wood fire cooking?

[k-spar]

How is cooking over a fire or cooking over a wood-stove viewed on the LT? I'm considering trying to keep fuel use down by using a small home-made woodstove, but am worried that this will piss people off.

Assuming responsible safe handling and keeping to LNT principles, would using this be a faux-pas?

[4eyedbuzzard]

I for one like cooking over an open wood fire. I honestly wouldn't give a rats @ss if other hikers don't like it. It's part of the hiking/camping experience. I'm even considering just carrying a supercat and a few ounces of alcohol or even esbit as a backup and cooking only over wood on my next hike.

The biggest problem would be a possible fire ban during a dry period. Most wood stoves like the zip are usually okay by most state rangers/local fire wardens, but there are times and places even using them is banned.

Here's the GMC's statement on fires http://www.greenmountainclub.org/page.php?id=54

[dessertrat]

How is cooking over a fire or cooking over a wood-stove viewed on the LT? I'm considering trying to keep fuel use down by using a small home-made woodstove, but am worried that this will piss people off.

Assuming responsible safe handling and keeping to LNT principles, would using this be a faux-pas?

For some reason, it seems that even the most ardent LNT'ers are reluctant to criticize when they are sitting around a well made campfire. And if they don't understand that a campfire is probably a better use of renewable resources than a cartridge or alcohol, then eff em.

[hammock engineer]

I love cooking over a fire. I try to as much as I can. I only use my stove when I have to.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Hmmm... wood is a readily renewal resource while propane and gas aren't. In my view, the larger LNT principle would favor wood over those fuels.

[k-spar]

Alright, glad to hear we are all on the same page with this. Is there an easy way to find out when there is a fire ban?

[rafe]

Hmmm... wood is a readily renewal resource...

Sure, these little puppies are renewable... in another thousand years or so.

[Flush2wice]

Alright, glad to hear we are all on the same page with this. Is there an easy way to find out when there is a fire ban?

The 2008 fire ban schedule won't come out for another week or two.

[Two Speed]

Sure, these little puppies are renewable... in another thousand years or so.

Ya know, I'm having trouble believing the average backpacker's gonna fell one of those suckers to boil up a coupla cups of water for ramen noodles.

Just sayin'.

[Odd Thomas]

Hmmm... wood is a readily renewal resource while propane and gas aren't. In my view, the larger LNT principle would favor wood over those fuels.

Woodburning is also carbon neutral

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

A cooking fire involves collecting sticks from the ground that are no bigger around than your finger and using those. Green, freshly cut wood will not work. So no living tree is harmed in collecting the wood and I submit that the small amount taken will not adversely affect the environment unless many, many take the smll amount - something that is unlikely as most will not accept the downside to wood stoves -- soot.

[Lone Wolf]

How is cooking over a fire or cooking over a wood-stove viewed on the LT? I'm considering trying to keep fuel use down by using a small home-made woodstove, but am worried that this will piss people off.

Assuming responsible safe handling and keeping to LNT principles, would using this be a faux-pas?

nothing wrong with it at all. have at it

[rafe]

It's one thing to carry a wood-burning stove and feed it with fallen twigs and branches.
It's another to expect fire rings at all shelters and campsites for the purpose of cooking.
It's another to "stealth camp" regularly and create new fire rings for that purpose.

[dessertrat]

It's one thing to carry a wood-burning stove and feed it with fallen twigs and branches.
It's another to expect fire rings at all shelters and campsites for the purpose of cooking.
It's another to "stealth camp" regularly and create new fire rings for that purpose.

However, you WILL find established fire rings at almost all of the shelters, if not all of them. You should expect it. Save the stove for when it rains, so long as you don't mind camping at the shelters every night, which limits your travel plans.

[rafe]

However, you WILL find established fire rings at almost all of the shelters...

I'd guess about half, nowadays - on the AT, anyways. There seems to be a movement to do away with fire pits. And last summer, because of the drought, there were no-fire rules in effect over much of the AT in VA, and maybe elsewhere.

[Wise Old Owl]

Pass the melted Smore woo you?


Hike your own hike, don't worry about the others and make absolutely sure that it is cold out coals. Many times I have been car camping in National Parks and the number of Jack *sses that leave the fire ring burning on Sunday drives me nuts.


By the way-Terrapin the giant Sequoia trees you pictured are in real trouble because of the lack of fire from the thirties, The park is going to test fires to clean the underbrush under the trees to push new seedlings as they have not been getting any new baby trees underneath.

[hammock engineer]

Don't get me started on firerings. I hate those things. No reason every person has to make and leave one. Last year I counted over 60 including shelters between 501 shelter and Duncannon, PA. Averaging over 1 a mile. Those are the big LNT problem to me.

[Wise Old Owl]

Don't get me started on firerings. I hate those things. No reason every person has to make and leave one. Last year I counted over 60 including shelters between 501 shelter and Duncannon, PA. Averaging over 1 a mile. Those are the big LNT problem to me.

There are efforts with trail maintainers to make it difficult to do this anymore. Ten people get together and drag dead trees and other debris into the spot to cover it up and make a lot of work for anyone who would want to use the same spot again effectively it makes the perfect spot disappear when they get done.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

A cook fire should not have a fire ring. The best way to make one without a stove or established fire ring IMO is to carefully clear away duff until you have bare soil. Dig a trench about four inches deep, six inch longer than the diameter of your pot and about as wide as your pot. Build the fire in the trench on one end using wood no larger than your finger. Use two large, damp pieces of downed wood to act ask pot supports. Feed the wood in under the pot support using the extra six inches of trench for access. When done, douse the fire with water several times to be absolutely sure it is completely out and cool enough not to ignite the duff you will be restoring. Fill in the trench and place the duff back over the site. Throw the two pot supports far off the trail or cooking area after dousing them with water.

[4eyedbuzzard]

There are efforts with trail maintainers to make it difficult to do this anymore. Ten people get together and drag dead trees and other debris into the spot to cover it up and make a lot of work for anyone who would want to use the same spot again effectively it makes the perfect spot disappear when they get done.

I only use existing fire rings, usually at shelters or established camping areas. Otherwise I'll use a stove. But by getting rid of all the existing rings, don't you in some ways just wind up getting more new ones? Just wondering. It would seem that the best scenario is that people lessen impact by using existing rings rather than find all the old ones unusable and wind up building a new one.