Campfires On The AT

[dionalaniz]

I am truly interested in the community's opinion about campfires on the AT. So i'm trying to present a legit poll that's not slanted one way or the other.

[meBrad]

I have come to understand that my participation in this forum is counter productive. In an attempt to ammend this I am deleting my posts and have requested to have my account deleted

[dionalaniz]

Well, apparently I can't edit my poll once i've created it. But let's, for the sake of simplicity, consider this a poll about campfires at shelters since that is probably the most common occurrence of campfires on the AT.

[smokymtnsteve]

.....

[Coosa]

You already know how I feel. Slanted or not. Leave the wood where it lies and carry gear appropriate for the weather conditions.

:banana
Oh, and bring on the bananas!
:banana

[icemanat95]

I consider campfires generally un-necessary outside of emergencies, but banning them universally is ridiculous. Sometimes it's just nice.

Actually gathering dead wood only from the immediate environs of the shelter ensures that the local environs will have less soil nutrients available to support plant growth and no dead falls and such to support local wildlife. I support gathering firewood from away from the shelter or campsite areas to spread out the impact. Keeping strictly within established firerings also seems a mandatory. Bonfires are a waste and a hazard. keep 'em small.

[Peaks]

There's a time and place for campfires. Generally speaking, it's not along the AT. Just look at the human browse line around most shelters. Most of the AT gets too much use to allow campfires. Part of the reason Connecticut is so attractive is that they have banned campfires along the trail in this state.

Now, on a cold raw day, a campfire sure is nice, and on occassion, it sure is nice to have one. So, I have mixed feelings about a total ban.

[Lone Wolf]

I'll always have a campfire when I'm hiking. Gonna have a nice one New Year's eve at Springer Mtn. Anybody wanna join me?

[chris]

I tend not to build campfires during the summer mostly because I don't usually stay up very long after dark. This summer I had something like 3 fires over the course of 2650+ miles of hiking. Now, during the winter time, when it gets dark at 5, a fire is nice and certainly makes things more pleasant. I don't know if there is any definitive study that shows that gathering firewood (extensively) in an area has any sort of negative impact on the environment; it seems to be taken as a matter of common sense, rather than science, that there is a negative impact. Regardless, a ban would be a rather silly. It would be impossible to enforce without the co-operation of those actually hiking (and not just thruhikers, but the majority of hikers: section, weekender, day). If there was a good reason for a ban (like high forest fire danger), then people would probably co-operate. If there wasn't, then people would simply ignore it (like the food-in-the-shelter ban).

[Doctari]

I thought about this one for quite a while, , , , then voted to ban all campfires. I love a good fire, not very big, just enough to give a nice glow. But after having spent countless nights near shelters & in campsites that had NO ground litter, within 100 yards, NONE. It looked naked. So, I sadly voted for NO campfires, sigh.

Egad, it has come to this :confused:

Doctari.

[highway]

I wouldnt be so quick to cast away another freedom and "ban" anything. If we do so we take away the vote from all those who go behind us who will never have that option available to them. I honestly don't feel that we should even consider that as an option. Do you honestly feel the occasional fire in an established fire ring is such a devastating problem as to propose an outright ban? Because, once "banned", and that little freedom is gone, it will never return!

[Uncle Wayne]

Have to agree with you highway. There are very, very few things I'd ever want to see banned.

Reminds me of a song but in my ancient memory I don't remember the song title. One of the verses says, "did you really think about it before you made the rules?" (Is it "That's just the way it is?" by Bruce Hornsby?)

[jlb2012]

Have to agree with you highway. There are very, very few things I'd ever want to see banned.

Reminds me of a song but in my ancient memory I don't remember the song title. One of the verses says, "did you really think about it before you made the rules?" (Is it "That's just the way it is?" by Bruce Hornsby?)

The song is "The Way It Is" - see http://www.ocap.ca/songs/wayitis.html for the lyrics.

[Jaybird]

campfires are always a nice thing after a long, tiring day on the trail.

i agree with the "dead" wood only...no need to kill a tree to burn (or attempt) green wood.

