Wood stoves
Where on the AT can you NOT use a wood stove? And I don't mean like an open campfire. I mean something like a hobo stove.
Thanks!
Most places you can. But during a fire ban the decision is often open to the interpretation of whoever may be around enforcing that ban (Fed or State ranger, local LEO, ect). They don't always see wood stoves as being in compliance, regardless of how you interpret the wording of the law/ban. I was told not to use a Zip Zstove many years back in both NJ and NY sections during a fire ban. The ranger told me he saw the smoke rising from general area of the shelter I was at, and he came out to investigate. He told me to finish cooking my meal, but not to use it again. Just have an alternative, like a few esbit tabs, if needed in case this happens, and you should be okay.
Thank you! What about in GSMNP? I feel like I'd read somewhere that you can't have them there.
There is a no wood stove section around Blood Mtn in Georgia. ( It is easy to get through there though) and many other short sections of the trail.-you can navigate through them -- In the Smokies you can use a wood stove but the fuel gathering may be a little hard .--It is hard to describe the overuse the trail in the Smokies gets and that includes wood at the places you are required to stop at--It may be nonexistent @ some shelters.
Thank you so much for the information! I really appreciate it.
Likewise in Pa., there is a compliance issue with woodburning stoves during fire bans. I've asked for clarification from DCNR (Bur. of Forestry) several times, but can't get an answer. I think that the real issue is the possibility of hot embers flying out of the stove and igniting the duff on the forest floor, since the flames are otherwise contained. But it comes down to the LEO who finds you using the stove - some may say "yes", others, "no".Originally Posted by 4eyedbuzzard
A back-up means of cooking is not a bad idea....
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass - it's about learning how to dance in the rain!
I am not going to discuss weather you can or cant - but gathering wood for a stove appears to be "Too Much for some" It doesn't matter if you are gathering wood for a dutch oven or a stove you don't use anything over 1/2 inch or material that you can't break yourself without mechanical means - in a campground at the end of the summer - or by a lean to that might be a problem - I can usually collect enough material by "kicking tall grass" next to a tree - most never look there. I won't call it an art - but I have noticed most will pass up branches - in favor of logs not knowing how to get there. As far as a campfire - its twice the amount that most will gather to get one started.
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
The Native Americnas used to have a term that is appropriate: "squaw-wood", meaning smaller sticks and twigs that were easy to find and carry and would make a small, quick fire (the kind that you can actually cook over, as opposed to a roaring bon-fire that needs fuel that's too big to break by hand). Squaw-wood is what you want for cooking - heck, I know folks who will use charcoal out of the firepits from other people's fires, and that works really well, too.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass - it's about learning how to dance in the rain!
I've never seen a shelter with a fire ring in front of it which didn't have lots of little sticks suitable for a wood stove littered around it. Many end up under the shelter and are therefore dry too.
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The Boy Scouts in my area are constantly amazed at how little fuel I use when wood-fire cooking...they are burning their food over roaring fires, while I just scrape some coals off to on side, cook my eggs and bacon and toast and am cleaning up with hot water heated off the other side of the pile of coals while the boys are STILL waiting for their flames to die down! "White Man's Fires!"
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass - it's about learning how to dance in the rain!
Yea, but they like--love--playing with fire even more than you like your breakfast.
While I have seen some Scouts from the inner-city who were "very unsure" about open fires, generally, you're correct. And I'll bet that most of them don't get the chance to use open fires for ANYTHING at home.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass - it's about learning how to dance in the rain!
Last year on my section thru NY (where you can't have a fire) a ridge runner was using one at the shelter. I guess it all depends on who you come across and their ideas of right and wrong
Michigan (or maybe it was Minnesota?) specifically banned wood burners including Zips during fire bans a few years back to avoid any confusion - gas, isobutane, alky, esbit, etc were the only okay stoves. I don't know if that is still the case. I like the darn things, but the combination of smoke, soot, legality, etc, has gotten my Zip lost somewhere in the basement.
Zip Stoves are in that "netherworld" region - they are a "contained" stove, but since they burn wood (and could throw hot embers - or hot coals if dumped out too soon), they COULD start a wildfire. Some authorities have decided to eliminate the need for the LEO in the field to have to make a judgment call by banning them as "wood fires". Others - with no stated policy regarding the stove - will leave it to the judgment of the ranger in the field.
Two guys could be using a Zip Stove side by side at the same shelter - one guy is responsible and poses little danger, but the other one is acting like a complete a-hole...and the ranger has to tell one of them to put out his stove, but not the other one? We all know where THIS would go....
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass - it's about learning how to dance in the rain!
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