Firewood, What do you Bring or use

[Still Kickin]

Lots of back and forth on, should you or shouldn't you, bring it with you. For those being punished by the gov't, even though you know your species of wood (i.e oak, beech, maple) and split it in a manner as to not have any bark, but only heartwood, you cannot be trusted to bring your own.
If the gov't parks wanted to mitigate the movement of bugs, do what Acadia NP does, have free firewood at a central location for all to use. But instead, what happens is companies like this The Firewood Express provides firewood for sale with our state of the art automated firewood vending machines. are starting to pop up at various parks. Over charging for firewood, and better yet, probably a kickback vendor fee to the gov't park.
No thanks.

[Hugeez]

Originally Posted by KAS

Sounds like a selfish cheapskate to me! Definitely a no-no in my opinion.

Glad it wasn't just me. The DW didn't like it either.

[Ford Idaho]

We stayed at KOA Pines in Williams, AZ in June for a few days and I noticed the guys that worked there would drive up in a SXS and gather all the wood left behind.

One of them took the wood he had gathered to the spot his MH(newer Class A DP)was parked in and unloaded it.

I guess with the price of diesel wood was not in the budget.

[mzbrandi]

Originally Posted by Still Kickin

Lots of back and forth on, should you or shouldn't you, bring it with you. For those being punished by the gov't, even though you know your species of wood (i.e oak, beech, maple) and split it in a manner as to not have any bark, but only heartwood, you cannot be trusted to bring your own.

If the gov't parks wanted to mitigate the movement of bugs, do what Acadia NP does, have free firewood at a central location for all to use. But instead, what happens is companies like this The Firewood Express provides firewood for sale with our state of the art automated firewood vending machines. are starting to pop up at various parks. Over charging for firewood, and better yet, probably a kickback vendor fee to the gov't park.

No thanks.

Cool, could use one in my campground. That way some drunken camper won't walk me up at 11 at night wanting to buy wood. I say this with a smile. 😋


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[stellaandspike]

We sometimes bring it, sometimes buy it at the campground. We have been given wood by someone leaving and always either give our leftovers or leave on the site. To go around collecting and then take it home is just wrong, IMHO.

[DaGrinch]

Originally Posted by stellaandspike

We sometimes bring it, sometimes buy it at the campground. We have been given wood by someone leaving and always either give our leftovers or leave on the site. To go around collecting and then take it home is just wrong, IMHO.

Personally, I just think taking it from an abandoned campsite is wrong. If, and that is a BIG if, we leave wood, it is to pay if forward to the next person using the site we are leaving. Anymore, we don't leave wood for the next guy. Those who go around and gather up from empty campsites has ruined it for us.
We usually bring our own from our stack we have split at home. It is transported and kept in a secure bag in our toad.

[CaptnJohn]

At a KIA in GA a guy was getting info on his neighbor. The neighbors fire had sparks burn 2 holes in his awning -- small claims court coming.

[The_Rhino]

We live in the country, have tons of firewood, and are always trying to use it up or give it away... However, a lot of state parks & other CGs we stay at are becoming even more strict about bringing in your own FW... IMO many are just trying to make more money selling FW. With so much at home I HATE over-paying the CG venders' ridiculous prices... Plus, I have seen the help at some CGs collect, re-bundle & resell...

Therefore I only bring enough FW that will fit inside a couple sealed tubs & last through the first few days. After the weekend warriors leave, my 3 boys & I collect from vacated sites to get us through the rest of our stay - which is typically 7-10 days at any given CG. Whatever we don't use, we typically just leave at our campsite for the next folks. HOWEVER, if I see the CG staff re-bundling & reselling we'll take it to someone who can use it or take it with us to our next location. If taking FW with us looks bad to someone else, so be it but I NEVER bring FW back to our house - we've simply got too much as it is...

[gspot01]

I'm hauling around a load of wood I bought from an old man on the side of the road ($70 a rick), so I haven't resorted to collecting from abandoned campsites yet. BUT, hypothetically speaking, I don't see any difference between me collecting and burning it on a future trip and someone occupying a site with wood left from the previous occupant. In both scenarios it's getting used by a future camper. It's not like you know the next person personally or anything. I think if you leave it, it's fair game for ANYONE who finds it. Just my 0.02.

[Jeff_and_Abby]

We live in an area where the politic is all about Gypsy Moth and Emerald Ash Borer and the invasive Eurasian Zebra Milfoil Beetle or some such ...
( Our land out East, the Gypsy Moths got all our good trees a hundred years ago. )

Check your state / locals laws ~insert legal disclaimer and/or picture of Attorney Robert LaBlaugh~ ....

State Law in Minnesota makes a specific exception for Kiln Dried - Lumber - Pallets ... so we scavenge (as in our neighbors drop in our driveway) these nice pine sticks with nails. Sawzall them to size ahead of time and bring to county and state parks. (Yes we pick the nails out of the ashes, that is just being good Scouts. ~salute smiley~ )

To sweeten the deal for us ... our county has an annual firewood sale, and since they harvested the wood in-county and re-sold it to us, they are good with us bringing it to their own county parks. Cord of split O-A-K for $75 ...
We shamelessly bring our own tree branches (in-county).

