Expensive Fires

Looking back at the year of camping and looking to next year to make things more efficient or cheaper, and holy crapoly batman there was many dollars spent watching wood burn. But it is crucial to have one so anyone have any ideas on how to save especially with all the regulations on it nowadays? I never had a person come to look if my firewood was certified, and frankly not all that jazzed on following the rules to the T but I do want to be responsible and not affect our forests negatively.

Can you buy certified wood by the cord, 1/2 cord and have it dropped in the city? Anyone else do this and care to share contacts?

I borrow mine if needed from a buddy stack of “certified” wood. I do buy it at a resort when staying there though.

It’s illegal to move uncertified firewood out of quarantined areas. The emerald ash borer quarantine areas are:

The following are designated as quarantined areas in Minnesota:
i. The entire county of:
Anoka, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Cottonwood, Chisago, Dakota,
Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Le Sueur,
Martin, Mower, Nicollet, Nobles, Olmsted, Ramsey, Redwood, Rice,
Scott, Sibley, Stearns, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington, Winona,
Wright
ii. The portion of St. Louis County in Minnesota including:
West boundary: St. Louis/Carlton County border traveling north on
Minnesota Highway 33 to the intersection of U.S. Highway 53; then
following U.S. Highway 53 north to the intersection of Three
Lakes Road (County Highway 49) North boundary: Three Lakes Road
(County Highway 49) at the intersection of U.S. Highway 53
traveling east to the intersection of Vermilion Trail; then the northern
edge of Gnesen, North Star, and Alden Townships to the St. Louis/Lake
County border East boundary: St. Louis/Lake County border
South boundary: St. Louis County border and St. Louis/Carlton County
border to Minnesota Highway 33
iii. The portion of Lake County in Minnesota including:
West boundary: St Louis/Lake County border traveling north to the
northern quarantine line of St. Louis County. Then eastward 13.5 miles
to Lake Superior following across the northern border of Twp 53N, R
11W, Twp 53N, R 10W, and Twp 53N R 9W.
iv. The portion of Carlton County in Minnesota including:
Northernmost SW corner of the St. Louis County Quarantine just north
of Cloquet clockwise along the border of Carlton and St. Louis Counties
Jay Cooke State Park Boundary and following the boundary west to the
City of Thomson then west on 210 to the eastern border of the Fond Du
Lac Reservation, then following that border north, until the Carlton and
St. Louis County line running east till it abuts the existing quarantine in
St. Louis County at which point meets the origin of this description.
v. The portion of Kandiyohi County in Minnesota including: The
northeastern corner of Kandiyohi county, going south on highway 71
from Stearns county to highway 12, then east to Meeker county and
north along the border to Stearns county.

Tried to edit my other post and spam filter killed it. Certified producers are here: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/firewood-producers

I used to get Certified cut off ends from a buddy that built pallets and engine cradles for machinery manufacturers. All his wood was certified as the stuff was shipped all over the world. Wish they worried that much about stuff coming in. Not sure if they would accept that if you could find a source. Back in the day it was mostly oak. But sure it’s not now.

interesting post and curious to hear what options people have considered. I havent done a ton of state park camping this year but when i have i definitely feel a little frustrated at the cost of a bundle of wood.

Its usually against campground rules and campgrounds typically do a good job of clearing up their deadfall but ive been known to drag some big branches and logs out of nearby woods if the opportunity is there

Just remember if you cut down a tree and chunk it up it is firewood (legal to burn). If you take that chunk and square it up into a board it is now construction material and illegal to burn. Anything under 2” in diameter is brush and would need a brush permit to burn. Even if a branch falls off in a storm that is 2” in diameter or less you can’t burn without a brush permit. Don’t tell anyone but I still burn 2x4s.

I’ve brought plenty of wood scraps this summer but couple 5 gallon pails of 2 1/4 maple or 4″ white oak doesn’t last long, burns quicker than the garbage chip wood they make you buy for $7-10 bundle

If you burn a hardwood like Oak it won’t burn as pretty as Birch and other woods but will last much longer. I’ve heard of people loading their vehicle with wood and then buying one bundle at the campground which miraculously lasts all weekend.

To save money you could drink water instead of beer when camping.

I found how much I paid for my delivery and it was $160 for a pickup truck load which they say is a “little more” than a face cord. This was NOT certified and only delivers locally so no idea how the prices will compare.

A full cord is supposed to be 128 cubic ft so 1/3 of that would be 43cuft. A bundle is usually .75cuft so about 57 bundles in 43cuft. That makes each bundle about $2.80 if I did that right. Their price for a trailer load (1.5 cords) would make it about $1.52/bundle.

I see on the list of MDA certified places Paul’s Firewood says they deliver to TC, probably others too but I didn’t check all of them. I guess you’d have to get the price and do the math to see if it’s worth it or not.

