“. . . one never has to look far to see the campfires of gentle people.” Garrison Keillor
The Slab Wood Solution
Firewood --- one of the great allures of camping is the evening campfire. I could use hundreds of adjectives to describe the visual and emotional attractions of this event, but suffice it to say the fire completes the day.
Firewood --- one of the great allures of camping is the evening campfire. I could use hundreds of adjectives to describe the visual and emotional attractions of this event, but suffice it to say the fire completes the day.
Obviously the key ingredient is the wood. Since the Emerald Ash Bore has now migrated everywhere the enforced ban on carried in wood has been lifted or is ignored by campground officials. The cost of firewood, either just outside of a campground or from the camp office has inflated to $5 to $10 an armload or just enough to get started, and that is the conundrum. |
The solution is to find the nearest saw mill. Each mill purchases large trunks of hardwood (oak, maple, walnut, etc.) and ages these trunks for up to two years. Once the aging has taken place the round logs need to be squared for cutting into boards. This process produces the unwanted product known as "slab wood" which is most often cut into 18 to 20 inches long and an inch to two inch thick pieces.
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The saw mill I frequent sells this wood for $20 a pickup load! There is enough wood for my entire camping season. If you don't have a pickup you can load up your car trunk or van cargo area (as I do). By the way this is the same wood you buy at the gas station, the grocery store, or most campgrounds. Enjoy you camp fires.