Charcoal vs wood campfires

[sunnymw]

Re: Charcoal vs wood campfires

We usually do charcoal to cook, then once the food is ready we lay wood on top of the nearly burned out charcoal.

[SpitzoMT]

Re: Charcoal vs wood campfires

Wood campfires here. We always cook over the campfire as well. Hot dogs, hamburgers, steaks, pork chops, chicken, bacon, sausage, etc etc. Firewood is plentiful in this area, especially with all the beetle kill trees. I usually cut down 2 - 3 dead/beetle kill trees per camping trip. When we are preparing to head home, I always load up the box of my Yamaha Rhino with 10 - 12 logs. This way I have enough on hand for the first night of the next camping trip. Here we can cut the dead trees laying on the ground as well as any standing dead trees. Don't need a permit as long as it's being used for camping. Happy Camping Everyone !!

[SBinTN]

Re: Charcoal vs wood campfires

Not sure I understand how/why you can't carry wood cross country? How is someone going to know you are burning the yuppie overpriced firewood vs some you brought with you? depending on how far you are from camping or car camping? Last time I went camping (Car camping) I brought a bunch of wood from a palette that I cut up and used for quick burning wood and then scavenged for other wood in the surrounding area. I also had a small bag of charcoal that when I was getting serious about doing some dutch oven cooking I dropped the bag of charcoal into the fire and then used a shovel to place the coals where I wanted them. The campground was scavenged very well, so I did eventually break down and buy some of the over priced wood bundles. For me having real wood and burning it is for the social aspect of sitting around a campfire and enjoying a fire and conversation. Charcoal is more about the pure necessity of cooking food. And then on top of that I also had a coleman propane burner that I used for morning coffee and eggs so I didn't have to strike up a fire when we were packing up and leaving that day.

I don't think anyone is going to really know unless they closely examine what you have. By that I mean, if they know who's selling the wood, and what they're selling, they can probably tell by the cut and kind of wood as to whether or not it's from the official campground firewood seller. At one campsite in particular we visited, we were told the powers that be (and I can't remember who they are) actually go and inspect the trees before they are split for wood, and then it is certified as campground firewood and split. So since rangers aren't typically going to closely inspect everything you have in your campground, it's more of an honor system that you not bring in your own firewood.

The dispersed site I am going to in a couple weeks is in a federal forest. Not only can I cut any wood that is dead or on the ground but the ranger said I could bring a chainsaw if I wanted. We will have a fire burning as long as we are awake. Camping and fires go hand in hand.

In MN, designated state campgrounds do not allow cutting of any wood and wood cannot be brought in unless purchased from an approved vendor. The reason is to prevent the spread of the emerald ash borer.

Where we live in east TN, there's even a restriction between counties for moving firewood from one place to another. I've done it once or twice locally, because I feel like if my back yard has it (the ash borer), then so does the forest that's a few miles up the road. However, I wouldn't bring firewood from my house to a campground that's several counties or even states away. Here in the east, we do have a lot of problems with insects that aren't native and damaging forests.

[Mike]

Re: Charcoal vs wood campfires

I think it was McGyver who suggested driving around within the park, but away from the campgrounds for wood

This makes so much sense that I do it all the time now. Great advice. With a Hudson Bay axe (medium size axe) and a bow saw, I can have two nights worth of campfire wood in 20 minutes or less: all cut to size

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Charcoal vs wood campfires

I was sad to see that many of the yews and pines were standing dead or already cut down at our regular CT campground this year. No pine cone fire starters and little kindling available from our regular search area- they built 5 cabins in the area. Wound up buying kindling from a local store as well as firewood:(.

The tree deaths also impacted on our regular camping site. It's located on a huge plain or lawn with few trees but our spot had 3 mature trees; 2 within the main body of the site and one at the edge of the road. The man loves sun but I need shade so it made for a perfect compromise. Last year when we arrived park mgmt had just finished cutting down one of the trees and the other one was severely pruned.

I weally loved that site and loop as it was perfect for our needs. You could allow children to wander the entire loop and spot them with ease; it's near the amphitheatre where kid movies, talent shows and live nature presentations are shown and of course after years of being at the same spot during the same time other campers know where to find us. I miss that tree, sniffle. Fortunately the pruned tree looks better this year and replacements were planted.

[jamanicaragean]

Re: Charcoal vs wood campfires

wood is my primary choice lol but that just me and my family haha

[robles]

Re: Charcoal vs wood campfires

i vote We sometimes use charcoal, but mostly use firewood in campfires

[crappiemadan]

Re: Charcoal vs wood campfires

Depend on how hot it is that particular weekend. Most of the time we use campfire wood. But if it's really hot that weekend, we'll use charcoal to cook the meals.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Charcoal vs wood campfires

wood is my primary choice lol but that just me and my family haha

Hmmmmmmmmmmm........use much pimento wood?:he:

[KingoftheThrone]

Re: Charcoal vs wood campfires

In Wisconsin, it is not allowed to carry wood cross-county, so you pretty much have to buy wood locally (if you are staying at developed campgrounds)

Prices are going up and wood bundles are getting smaller. Now, it is $5.00 to $7.00 for a 12" diameter bundle.

I realized that for thermals and burn time, charcoal now is cheaper than firewood. It is cleaner, more convenient, and cooks better

So I am thinking, "Why not just use charcoal in the firepit??"

Am I missing something here? No getting choked by wayward wood smoke, no more bark in the car to sweep up, etc

Where are you guys on this one? Have we reached that point where the luxury of charcoal is priced the same as scrappy firewood??

Seems a little ridiculous that they are going to charge you a fee for bringing your own wood from in-state somewhere else...?

How exactly can they distinguish between what is bought locally versus brought..?

[toedtoes]

Re: Charcoal vs wood campfires

They don't charge you for bringing wood from elsewhere - they don't allow you to bring wood from elsewhere. As to how they know? The main difference is that the wood you buy at the campground is hot burning kindling for the most part - what you'd bring in from elsewhere would be a longer burning wood. If they see something other than the wood they sell, you might have to show you bought it locally.

[a65hoosier]

Re: Charcoal vs wood campfires

In one of the Indiana State Park campgrounds I stayed at, the campground wood for sale (in addition to being very much like kindling like toedtoes referenced) had been dyed a strange yellow color. This is the only time I saw the wood actually stained...maybe to make it easier to distinguish?



In Indiana, you can still bring firewood into a state park, reservoir, state forest or state fish and wildlife area if:

• It is kiln-dried scrap lumber.
• It is from your home or other location in Indiana and has the bark removed. (Ideally, ½ inch of sapwood beneath the bark will also be removed.)
• It is purchased from a department store, grocery store, gas station, etc. and bears a USDA compliance stamp.
• It is purchased from a local firewood vendor outside the property and has a state compliance stamp with it.
• It is purchased from the property campstore or on-site firewood vendor and has a state compliance stamp.

I'll usually use charcoal to cook dinner and use the remaining coals to start a wood campfire for that night. I try to bring my own firewood taken from the home supply to use for camping (depends on the length of the trip and the space available in my vehicle).

[JohnJohn]

Re: Charcoal vs wood campfires

We do a little of all 3. We do wood, charcoal and propane. Propane for fire ban areas, combo of wood and charcoal when we pack the dutch oven.

[outdoordreamdeals.com]

Re: Charcoal vs wood campfires

We are usually camping on an island. So the less items we take with us the better. We gather drift wood and make our camp fire.