Dutchboy wrote:

To save money you could drink water instead of beer when camping.

Not even sure id go camping at that point

Good list reef, I’ve got some messages out looking for pricing.

Have you thought about going to a propane fire pit? I’ve seen them recently at campgrounds during burn bans.

My folks have been going to state parks since I was knee high to a grasshopper. My dad cuts up “pallets” and they burn that wood while also buying 2 or 3 bundles from the park. Not to hide what’s in the truck but to more or less spend a little money there. These “pallets” aren’t your normal shipping pallet, though. They consist of 2×3’s 2×4’s and 4×4’s. Those are all legal and can be used as its kiln dried. We’ve always made sure there are no staples or nails in any of the lumber. Only twice, out of 30 years, have I ever had a park ranger look at our lumber. Both times they were just making sure it didn’t have any nails or staples in it. Otherwise its totally ok to burn dimensional lumber & it doesn’t have to be certified.

Greenhorn wrote:

Have you thought about going to a propane fire pit? I’ve seen them recently at campgrounds during burn bans.

no judgement if thats your thing but that just seems so wrong to me. gotta be a wood fire for camping and im with beads – no beer would be a problem lol

This sounds like a nightmare. I’ve legitimately never purchased firewood in my life.

We have fires locally and have more wood from our property than we could ever consume. If we go someplace else and don’t want to risk hauling wood… my contribution is crates of construction scraps. I’ve admittedly hauled split dried oak from our property further than what you are supposed to for vacations We don’t do the state park camping much anymore like we used to though. Now most VRBO type places furnish wood to eliminate the hassle.

crappie55369 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Greenhorn wrote:</div>
Have you thought about going to a propane fire pit? I’ve seen them recently at campgrounds during burn bans.

no judgement if thats your thing but that just seems so wrong to me. gotta be a wood fire for camping and im with beads – no beer would be a problem lol

Yeah it would seem wrong for me as well. I suppose it would allow for some sort of fire during burn bans, but would rather have wood if I could.

We have a propane pit at home and love it–no smoke, and if I want to sit on the patio for 20 minutes, I just turn it off when I go in.

Camping necessitates a wood fire, though, unless there are fire restrictions.

We normally just buy at the campsite (MN state parks), but I tend to do much of the planning, supplying, etc for our group, so others usually foot the bill for wood.

$220 for a 1/3 cord (what I could fit in my small trailer and back of Yukon).

With the gas to pick it up (hour away) not saving a whole lot.

Will keep looking around

Keep us posted on what you find. After this weekend I will be out of fire wood and am out of trees to cut down on my property.

Rodwork wrote:

Keep us posted on what you find. After this weekend I will be out of fire wood and am out of trees to cut down on my property.

Time for an IDO group buy! How many cords can you fit on your driveway and yard @notmafiaguy?

Another good idea reef, I text my family on maybe going in on bigger lot for more savings. Lots of campers in the fam!

You can buy slab wood from lumber yards, it is the remaining cuts from when they mill it. It comes in a bundle that you pick up. It sucks to cut up but you can get oak the boards were about an inch thick maybe more with a lot of bark on it

John Rasmussen wrote:

You can buy slab wood from lumber yards, it is the remaining cuts from when they mill it. It comes in a bundle that you pick up. It sucks to cut up but you can get oak the boards were about an inch thick maybe more with a lot of bark on it

Stuff burns so quick, but is an option.

Just up on Vermilion we burned 70 bucks in certified fire wood. That was with making the kids find as much dead wood as they could. I feel your pain.
And hard no on the propane. Unless it was my absolute only option. Which won’t happen since I don’t own a propane fire deal

Family going in on a cord, $595 includes delivery, certified in case the campfire police pull up

Is it only state parks you need certified wood or county parks as well? confusing

Slab wood gives a lot of ash.
I have used it as wood stove fuel

mrpike1973 wrote:

Is it only state parks you need certified wood or county parks as well? confusing

Don’t think I’ve been to a site yet this year that hasn’t required it. State, regional, private, municipal, KOA

Deuces wrote:

Family going in on a cord, $595 includes delivery, certified in case the campfire police pull up

I’m sure you did your homework but that seems crazy expensive.

I paid $60 for a full pick-up load (mounded high) of oak and maple slab wood earlier this year. Thinking that was a good deal…

lindyrig79 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Notmafiaguy wrote:</div>
Family going in on a cord, $595 includes delivery, certified in case the campfire police pull up

I’m sure you did your homework but that seems crazy expensive.

I paid $60 for a full pick-up load (mounded high) of oak and maple slab wood earlier this year. Thinking that was a good deal…

Certified?

It’s about half the cost of buying it per bundle by my math (which tbh if it doesn’t contain SF or right angles is not very good)

Looks like it’s time to diversify my business. Now when I’m out at night hacking off catalytic converters, I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for certified firewood