Take the Wood or Not

[eye95]

The OP’s question seems to be being interpreted in two different ways.

He intended it to mean, “If another camper leaves behind wood when they leave, should you take it or leave it?”

Some seem to be thinking it means, “When you leave home (or some other location), should you leave the wood or take it with you?”

Based on this conversation, I am now going to adopt a personal policy of always leaving at least one piece of wood when I leave a campground.

In answer to the second question: Unless you are only traveling a few miles (my upper limit would be a mile or two), do not transport wood. Depending on State and local laws, you are likely breaking the law by transporting wood. It is also morally selfish to transport wood. A large portion of Clay’s Park and Resort was devastated by an imported pest.

On the first question, my original answer indicated that I belong to the camp that says, “Take the abandoned wood.” While I still belong to that camp, I have to say that running around the campground scavenging every scrap of abandoned wood seems to be a bit greedy and selfish.

Generally, buy your wood (locally). Leave some wood. Take some wood. Don’t take any with you when you leave.

[tedelman]

If you were taking it back out of the park ,home. I'd understand that but to me all vacated sites are free rein to take left behind firewood.
Tom Edelman Keuka Park, NY w/ Dynamax DX3

[tedelman]

😁 Retired - with time

[rblack22]

Originally Posted by tedelman

If you were taking it back out of the park ,home. I'd understand that but to me all vacated sites are free rein to take left behind firewood.
Tom Edelman Keuka Park, NY w/ Dynamax DX3

I believe the lesson to be learned here is, if wood comes in, burn it! Do not transport pests to your home base unknowingly. That’s most likely why the previous occupant left it behind ����

[youroo]

Apparently none of the people who have posted have ever worked at a Campground of Private or Public ownership! When people leave firewood it must be moved/removed for site cleanup and mowing prep for the next person! Leaving a pile/stack of uncovered Wet firewood helps no one! The National Park Service,The Boy Scouts of America,and Most Camping Clubs have Age Old Slogans "Carry it in Carry it Out", Leave Your Campsite Cleaner than How You Found it"! Youroo!!

[Iwritecode]

The site team recently had to do some clean-up in this thread. So if you see a post missing or edited you'll know why. Please remember to state your opinion and leave the name-calling and politics out.

Thanks.

[Redapple]

I love that campground, take the wood but use it in the park, then all good.

[Mountaineer1954]

Been scavenging vacated campsites for left behind firewood for a very long time. Don't know that there is a hard and fast right or wrong about it. In some places if you don't pick it up the campground will and resell it.

[5er_tom]

Originally Posted by Pockets

I would of grabbed the wood. I do this all the time. Sometimes when I spend a week or 2 at a provincial campground, I will go locally and buy a cord and throw it in the back of the pickup. And if there is a little left at the end, I will leave it. It's all fair game

How do you get a cord of wood to fit in the truck? 4’ x 4’ x 8’ and about 5,000 #’s.

[pitzhauler]

I always help myself to wood that is discarded at ch. Young couples an older people don't want to bend over an pic it up so I do.(64 )

[Barbasper]

Hi. We camp a lot and sometimes even camp host, so I can give you two points of view. If we plan to have a fire, and somebody is leaving their firewood, we ask them if we can use it. If they've already gone, heck, yeah! it's been paid for, so why not. The person who admonished you probably wanted to take it themselves. Don't feel guilty. There's certainly nothing wrong with helping yourself to firewood in a vacant site.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Barbasper

Hi. We camp a lot and sometimes even camp host, so I can give you two points of view. If we plan to have a fire, and somebody is leaving their firewood, we ask them if we can use it. If they've already gone, heck, yeah! it's been paid for, so why not. The person who admonished you probably wanted to take it themselves. Don't feel guilty. There's certainly nothing wrong with helping yourself to firewood in a vacant site.

The person who admonished the OP was his DW.
[emoji6][emoji23]

Happy wife... happy life!

[wholistic13]

As campground host we always made our first round immediately post checkout time. If there was campfire wood left @ site we would pick it up and pile it by our site. If someone happened to ask where they purchase firewood we would tell them to help themselves but leave some for others. It also meant we always had firewood. Not that is a win-win.

[SmittyCorp]

Originally Posted by 5er_tom

How do you get a cord of wood to fit in the truck? 4’ x 4’ x 8’ and about 5,000 #’s.

Face cord is commonly confused with full cord. Face cord is 4 x 8 x firewood length (typically somewhere between 12-20"). A face cord will fit easily in a long bed, and with careful stacking, will fit in a 6.5'. There are roughly 3 face cords in a full cord.

[5er_tom]

Face cord? Learn something new almost every day.

[Searayguy]

What a conundrum! I have never been in that situation before. Thinking about it though i really don't know what i would do. When i camp i bring enough supplies to take care of myself so personally i wouldn't need to grab any left over wood. But what a great topic! Thanks for all of the responses

[Wandering]

If you do take the wood, make sure the camper has indeed left. I... I mean a friend, once picked up allot of wood on an otherwise vacant campsite only to have the same camper return that afternoon. I... I mean he, sheepishly took the firewood back over and apologized. [emoji849]

[Pad22]

Unless someone offers wood to me, I don't bother with other people's sites. That wood isn't mine and I have no idea what they are doing (maybe they pulled out temporarily?). If the parks staff comes by and picks it up, I might ask them if I could have it (if I need the wood). Otherwise, it's not my business.

Case in point: This past weekend I saw an motorhome pull out and they left a folding table, charcoal and some sort of small portable BBQ. The parks staff came by and took it all when cleaning the site (they were giggling at the bounty). Later, another motorhome pulled in and deployed the exact same stuff. I have no idea what happened, but it wasn't my business to go and take that stuff.

BTW: Don't move firewood! $50,000 fine in Canada if caught. If you want to move wood, just burn construction scraps - you can move that anywhere without issue. https://www.inspection.gc.ca/plant-h.../1330963579986

[GravelRider]

Last night I was boondocking in Montana along a road outside of Red Lodge. We bought three overpriced bundles of firewood that we quickly burnt through. It was 30 minutes into town one way. I hopped in the truck to buy some more when along the way a few 'sites' had a bunch of wood left over that I was able to help myself to.



I didn't burn it all, and left what was left over at my site. I certainly wouldn't want someone to pass it up just because they weren't staying at my 'site.'

[BillyBass]

It is a over kill when you try to buy it.I have a shelter when I can store it so I bring my home.I havnt bought wood but maybe once in the last ten yrs bc I didn't take enough with me