Sourcing firewood

[adventure_is_necessary]

Since it's sort of a no-no to bring in firewood from out of the area you're camping in, where do you source your firewood? Gas stations are usually the first option that comes to mind, but their quality isn't to speak about as it's usually still somewhat green.

 

[LandPirate]

Gas stations, Wal Mart, even some grocery stores will sell it. It's usually not quality hardwood and burns fast though. If you're dispersed camping best bet is to bring in only one package of bought wood for the first night if you roll in late and all the rest you earn in the forest the following day when it's light out.

If you're only staying at campsites, best bet is to find someone on the outskirts of the site who lives nearby. Often people sell quality seasoned hardwood at half the price of the store bought junk anyway. Good luck.

 

[NightCrawler]

For week long stays I have found firewood advertisements on craigslist nearer my camping spots and I get half a cord of wood from them before heading into camp. For overnight trips I can find plenty of dead fall to cut up myself or bring the propane fire ring. Gotta play it by ear on those high fire days out here in California.

 

[adventure_is_necessary]

For week long stays I have found firewood advertisements on craigslist nearer my camping spots and I get half a cord of wood from them before heading into camp. For overnight trips I can find plenty of dead fall to cut up myself or bring the propane fire ring. Gotta play it by ear on those high fire days out here in California.

Didn't even think to check Craigslist. I can usually find enough deadfall to at least get a good tinder bundle, but still somewhat scare in areas.

 

[NightCrawler]

When you are paying $5-$8 per bundle from the store it adds up quickly for crappy wood. The stuff I find on craigslist has always been good and you can't beat pilling up the bed of the 5th wheel for $40-$60. Plenty firewood for the week out with friends and their kids

 

[Yumafolks]

It's kinda cheating but 84 lumber has a big dumpster they discard the cut offs into. For about $20 I fill my truck bed with 2x4's and 2x6 short cuts. I stuff an old extra large duffle bag with them and haul it on the roof rack. It holds about a wheel barrow full. It's there if it's needed and if not well it's not in my way. Depending on the area I really enjoy afternoon coffee and a firewood hunt before dark.

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[adventure_is_necessary]

It's kinda cheating but 84 lumber has a big dumpster they discard the cut offs into. For about $20 I fill my truck bed with 2x4's and 2x6 short cuts. I stuff an old extra large duffle bag with them and haul it on the roof rack. It holds about a wheel barrow full. It's there if it's needed and if not well it's not in my way. Depending on the area I really enjoy afternoon coffee and a firewood hunt before dark.

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Didn't even think to source lumber drops like that!

 

[Winterpeg]

It all depends on where you camp.
I use a chainsaw and try to find standing dead trees nearby. Lately I've been using my canoe... paddle 2 minutes and find a standing dead near the shore... drop it, buck it up, load up the canoe, paddle back 2 minutes to where I'm camping on the beach and pile it all there to be split.

 

[NightCrawler]

It's kinda cheating but 84 lumber has a big dumpster they discard the cut offs into. For about $20 I fill my truck bed with 2x4's and 2x6 short cuts. I stuff an old extra large duffle bag with them and haul it on the roof rack. It holds about a wheel barrow full. It's there if it's needed and if not well it's not in my way. Depending on the area I really enjoy afternoon coffee and a firewood hunt before dark.

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Hadn't thought about this one...might have to inquire at my local mill if they would do the same.

 

[theBROFESSOR]

It's kinda cheating but 84 lumber has a big dumpster they discard the cut offs into. For about $20 I fill my truck bed with 2x4's and 2x6 short cuts. I stuff an old extra large duffle bag with them and haul it on the roof rack. It holds about a wheel barrow full. It's there if it's needed and if not well it's not in my way. Depending on the area I really enjoy afternoon coffee and a firewood hunt before dark.

Great idea.


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[soonersfan]

When we built our house, we put a ton of hickory floors in. Those flooring scraps burn great. I used them as fire starters in my fire place for a long time. If you can find a floor installer or builder who will let you have some flooring scraps, that stuff is awesome.

 

[Kent R]

In the west most forest's won't let you bring in wood from out of the area due to the high rate of bug kill. It is ok to bring in processed wood such as the above post from a lumber company.

 

[Road]

Depends on where you are. An awful lot of state and national parks and forests can fine you if you bring in wood that is not certified as heat-treated or 'park approved'. All around the Great Smoky Mountains NP are vendors who sell park approved bundles in a wide variety of types of wood. I found about five different firewood bundlers around Townsend TN with everything from Cedar to Poplar and Oak. Prices were from 5-7/bundle. In some areas you just have to be sure it is locally cut and bundled. All the restrictions are to help prevent deforestation and infestation from non-native pests and pathogens like the Emerald Ash Borer, Gypsy Moth, etc.

 

[Cort]

If you shop at Home Depot or Lowe’s you can usually score free lumber bunk stickers that are often hard wood. I use these for tinder and kindling to start potentially wet or slightly green locally sourced deadfall.

 

[tsteb112]

Here in the east most of our deadfall are pines with a variety of hardwoods. I don’t mind collecting firewood even if it’s dark. I bring a tree saw just in case I need to cut large pieces


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[vegasjeepguy]

I keep an eye out for crews trimming or removing trees. I’ll hook up my trailer and ask if they mind if I take some wood and have yet to be told no. Got this last week from a friends neighbor.

 

[DesertFox]

Many parks forbid the cutting or collection of fallen trees and branches for firewood, at least out west. Having a fire can be difficult in some places.

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[MOAK]

For week long stays I have found firewood advertisements on craigslist nearer my camping spots and I get half a cord of wood from them before heading into camp. For overnight trips I can find plenty of dead fall to cut up myself or bring the propane fire ring. Gotta play it by ear on those high fire days out here in California.

OK, I'll take the bait-- 1/2 a cord? A cord is 4x4x8 in mass. 1/2 cord would fill up my 4x6x2 trailer and most of the rear deck of my rig, and weigh, if seasoned, nearly a ton. Do you have it delivered to your campsite? Then again, that's a lot of firewood. 1/2 a cord keeps my finished ground floor garage in our carriage house toasty warm for a couple of weeks even when its really cold out. In a mild winter 1/2 cord will last even longer. Are you building bonfires and howling at the moon? LOL

 

[MOAK]

This is an interesting topic and for us it's all about the hassle factor. I used to drag a stainless coffee percolator with us. Nothing quite as romantic as a coffe pot perking over an open fire of on the trusty coleman. But, after only a couple of years cleaning, stowing, etc, it just became a huge PITA. So, we quit bringing it and now use a press. Firewood is about the same. We used to bring it along, or buy it on the road. Nothing quite so romantic as a fire at camp. It's very Rockwellian. Now, I just can't be bothered. For us a campfire ranks pretty low on our priority list. If firewood is readily available, (ie downed wood we can gather, which by the way is usually green) and/or highway robbery isn't being committed, then we do enjoy the "luxury" of having a fire. I'm sure that in Canada my attitude would be very different, as from what I have read and experienced, firewood is a lot easier to find around camp, and very inexpensive if you choose to buy it.