Gearhead: Campfire Defender's Campfire Safety Cover a smart takealong

Everybody loves a campfire, and with good reason: they bring fun, camaraderie and good memories. However, it's vitally important to build, maintain and extinguish campfires with safety foremost in mind - especially in summer.

Campfire Defender's “Campfire Safety Cover” eases much of the stress and worry from the campfire experience. This heavy-duty 68-by-60-inch extreme temp cover, constructed from woven glass fabric paired with high-temperature silicone polymer, works up to 2,500 (most campfires average around 1,500).

The versatile cover protects your fire from wind (snow and rain, too, when winter camping), blocks ash and smoke, and serves as an added means - along with water and shoveled sand or dirt - for ensuring an extinguished campfire. In addition, built-in air vents allow you to safely keep coals warm for about eight hours, so they can be easily rekindled in the morning.

The cover comes with eight glow-in-the-dark stakes and an LED flashlight for nighttime use, utility gloves and a hefty canvas carrying bag (the cover weighs 8.2 pounds, but the entire kit is 15.8 pounds). Expect, at minimum, a 100-fire lifespan. $189.95. campfiredefender.com.