As a young boy I remember going camping with my parents every year. We would rent one of those fold out campers and always went to a new area of the country, just like the Griswalds. Even though we were not using tents and sleeping

on the ground, the experience was memorable. The part I always enjoyed the most was sitting around the fire at night watching my father cook dinner the rustic old fashion way, then we got to do marshmallows. Looking back I always enjoyed the time around the fire pit at night. The smells, the sounds and the heat it put out got a small kid like myself warm and ready to climb into bed.

Now you can recreate those same senses in your own backyard. In fact if you have a bit of ambition, you can cut the drive time down to zero and have a total camping experience in your backyard. Put up a tent and get yourself a fire pit. I won't go into detail on the best aspects of a tent, but here is where you can learn what kind of fire pit to use in your backyard. If you are serious about fire pits, I would stay away from the big store brands that are basically glorified portable grills. They will rust and fall apart after a few years of use. A good rule of measure is if the cost is less than $100.00, it is junk.

Here is what to look for. Heavy duty construction. Period. You do not want thin metal construction as it will rust and the metal will thin and fall apart. Most fire pits that have a thickness of at least 1/4 inch will last a lifetime, and rust will not damage them. These are the kind you find at campgrounds. Those big thick steel fire rings that will last forever. These fire pits are usually cut using plasma cutters and style an art come into play because of the designs that can be cut into them using the plasma cutter. These artistic fire pits will look great in your backyard and grills can be used

to get that outdoor camping cooking thing going and live the whole camping experience in your backyard. Fire screens may be need in your local area to keep sparks from getting out of hand. Check your local laws before firing it up, especially of you have non- friendly next door dwellers that could rat on you.

Besides the heat they put out, the chance to get family and friends around a fire in your backyard and talk around the fire beats sitting inside the house. Change the pace up a bit and bring the party outdoors and if you want to bring it to the next level, put up that tent and get out the marshmallows. The kids will remember it.