no fire no water....

[jodestick]

i was planning on backpacking in mt rogers this weekend. weather.com is calling for temps in the low 20's and i hear there is a fire ban in VA. i am also guessing that water is scarce. i'm trying to decide if i should still go for it. any advice? i am taking one semi-seasoned backpacker and a newbie (but they are both from michigan and used to the cold). i'm worried that if we cannot build a fire we might be kind of miserable. any thoughts? also, is there still a fire ban in georgia, NC, and TN too? thanks for any thoughts/help.

"rhody"

[Lone Wolf]

there is a fire ban in the Mt. Rogers area til Dec. 15th. water is scarce even though we had a couple of days of rain. carry lots of water if you go

[JAK]

If fire bans are really serious, it is better not to be in the woods. If fire bans are serious, but not really dangerous, then it makes sense to abide by the rules but still be prepared to make fire in an emergency, but not just because you are uncomfortable. In such situations I would still go elsewhere, because camping ain't fun for me unless I can make tea from fire. For you the water situation sounds to be the most critical, but at least you won't be needing an abnormal amount. I would say carry what you can and head back before you don't have enough to get back. Is it totally scarce, or just scarce?

[JAK]

From L.Wolf's post it sounds pretty scarce, and the fire situation doesn't sound good either.
I might still go if I felt the added constraints made it interesting, but I would want to be highly mobile, so I would pack extra light, except for water. Does no fire include all stoves? If so, I might still carry an esbit for extreme emergencies but not use it. Still might be fun if you could pack light and keep moving.

[Skyline]

Below is the press release that announced the fire ban. You may note that certain types of stove fuel are permitted according to this release.

Gov. Kaine lifted the statewide ban after last week's heavy rains, and Shenandoah National Park rescinded its ban which was scheduled to go in effect last week. I can't find anywhere on the web that George Washington and Jefferson National Forests lifted their bans.

The press release:

Newsroom - Forests Announce Ban on Campfires

http://www.fs.fed.us/global-websites/images/logos/fs-shield-black.gif
News Release

USDA Forest Service
George Washington & Jefferson National Forests
JoBeth Brown
Public Affairs Officer
(540) 265-5102

Contact: Chris Rose, 540-265-5172

For Immediate Release

Roanoke, Va. (October 10, 2007)... The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests announced a ban on campfires and stoves or grills that use solid fuel such as charcoal, wood or coal. Stoves that use liquid or gas fuel will still be permitted. This ban applies to all national forest lands administered by the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests, including both developed and dispersed areas. The ban begins Saturday, October 13, 2007 and will expire Saturday, December 15, 2007 .

The ban has been implemented due to the extremely dry conditions. “Escaped campfires are the third leading cause of wildfires on the forest,” said Fire Management Officer Greg Sanders. “We’ve been in a continuous fire season since early 2006. We’ve had at least one fire each of the last 11 months and 18 in the past 21 months.”

The Tucker Gap Fire, which started September 27 and burned approximately 130 acres of the Jefferson National Forest in southwest Virginia , was caused by an escaped campfire.

For more information contact your local Ranger District office or visit the forest website at www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj (http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj).

[jodestick]

thanks for all this great info.!!!! i am considering going elsewhere. does anyone know if there are bans in TN?

the weather just won't give us a break this year, will it?

[Skyline]

thanks for all this great info.!!!! i am considering going elsewhere. does anyone know if there are bans in TN?

the weather just won't give us a break this year, will it?


While you can't have a campfire on your Mt. Rogers itinerary, you can stay warm if you use the allowable fuel noted above. Mt. Rogers and the surrounding area are too nice to let some Fall weather ruin your trip.

For sure, bring appropriate clothing, shelter, and sleeping bags.

Then, search this or other sites for strategies used in winter camping.

Two to definitely consider:

1) Those hand-warmer wraps that hunters typically use.

2) Fill a Nalgene lexan bottle with hot water and taking it inside the sleeping bag (make sure the lid is tightly closed and test it to make sure it doesn't leak).

There are lots more. Happy searching . . .

[Skyline]

Hmmmm.

Just re-read that press release and note that liquid or gas fuel are allowable in stoves during the fire ban. Guess that means they consider Esbit fuel tabs to be a solid fuel in the same regard as wood and coal?

That would be a shame, as the Esbit system is probably the safest, lowest impact stove out there.

Or maybe the Esbit just isn't on their radar. If it was, they surely wouldn't ban it while allowing pressurized white gas or alcohol.

[Possum Bill]

thanks for all this great info.!!!! i am considering going elsewhere. does anyone know if there are bans in TN?

the weather just won't give us a break this year, will it?


There are NO bans in the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee, but the Pisgah does have fire bans. So if you are on that stretch on the TN/NC line you'd have to be careful that you're not on the Pisgah side (to be legal). But, you'd be okay to build a fire pretty much anywhere north of 19E to the Virginia line. I was in the Elk River/Jones Falls area last week and you'd be okay finding water through there too and around the Dennis Cove area, but I'd still stay away from anything north of Watauga Lake on the Iron Mountain/Cross Mountain sections. I'm still hearing they're pretty low. If I was going to do a overnight or weekend hike in TN right now, it would probably be from 19E to Dennis Cove or on over to 321 at Watauga Lake. Water should be decent and you could build a fire anywhere if needed.