How to Enjoy a Campfire at Home
Fire-gazing really belongs at a campsite, but you cannot pack up and leave every time you need it, and in an apartment you cannot light a fire at all. This guide walks through how to create that mood in your own room with a single screen. All you need is a device with a browser.
1. Put the screen below eye level
A real campfire is on the ground and you look down at it. The screen is much more convincing when it sits lower than your eyes. Put a laptop on the floor or a low table, or prop a tablet on a stand near the floor. If you are using a desk monitor, simply pushing your chair back a little changes the feeling.
2. Turn off the room lights
Half of fire-gazing is darkness. Under ceiling lights the fire on screen looks like a video. Switch them off and the orange light spills onto the walls and ceiling, and the whole room changes. If total darkness is uncomfortable, leave one small lamp on in the corner opposite the screen.
3. Go fullscreen
An address bar, tabs or a taskbar will break the spell. Press the Fullscreen button at the bottom of the picture, or the F key, and only the fire remains. After a few seconds without moving the mouse, the buttons and the menu disappear as well.
4. Turn on the sound and set the level
Press Light the fire on the opening screen and the crackle of burning wood starts with it. Begin quieter than you would play music. A real campfire is softer than people expect, and it sounds odd when it is loud. Mixing in a little wind and crickets in Sound and display adds the sense of being outdoors. Suggested combinations are in the sound mixing guide.
5. Lower the brightness
In a dark room a bright screen is hard on the eyes. Try the Brightness slider in Sound and display at around 60–80%. It works even better together with your device's own brightness setting.
6. Turn your phone face down
The last step is the most important. With a phone in your hand you will end up looking at it, fire or no fire. Silence the notifications, turn it face down and give the fire ten minutes. If you want to decide in advance how long to sit, set the timer.
Nice to have
- A cup of tea or coffee
- A blanket for your knees
- A cushion or floor chair to lean back on
- For a bigger picture, you can connect a TV or projector