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I'm leaving tomorrow for a section hike. I intended to start at the DWG in Pa. and head up into NJ. Then while skimming thru the AT thru hiker book I came upon a paragraph that said there are no campfires allowed in NJ. Do they enforce that? Are you allowed to have a cooking fire. If not, I will change my direction and go thru PA. Any help here would be appreciated.
Starchild
02-21-2014, 18:24
I didn't know that and thought the only section w/o campfires was CT.
kayak karl
02-21-2014, 18:50
you can have fires at camps and only in fire rings and yes it is enforced. fines are hefty
Starchild
02-21-2014, 19:36
you can have fires at camps and only in fire rings and yes it is enforced. fines are hefty
oops ! Gosh Darn !
I saw some signs at the shelters in PA last year that said no fires period. Maybe it was just the time of the year or the forest fire danger level was high...who knows.
kayak karl
02-27-2014, 16:41
jersey has fire bans. you need to check daily
HikerMom58
03-01-2014, 21:30
Welp, I'm a sucker for a campfire & I'm a lil rebellious at times sooo this is good info for meeee!!!
No campfires in NJ... straight forward. :p
After we finish our last 100 miles in PA.. it's on to NJ. Taking notes.....
As a personal plea... Please obey the NJ fire rules. Have you seen the rest of NJ? There are some very lovely parts of New Jersey, but it isn't as if we are wallowing in Yellowstone-like splendor; every beautiful bit is precious and so very fragile. Don't think that rules need to be enforced to be valid or necessary. Just know that if you burn down the Pine Barrens and the northern forests, all we have left are chemical plants, refineries, and miles of pavement.
kayak karl
03-01-2014, 22:16
Welp, I'm a sucker for a campfire & I'm a lil rebellious at times sooo this is good info for meeee!!!
No campfires in NJ... straight forward. :p
After we finish our last 100 miles in PA.. it's on to NJ. Taking notes.....
you can have a fire at the campsite in the fire-ring. the fire bans are usually late summer. i don't think we even had one last year. so stick your mausespecks in the fire. :D
Hot Flash
03-02-2014, 10:32
Please know and follow all fire rules and bans. Jerks who don't respect the law burn down beautiful parts of California every year. Don't be a jerk, even if it is only New Jersey. ;)
88BlueGT
03-06-2014, 16:15
I live in NJ, have been hiking in NJ for a long time and I have never gone out without having a fire. Sorry to all you purists but backpacking without a fire doesn't feel right. Just an FYI, I stealth camp, never have huge fires small maybe 1x1 rings and when I leave; I guarantee you will never know there was a fire there, ever.
kayak karl
03-06-2014, 17:24
I live in NJ, have been hiking in NJ for a long time and I have never gone out without having a fire. Sorry to all you purists but backpacking without a fire doesn't feel right. Just an FYI, I stealth camp, never have huge fires small maybe 1x1 rings and when I leave; I guarantee you will never know there was a fire there, ever.
so people that follow the law are purists? why are you bragging about breaking laws?
I am not going to quote TOS law and verse, but it is not wise to advocate breaking laws that you deem inconvenient esp when it is a safety issue. :)
Thanks!
88BlueGT
03-06-2014, 17:42
so people that follow the law are purists? why are you bragging about breaking laws?
Didn't mean to come off like that and you're right, purist was not the right word. What I SHOULD have said... if you have a small, contained fire... cover it up and are responsible I don't see it ever being an issue.
Hot Flash
03-06-2014, 17:57
Didn't mean to come off like that and you're right, purist was not the right word. What I SHOULD have said... if you have a small, contained fire... cover it up and are responsible I don't see it ever being an issue.
Fire laws are in place for a reason. If you ignore them, then I hope you get caught and heavily fined before you burn something down. People like you are the reason we can't have nice things.
88BlueGT
03-06-2014, 18:00
People like me huh? Guess I'm just a hardcore rebel :cool:
Tipi Walter
03-06-2014, 18:12
While I vehemently dislike the nanny state telling me where to camp or how much to pay every night on a backpacking trip or which fee vouchers I need or what permits or reservations are required, a ban on open fires and camp fires is totally 100% cool with me. Why? Cause I've seen so many clueless newbs build bonfires in windstorms and leave fires burning after packing up and leaving and are long gone. So, praise the No Fire rule.
I just saw a group build a fire on a windswept open meadow and I told them, simply, "It's too windy for a fire", and they looked at me with blank faces as if I said "You cannot text ever again" or declared "Yes, it is possible that heads can be removed from anuses" but they built one anyway. No old non-rated geezer is gonna spoil their grab-arse frat party bonfire festival. But I think differently---get over the Fire Allure.
Game Warden
03-06-2014, 19:25
On Pennsylvania Game Commission lands, yiu can build fires for cooking or warming unless the fire index is high. Colin Fletcher, author of the Complete Walker, points out that a fire drives back the night. I agree; you won't see the stars through the trees. In 2014, a fire is as necessary as a buffalo robe. I only build a fire in deep winter. And if I find you camping illegally, your fire makes a difference in whether I give you a friendly warning or write you a citation.
Slosteppin
03-14-2014, 19:53
Several years ago I hiked through a burned area in Minnesota.
A few weeks ago I hiked through several recently burned areas in Florida.
These are not scenic areas and certainly not acceptable places to camp. I my opinion fire rules, whether common sense or legal, should never be ignored. Why would anyone take a chance on ruining one of the reasons we are hiking?
Well, I will say that fire has an important role in most ecosystems. The reason we are getting such devastating fires now is the exclusion of natural fire for so long.
BUT obey the burn bans. Fire at the right time is a great tool that has a necessary job to do. But if there is a ban, it is the wrong time. And even if you keep it small and think you have it totally under control, your glow may encourage someone less careful than you.
***And don't sweat the black places in Florida. If it was a few weeks ago, they are green again. Another reason we need fire so often here, just to keep from getting totally overrun by a great green wall.
Wise Old Owl
03-14-2014, 20:45
A Trail Runner made it very clear - no fire in DWG. This is from experience - one Backpacker burned down the hilltop in the current tent area.The carbonized trees are still there to prove it. Never saw a fire ring... they appear to be removed. The Designated Camp area that allows fires appears to be Dingmans.
In this page you can see campfires have been deleted on the link
http://www.nps.gov/dewa/planyourvisit/hike-backpack-appalachian.htm
• Camping is restricted to through-hikers who
are hiking for two or more consecutive days.
• Camping is limited to one night per campsite.
• Camping is limited to ten persons per
campsite.
• Self-contained stoves are permitted; ground
fi res, charcoal stoves and grills are prohibited.
Hikers may not camp:
• Within 100 feet of any stream or water source;
• Within 0.5 mile of an established roadway;
• Within 200 feet of another camping party; or
• From 0.5 mile south of Blue Mountain Lake
Rd. to a point 1 mile north of Crater Lake.
Rocket Socks can back me up on that. I found it a Pita as I am a avid pyro.