Does Smoke Really Follow You Around A Minnesota Campfire?

If you have sat around a campfire or fire pit in Minnesota, Iowa, or South Dakota you have had smoke that seems to follow you around no matter where you move. Are you just cursed?

There is an old folk tradition of saying “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit", “I love Rabbits”, or "I hate white Rabbits" to ward off smoke that is blowing into your face as you sit around the campfire.

None of these seem to work for me.

So why does it seem like the wood smoke seems to blow in your face no matter where you move around the campfire or fire pit?

Is this even a real thing? Is it just bad luck? 

It's not you. It is a real "thing" and there is a reason why.

When air gets hot from the fire, it becomes less dense and rises upwards.

As the hot air rises and moves away, the denser cool air around it rushes in to fill the space left by the rising hot air.

So even though you may just be sitting by the fire, your body acts like an obstacle that disrupts and redirects the flow of the air currents created by the rising hot air from the fire.

Your body is basically forming a wall that creates a vacuum drawing the smoke into your eyes, face, and lungs.

So if your fire pit friends are refusing to sit by you because they say you are bad luck and always draw the unpleasant clouds of smoke in your direction you can just tell them...”Do not! It's science! ... Get me a beer!”