AND always use the FIRE-RING.

see ya'll UP the trail in 2004!

[bearbait2k4]

I hated CT because of the campfire ban. I only use fires for cold weather, and it was coooollllddd when I was in CT.

It sucks that people get too over-zealous when it comes to campfires sometimes, and I absolutely HATE walking up to a shelter to see all kind of trash in the campfire that should have been hiked out.

Banning them would be to ridiculous, though. . . in my opinion. It's just better to try to nicely educate those who are wasteful, and/or throw their trash in the fire.

[Kyle & Lisa]

We have too many laws as it is. I agree with Highway's remarks. I like a campfire anytime it's below 60 degrees. I would hike another trail if campfires were banned.

Did you know there is a law in Wisconsin that says "If two trains are coming at each other in opposite directions on a track, then neither may proceed until the other does"? :datz

[Photofanatic]

..........

[JLB]

I hated CT because of the campfire ban. I only use fires for cold weather, and it was coooollllddd when I was in CT.

It sucks that people get too over-zealous when it comes to campfires sometimes, and I absolutely HATE walking up to a shelter to see all kind of trash in the campfire that should have been hiked out.

Banning them would be to ridiculous, though. . . in my opinion. It's just better to try to nicely educate those who are wasteful, and/or throw their trash in the fire.

What about putting paper trash in a fire? I'm not talking about plastic, or foil, but jsut paper products.

[SGT Rock]

Only if you burn it before you leave. Never leave unburned trash in the fire ring. If you try to burn it and it doesn't burn all the way (burn it right the first time) then you should pack it out.

[Tha Wookie]

I would restrict all fire to night unless very small if you leave in the morning. I've seen many drought areas with smoking pits from people having fires in the morning, and leaving hot coals that are very dangerous. I crossed some thru's who did that this year, and the fire had kicked back up, and winds were rising, so i wasted my water on it. There was more wood nearby, and it could have caught. Just have them at night. Forest fires are no good

[grrickar]

I vote to allow them, but only using dead wood readily available. Anyone who has spent time in a TN State Park would know that once the dead fall in the park is picked and burned, people start tromping through the woods dragging more out at all hours of the night. I have resorted to bringing my own when I car camp with the family, to prevent having to forage. Those parks are generally swept clean of anything combustable.

BTW, I stayed at Desoto State Park with some pals last year in the early spring, and it misted rain and was freezing. We came in around dark so we did not get to scout for wood, but fortunately there was enough lying close by. The next morning we awoke to a sunny sky, and found that the majority of the trees behind the camp had either been bulldozed or cut down. Most of the forest was pine, and the beetles had ravaged the place.

Are there spots like that on the trail? It's really sad, you go to camp in the woods and wake up next to a field of stumps instead...

[Kozmic Zian]

Yea.....I see things the way Iceman does. An occasional, cold weather fire, made with dead fall, gathered from as far from the shelter as possible, and kept very small (sticks)....is not objectionable. However, large tree sized trunks, dragged into the fire pit and left, along with food foil and other trash is just not acceptable. If you have a fire, clean it out in the AM, before you leave the shelter. Always practice LNT ethics. KZ@

[Lone Wolf]

Holy s**t! I agree with Koz! :D

[Kozmic Zian]

:clap Yea.......Agree. Now you a learnin.............................KZ@

[Pennsylvania Rose]

I agree with most everyone - it would be ridiculous to call for a total ban on campfires at shelters. I certainly enjoy one on cold days (especially if I have hot dogs and marshmallows with me.) However, I think everyone should practice restraint in overused areas and only build a fire if it's really necessary.

[swamp dawg]

I don't mind folks building a fire as long as it is within a safe ring. I have seen people start a fire a leave it for someone else to put out. A good fire at the end of a cold nasty day is a real treat. Most of the time when I am hiking, I am just too beat to build and maintain a fire so thanks to thoes kind souls that are good enough to build a fire.
Life is good on the trail........Swamp Dawg