But as a point of honesty, we often still buy about a bundle per night, as a show of "good faith" ... although at some of the state parks, what they sell is really hit-or-miss (one time was skinny thin pallet scraps, another park we really like, big pieces of O-A-K again. "Darn. ")
Plus, generally if you make point of being visible buying some, they aren't so likely to get all SS about checking your holding tanks etc. for concealed contraband firewood.

If confronted with the "private" vendors ... dunno, but would probably make a point of not returning / staying long.

[Iwannacamp]

I am one of the tightest people you might meet. If I needed firewood and someone left some I would no issue in collecting what I needed. I would not take more...just what I would use and would be happy to leave some if heading home. I try not to be annoyed about what other people do , because we can't control it.


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[GreenImp]

Question for those that have propane fire pits and roast marshmallows with them. Are fallen marshmallows a problem that requires cleaning/removal?

[Martsing]

I don't haul wood to the woods. I buy it at the cg or from a local. I am not above taking wood left in a neighboring camp. I won't go further than that though. I do have some standards.

[B and B]

I buy. Take what's left supplement with lumber cuttings or chipboard or whatever. All burns.

[rsdata]

Question for those that have propane fire pits and roast marshmallows with them. Are fallen marshmallows a problem that requires cleaning/removal?

i cook on my firepit, steaks, hot dogs, burgers, but never marshmallows. The firepit is filled with lava rock and burns off any drippings... I suspect that would be the case with candy also... you can also just pull out any fouled lava rocks and toss them in the garbage when they cool...

would not go camping without my propane firepit... I'm through with smokey fires with ash raining down on my camp site and the neighbors... spots are so close together anymore it is impossible not to be obnoxious to a neighbor that is down wind of you! Plus instant on/off and a 20# tank lasts at least 3-5 nights depending on fire height and length of time that you burn.

I did just see at HDepot birch firelogs that intrigued me. I came home and looked up the reviews... most claim they last 2+ hours of burn time with little to no smoke, and they just consume themselves. At $13 that is comparable to a couple of bundles of campground wood.

Light 'n Go Bonfire Jumbo Log-506460 - The Home Depot
check out Light 'n Go Bonfire Jumbo Log

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by rsdata

i cook on my firepit, steaks, hot dogs, burgers, but never marshmallows. The firepit is filled with lava rock and burns off any drippings... I suspect that would be the case with candy also... you can also just pull out any fouled lava rocks and toss them in the garbage when they cool...

would not go camping without my propane firepit... I'm through with smokey fires with ash raining down on my camp site and the neighbors... spots are so close together anymore it is impossible not to be obnoxious to a neighbor that is down wind of you! Plus instant on/off and a 20# tank lasts at least 3-5 nights depending on fire height and length of time that you burn.

I did just see at HDepot birch firelogs that intrigued me. I came home and looked up the reviews... most claim they last 2+ hours of burn time with little to no smoke, and they just consume themselves. At $13 that is comparable to a couple of bundles of campground wood.

Light 'n Go Bonfire Jumbo Log-506460 - The Home Depot
check out Light 'n Go Bonfire Jumbo Log

Looks like a take-off on these. Got this one at a KOA.

[davel1971]

Originally Posted by stellaandspike

We sometimes bring it, sometimes buy it at the campground. We have been given wood by someone leaving and always either give our leftovers or leave on the site. To go around collecting and then take it home is just wrong, IMHO.

I gather wood all the time at my local state park campground. Have had 1/2 a bed full multiple times. But, I only live 17 miles away, and bring it right back there to use. I see no problem at all with doing that.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by gspot01

I'm hauling around a load of wood I bought from an old man on the side of the road ($70 a rick), so I haven't resorted to collecting from abandoned campsites yet. BUT, hypothetically speaking, I don't see any difference between me collecting and burning it on a future trip and someone occupying a site with wood left from the previous occupant. In both scenarios it's getting used by a future camper. It's not like you know the next person personally or anything. I think if you leave it, it's fair game for ANYONE who finds it. Just my 0.02.

X2. Totally agree.

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by rsdata

i cook on my firepit, steaks, hot dogs, burgers, but never marshmallows. The firepit is filled with lava rock and burns off any drippings... I suspect that would be the case with candy also... you can also just pull out any fouled lava rocks and toss them in the garbage when they cool...

would not go camping without my propane firepit... I'm through with smokey fires with ash raining down on my camp site and the neighbors... spots are so close together anymore it is impossible not to be obnoxious to a neighbor that is down wind of you! Plus instant on/off and a 20# tank lasts at least 3-5 nights depending on fire height and length of time that you burn.

I did just see at HDepot birch firelogs that intrigued me. I came home and looked up the reviews... most claim they last 2+ hours of burn time with little to no smoke, and they just consume themselves. At $13 that is comparable to a couple of bundles of campground wood.

Light 'n Go Bonfire Jumbo Log-506460 - The Home Depot
check out Light 'n Go Bonfire Jumbo Log

Gas is best ~~ but the Jumbo Log may be good as well.

[itat]

If I have leftover wood that I've bought at the campground I do not bring it home unless I'm camping 10 miles away from home. If I leave it on my site I'm leaving it for the next occupant of that site, not for somebody else. I'm paying it forward.

It's not like leaving your junk at the curb at home for the local junk collectors to take overnight. Have a little class people.