Smoldering

My wife and I have been camping for a number of years. We have morphed from taking our own firewood to purchasing firewood. Not that we took all the required fire wood, but enough that would generally last two to three days, or the equivalent of about two bundles we purchase today. We also scrounged firewood, generally small branches for starting fires. I do pack scraps of dimensional lumber to have dry kindling on hand to start a fire. So, we know purchase wood, but that wood, more often than not, seems to smolder rather than burn with a flame. 

I am not sure when our purchasing all firewood began, but it was probably with the arrival of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Wisconsin. The EAB is not the only destructive pest, and since such pests live in wood, and with such infestations becoming more common, something had to be done. The EAB has wreaked havoc on Wisconsin forests, and suburban lots and street trees. An invasive species from the Far East, it came to Wisconsin from Michigan. Yet, you see other effects on the forest from other pests, like Birch Leaf Minor Borer, which has ruined many a stand of birch. Add all the dear, and it is a wonder how a forest can survive. Years ago, street trees were devastated by Dutch Elm Disease. 

You can no longer haul firewood more than 10 miles from its source. The state, rightly, put in restrictions on moving firewood. Hence, the only campground that we take our own firewood is Lake Kegonsa State Park. All other locations we buy firewood. Occasionally we get a jackpot of pieces left behind. 

From Arndt website

Firewood is available from different sources at the varied far-flung campsites across the state: at some state parks or national forest campgrounds (not many), at roadside stands, and at varied grocery, or convenience stores. The National Forest campgrounds we use lack firewood sales, so we tend to buy from local roadside stands within a couple miles of the park. I guess we take the word of the seller that the wood is from within 10 miles This is hit and miss and we have noticed that more recently the wood does not burn well. I think the wood is getting greener at some of these locations, and of lesser quality. A few times you get a good batch.

The sad thing is I see campers pull in with large loads of firewood--like half a face cord. So, for some reason, I have a great suspicion that the wood is coming further than 10 miles distant from the campground. The 10 mile rule applies to both state and national forest campgrounds. 

Arndt website, Firewood certifications

When we camp at a state park (or forest) we tend to purchase at the park, or forest. Some parks, like Hartmann Creek, the funds support the Friends group, others I am not sure. More and more I find the results of state park wood vary, too. The southern part of the state the wood seems to be sourced from a kiln in Milton, while in the north most wood seems to come from an Antigo kiln. A few years ago at Mirror Lake state park I was so  impressed with the wood, it was like in a big onion bag, from I think the Milton kiln, I bought a couple bundles for use at the National Forest campground we like to visit. 

At a state forest campground we recently visited we purchased firewood at Buffalo Lake Campground, a few miles from the campground at which we were staying. The kiln that dried the wood is in Antigo. Purchasing kiln dried wood means that if we don't use it all we can take it with us for use elsewhere. The kiln drying kills any bugs that may have been present in the wood. It is also certified. For example, on that trip we bought two bundles, but only used one so we took the other one home with us for future use. A bundle typically costs from $6 to $7.  Up from $4 to $5 a few years past. 

Label of Firewood purchased at Buffalo Lake Campground

I have found that even some of the kiln dried wood does not burn well. The kiln in Antigo states "Fast Starting...Long Burning"  I can say it last longs, because most of the pieces just smoldered. When a piece of wood smolders it lasts a long time, I guess that is where they get their statement "Long Burning". We had to supplement with scrounged twigs and small branches we gather off the ground. I guess, it started to smolder fast, so perhaps it is fast starting. The problem is if you do not have a good flame you get a great deal of smoke. Regardless of where you sit, the smoke will follow.

Smoke can have a good odor, think of smoked meats, or a bad odor, think of the burning "plastic" odor that seemed prevalent with the Canadian wildfires when they were reeking havoc on air quality on its southern neighbor. Luckily for us, the smoldering wood did not have that burnt plastic odor. I do know that my hat smells like smoldered wood from our camp trip.