Fire

[emerald]

It seems today like people get irked about anything you want to do in the woods other than tip toe through them.

I hope you didn't see anything like what you're suggesting in my posts. What I'm attempting to communicate is respect the regulations which were put in place to protect the A.T. and those who live near it. Most through hikers pass through but once. People who live near the A.T. have a vested interest in what goes on there and in their communities.

Some places or sometimes when certain conditions exist campfires are not appropriate. Where they are permitted, exercise caution and be considerate of others who will follow in your footsteps and who live nearby. It's not asking much in exchange for the opportunity to use public lands which after all belong to everyone including generations who one day will want to enjoy the A.T. as we have.

[Rockhound]

So picking the close firewood falls in the same category as littering, graffiti and not burying your poop these days? So should we not collect water from the closest spring either? How about lets leave all the flat tent sites for the next person who comes in and sleep on a root covered piece of ground. Lets all stay in our tents on sunny days and only walk on rainy ones to protect the tranquility of the perfect days for others. Being a slob is bad, but trying to say that you should not take advantage of what is around you is not the same.

Hike your own hike. I do and when I do I try to think of the people coming after me. You can do what you like it just seems you might have a bit of a selfish attitude.

[Rockhound]

not collect water from the closest spring? that makes no sense. Tent sites? 1st come first serve but, if you wish to be considerate, don't take up two tent spaces with 1 tent. Only hike on rainy days to protect the tranquility? You can put that one back in your azz from whence it came. People spread out while hiking and there is plenty for all rain or shine. Lastly, "take advantage". Interesting choice of words.

[KG4FAM]

not collect water from the closest spring? that makes no sense. Tent sites? 1st come first serve but, if you wish to be considerate, don't take up two tent spaces with 1 tent. Only hike on rainy days to protect the tranquility? You can put that one back in your azz from whence it came. People spread out while hiking and there is plenty for all rain or shine. Lastly, "take advantage". Interesting choice of words.

Not collecting water from the closest spring is no different from not collecting wood from the closest source. Notice the only difference in words: water/wood, spring/source. If you can't the parallel you are an idiot.

How about while you are worrying about taking care of the next person's every need you just wait until they shows up and pamper their azz in person.

[SGT Rock]

Geez guys stop it. We are pole vaulting over mouse turds again.

[Rockhound]

Not collecting water from the closest spring is no different from not collecting wood from the closest source. Notice the only difference in words: water/wood, spring/source. If you can't the parallel you are an idiot.

How about while you are worrying about taking care of the next person's every need you just wait until they shows up and pamper their azz in person.

I did well on my SATs. I see the "parallel". Can you see the point? A spring will keep flowing regardless of how many liters of water you take and it will be there for the next person where as firewood becomes more and more scarce as the season progresses. The accumulative effect over the years being shelter areas picked clean for 200 feet in all directions. Yes this trend will continue as there will always be people who will take the most convenient firewood. You are obviously one of them.

[Rockhound]

Really it's not that big of a deal compared to a lot of other things as you so sarcastically implied but your "screw the hikers after me." attitude just struck me wrong.

[JF2CBR]

That's actually just one more reason I like to camp away from shelters; the availability of fire wood.

[MOWGLI]

I did well on my SATs. I see the "parallel". Can you see the point? A spring will keep flowing regardless of how many liters of water you take and it will be there for the next person where as firewood becomes more and more scarce as the season progresses. The accumulative effect over the years being shelter areas picked clean for 200 feet in all directions. Yes this trend will continue as there will always be people who will take the most convenient firewood. You are obviously one of them.

It's not that there is no firewood for 200' in every direction. It's that there's no vegetation for 200' in every direction because hikers have trampled it looking for firewood or a place to take a leak, or setup their tent.

[Tinker]

OK so this may be a stupid question, but here it goes.
I understand that we, as trail hikers, we want to keep the trail the way we found it when we got there. So I was wondering about camp fires. If you build a fire in an area that fires are not supposed be built, is that bad or is there a penalty of some sort?

What if after you put out the fire, you dig a hole and bury the ashes, so the area is the same as when you got there, is that ok?

The area is not the same while you are using the fire. Other folks can smell smoke, no? Someone who cares about (and has to power to enforce) the rules and regulations may just decide to close that area to camping for hikers after you. Don't ruin it for others, I've heard enough stories about "@#$%&*! hikers".
On the other hand, if you need a fire to survive, say you just fell into a stream on an extremely cold day, go ahead and build one wherever you happen to be. I doubt anyone will judge you harshly for it.

[KG4FAM]

Really it's not that big of a deal compared to a lot of other things as you so sarcastically implied but your "screw the hikers after me." attitude just struck me wrong.

Leaving your trash around is screwing the other hikers, worrying about firewood is not. I ain't talking about screwing anybody. You are mistaking me not caring about a taking care of peoples happiness as screwing them. I don't mind helping people, but worrying about firewood don't put a roof over a head, food on a table, or shirt on a back.

[SGT Rock]

Pole vaulting over mouse turds. The WB way.

[ibigler5]

I just wanna know if it's ok for me to build a fire.... its really as simple as that

[MOWGLI]

I just wanna know if it's ok for me to build a fire.... its really as simple as that

The Regs are in the trail guides, and signage is usually pretty visible along the trail.

Enjoy.

[Rockhound]

It's not that there is no firewood for 200' in every direction. It's that there's no vegetation for 200' in every direction because hikers have trampled it looking for firewood or a place to take a leak, or setup their tent.

good point. Think anything can be done to change this or is it just a lost cause?

[Tinker]

I just wanna know if it's ok for me to build a fire.... its really as simple as that

Sorry, but it's much more complicated than that. In a civilized society, we have the right to question the law (or rules, as it may be considered by those intending to "bend" them), but we don't have the right, strictly speaking, to break them. Wherever it says "No fires" it means "No fires". We have to be content with having them wherever they're allowed, and be thankful that, unlike a few states along the trail, fires of any size are illegal everywhere, usually due to forest fires started by careless campers.

[MOWGLI]

good point. Think anything can be done to change this or is it just a lost cause?

Other than encouraging folks to hike other trails and promote LNT, I don't think so. The AT has a lot of use, so the best they can do is concentrate the impacts around shelters.

When I get close to a shelter, if I know I want a fire, I try and pick stuff up along the trail BEFORE I reach the shelter.

[emerald]

I just wanna know if it's ok for me to build a fire.... its really as simple as that

The Regs are in the trail guides, and signage is usually pretty visible along the trail.

Make your best effort to inform yourself about what's expected of you, try to be considerate of others and enjoy what time you have on the A.T.

Sometime soon I'll pull together the Pennsylvania information in a single post and link it for you once I get the time to do it right. I want to create a post which can be recycled as needed until for one reason or another I need to create a new one.

As soon as I can get my hands on a new Companion, I'd like to see what could be done to get the Pennsylvania information listed if it isn't already.

[Gaiter]

I just wanna know if it's ok for me to build a fire.... its really as simple as that

yes, but be smart, be aware of the area regulations, and use existing fire-pits, don't worry there are lots of them....

often thru and long distance hikers rarely build nightly fires... but the short section hikers that are just out for the week or weekend tend to build them

in an emergency situation, it is just that an emergency situation, and if you need to build a fire then build a fire, just be smart about it, so you don't set the whole forest and yourself on fire...

[SGT Rock]

I just wanna know if it's ok for me to build a fire.... its really as simple as that

For the most part the answer is yes. And where it isn't - they tend to go out of their way to let you know it isn't.