How to Carry Firewood

Open fires are usually allowed only in certain parts of managed wilderness areas and under certain conditions. Given that fires are so strictly controlled and that you're typically allowed to scavenge fallen deadwood for fire use, carrying firewood for long distances is usually not an issue in the backcountry. Carrying firewood is usually more of an issue if you're traveling by vehicle--in which case you might realistically have a means of transporting the wood and be in a place where you can use it--or getting the wood from the vehicle to the fire pit.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step 1

Pile the wood in wood carriers--sturdy canvas bands with a webbing handle at either end, usually--facing perpendicular to the long edges of the carriers. If you don't have wood carriers, lay out two loops of 6- to 8-foot nylon webbing side by side almost as far apart as the wood pieces are long; lay the wood on the webbing pieces; then pass the end of each loop through the opposite end to cinch down on the wood, creating two looped handles for carrying.

Step 2

Transport the wood in your vehicle while it's in the carrier; or, if you plan to transport more than one carrier-load of wood in the vehicle, you can stack the wood inside the vehicle to be carried out to the fire a load at a time.

Step 3

Carry the wood out to the fire a load at a time using your carrier or nylon-webbing straps. You may find it easy to carry two loads at a time, one in either hand for balance, or to ignore the handles and simply hold the load close to your body against your chest.

Resources

Assorted Wood Carriers

Article Written By Marie Mulrooney

Marie Mulrooney has written professionally since 2001. Her diverse background includes numerous outdoor pursuits, personal training and linguistics. She studied mathematics and contributes regularly to various online publications. Mulrooney's print publication credits include national magazines, poetry awards and long-lived columns about local outdoor adventures.

Editor's Pick

Backcountry Camping Tips

You've already tried car and RV camping. You've camped at commercial campsites that had a convenient restroom and water supply. Now, you want to explore the road less traveled. Backcountry camping, also known as primitive camping, is a wonderful way to explore the remote...
More Backcountry Camping...
Popular Article

Beach Camping Near Pismo Beach, California

Pismo State Beach, California, has many attractions and activities including camping, swimming, hiking and wildlife viewing. Birdwatching is one of the primary activities in the area. The park also has the largest over-wintering colony of monarch butterflies in the natio...
More Beach Camping...
Featured Video

Common Sense Hiking Tips

The first and most fundamental thing is never hike alone. There are too many situations, especially as an unexperienced hiker, where you may find yourself without anyone to help you. So the buddy system works and applies very much in hiking.
More Camping Basics...