or it will become a NOT special occasion when you go camping.

Lump charcoal... And a few pieces of real wood for the flame.. The lump charcoal will build a nice coal bed to cook om