How close do you all hang your tarps to the campfire area? I've seen a number of pictures on threads, and it looks to me like they might get some burnt spots.

I try to hang mine as close to the fire grate as I can without getting over it. If you follow the rules of keeping the fire in the fire grate, you're not likely to generate enough heat to melt a nylon tarp if is not directly above the fire. The only likely damage would be pin holes from fire brands. So far I have none in mine, but I'm strict about moderating the size of the fire if I can get the tarp close.

I've never done it, but if you keep the fire small and/or the tarp high, you can hang the tarp over the fire safely.

Here's an example. We got the tarp right up to the fire grate on this campsite. Actually, on further inspection, we got it a little over the fire grate so I take back what I said about never doing that...

i appreciate honesty. :)

I have on occasion had my tarp over the fire. For those times I don't have the flames more than an inch or two over the grate.

No burn holes or melting yet.

If it was my tarp, I'd only consider it during a fire ban :)

Far away if it is a nice silnylon tarp, or closer with very low fire, and no kids making the fire "better", lol. Not easy, but avoiding pine in the fire sends off less embers with other woods. If the site allows it, we have the tarp area and the fire area, and they don't mix.

I try to keep the tarp away from the fire as much as possible. With the "snappy" wood that is present in the bdub you are asking for holes in your tarp if you place it close to the fire (or downwind from the fire). Once you have some holes in the tarp placement is less critical.

I have a silnylon tarp form CCS, usually pictch it over the fire grate. I can usually stand under it so it is far form a fire. IMHO if you are worried about embers/flames hitting your tarp over the fire then you probably don't have a very safe fire.

ME under tarp with fire during a rainstorm at night. Same rigging farther away look.

Been doing this for 8 years no damage to silnylon tarp. Nice when it rains. Tim

Usually pitch the tarp away from the fire pit, however in spring and fall with cold rainy (snowy) weather, have pitched it at the edge of the firepit. No holes, but certainly retains that smokey northwoods smell for a while.

Cliff has some words of wisdom on how to do this in single and multiple tarps safely.

Disclaimer: I sell tarps.

I also use them and have researched them a bit.

Nylon begins to degrad around 350°F. then proceeds to melt at over 400° F and would burn about 20° hotter than melting if memory serves correct.

My personal rule is "If you can not hold onto the tarp over the fire, it is too close or the fire is to big"

If the nylon Tarp reaches any of those milestones it will do just that. If it is Raining anf the tarp is elevated above the fire enough to stand under, and pitched so the heat plume can spill out from the tarp, usually you get no damage to the tarp. The rain cools the tarp. In non raining conditions the tarp has to be higher to avoid damge. You would have to have too large of a fire, or too many lifting sparks to damage the tarp.

If you put it close vertically to the fire, or make the heat plume go up to a peak and spill out lower than that peak, problems may be encountered. Large sparks can transfer alot of heat. The mass and temperature of the spark may be able to heat the nylon to degradation, melt and rarely burn.

Having a tarp melt and drip onto skin would be a very very bad thing. It would burn deep. Any liquid at 400° would give a serious and deep burn.

If you do not feel comfortable with your (or those around you)ability to keep the fire managable, having the tarp set up properly, so the heat plume can spill off; do NOT put it near the fire. Loosing equipment is bad enough, but the injuries from a deep burn are much worse.

Dan Cooke
I put a tarp up all the time over the fire area. It smells like smoke.

I thought all tarps are supposed to smell like smoke :)

I hang my tarp away from the fire. I can keep a fire going in the rain. I cannot keep rain from going through a tarp that has holes in it.

A real "snappy" wood is white cedar. It is dangerous to synthetics

Good point Savage.

Last week for two days, I had my canvas tarp set up over the fire pit in a downpour. It worked out great. I got my inspiration for it from a photo by nkelly. The bad part about it is that it weighs 19 lbs.

BTW, nkelly has an excellent photo journal on this site. Check out some nice pics.

Usually around January 5th, I get out my fire area tarp and keep it in my truck for about a week. Lets me ride around with camp smell. Really quite de-stressing!

We usually cover the firepit area with a large tarp. It keeps the sun away during the hot days. This was also about the only way we could enjoy the fire one trip since it rained heavily for days. We find some poles and make sure it is high enough above the fire. An added advantage is that the smoke trapped under the tarp works awesome to drive the bugs away!!

We sometimes use a tarp over the fire pit if we think it might rain during the time we're out exploring during the day. If it's raining when we get back, we elevate it a bit and start the dry wood underneath the tarp. My experience is that this is a great way to make sure you can always have a fire, since it's a lot easier to keep a fire going in the rain than it is to start it with wet tinder and wood.

Jam; is that a tarp or a handkerchef? Just kidding.:) Good logic.

HA! We actually brought it by accident on one of our first trips. It was rolled up inside one of the 12 x 16 tarps. Funny how an accidental piecs of gear can become such a valued contributor.