Nice info and cool tarp shelter bill. The problem I seem to run into the most is gathering enough firewood to keep me happy for a whole weekend only to find out that other campers in the group just keep piling on the wood. It does have a chance to dry slowly because they pile it on top of the fire and then you end up with a fire that's getting choked and the weekends supply all in a big pile the minute I run to the outhouse or take a quick scouting trip around the lake. Maybe I need to practice more camper control then campfire smoke control. The fire pit itself was built by the state, Its stone and concrete, 3 sided fire pit. I'm thinking a small channel made by rocks underneath the fire will help to burn the wood more efficiently by increasing airflow. The smoke that was following our fellow camper was rolling over the back of the fire place and he just kept walking around in big circles but he mainly stuck to the back of the fire pit. I'm thinking about tieing a few logs together and standing them up behind the fireplace to help the smoke go up and over the campers. If it creates a vacuum then the smoke should naturally follow those logs straight up and out. Thanx for the help guys. I'm always looking for ways to make my outdoor experiences as enjoyable as possible.