What a campfire meister says when talking about fire tools . | feature

What the campfire meister says when talking about fire tools.

Masaya Ino, a.k.a. "Bonfire Meister," has published his second book, "Bonfires and Tools. What role do tools play in the simple act of making a fire? And what is the current state of campfire culture in the midst of the camping boom that has not abated since the Corona disaster? Writer Issey Enomoto, an old acquaintance of Mr. Ino's and a bonfire enthusiast, sat down with him around a campfire to talk about all sorts of things related to bonfire tools.

Photo_Ayako Koike

Text_Issey Enomoto

Edit_Hiroshi Yamamoto

Enjoy "failure" at a bonfire.

Ino-san, how would you put your philosophy of choosing fire tools into words?

Inono:I wonder ...... how difficult it is (laughs). Even if an object is unpopular in the world, if you can say "I like this," that's fine. I don't think everyone needs to have the same tools.

I feel that there are too many "shoulds" in the world of outdoor activities such as camping and mountain climbing. I think it is good to be particular about things, but I don't think we should be too eager to find the right answer. I don't think we should be afraid of making mistakes, not only in choosing fire tools. There are many things we can learn from our mistakes.

Mr. Ino, have you experienced many failures yourself, and is that why you are here today?

Inono:I still make a lot of mistakes. Or, in my case, my life itself is a series of failures (laughs).

There is no right answer to bonfires, and one of the charms of bonfires is that even failures become good memories. When you enjoy bonfires, make mistakes as much as you can. To do this, go with a group of people who will laugh at your mistakes and let you get away with it. That is the key to enjoying bonfires.