If you've heard of the Boy Scouts, and even if you have not, I'm sure you have heard of the Boy Scout motto "Be Prepared". Now you not have to be a boy scout or a former Boy Scout to enjoy a nice weekend of camping, but must "be prepared" if you want to make your next camping trip comfortable with a good campfire.

Camp starts with a good fire. The camp fire, to me, is the reason for why I go. Well, that and to get outdoors and away from everything, even if only for the weekend. If you really want to enjoy a camp fire, plan your trip in early spring to mid or late autumn. These are the coldest months (in our area anyway) and the heat of the fire, makes a camping trip all worth it.

You need to get the fire started the camp. There are several ways to do this and you do not have to rub two sticks. You can buy fire starters, which compresses mixed material with a chemical that allows it to burn more slowly. This is a smaller version of the records can be purchased at your local Target or Wal-Mart for your fireplace.

If you do not want to spend money on fire starter, look no further than your dryer vent. The fluff of their ventilation is highly flammable (scary right?) and works great as a fire starter. Just bring plenty of it with you because it burns rather quickly in terms how it dries. Stick a bunch of it on his ring of fire, and dry wood on top of the lint in a tepee form and go ahead and light. The wood is captured and the fire is out of operation.

Ok so you do not have the budget to start the fire and do not have a dryer so what do you do? The answer is pineapples. Pine cones that have fallen from the tree, there are those who are attached to the tree, work as a great fire starters. Pine cones, like dryer lint, burning very quickly to bring a bucket full of them. You can go to any park, wooded area or even your neighbor's garden and find pineapples. They are everywhere.

The next time you go out for a camping trip now have three additional ways you can get that camp fire lit. Gone are the old days of stuffing newspapers and cardboard boxes beneath the wood. You mean you did not have to do that?

About the Author:
Mr. Tucker is the senior editor for Vacation Nation, an online vacation resource where you can learn about various destinations and travel tips.

Ultimate Camp Cooking sponsored by Good Sam Club