firewood

[wareagle69]

to my freinds who live way out in the bush i was wondering about your storage of firewood. I usually have 2 to 3 years of wood stored at all times, but was thinking about bug out situations on my drive in this am, was thinking that maybe in that situation some one could use dead standing trees they should be cured enough to use in the winter, but was wondering if anyone else uses this technique?

[tsitenha]

Dead standing, always a good source in some species.
Careful with dead standing birch amongst other that may rot/punk from the inside out.

[tsitenha]

By the way how is Norm? wasn't he released last year or so?

[wareagle69]

around here all dead standing birch is only good as a widow maker was thinking more of pine elm aspen
as far as i know norm is good he was tagged and i did not hear from the ministry about a harvest but this season is fast approaching so we shall see, thanks for asking

[Ole WV Coot]

Widow maker is the right word. Have a friend cutting right of way, hard hat and all. Got knocked out and his face stopped the Sthil. He lived with a broken back and a face that would stop a clock. That's the first thing I check for.

[RBB]

For a bugout situation - I'd generally go with "squaw wood." That being, whatever dead stuff you can pick up on the ground or in dead falls.

[catfish10101]

Who is Norm?

[nell67]

Norm is a moose that WE raised from a calf until old enough to be turned out.

[Sourdough]

Wareagle, have you ever played with the Yukon folding stoves. Might be a nice toy for Bug'out. they are light, compact, not great, but a compromise to an open pit fire. They even make 4" telescoping stovepipe.

Here abouts we have massive amount of Spruce bark beetle killed trees, tens of thousands of standing dead spruce trees.

[Jericho117]

When I make my camps, I store my wood in small debris huts near my shelter about 7 feet by 3 and a half feet. I close the entrance. The wood stays dry all-year round. I don't make long-term shelters so I don't store my goods in those types. I even put my bows and trap parts in it to keep them safe. SAS technique describes shopping down live trees and drying them near the fire to have a supply of wood. I don't do that.

[wareagle69]

Wareagle, have you ever played with the Yukon folding stoves. Might be a nice toy for Bug'out. they are light, compact, not great, but a compromise to an open pit fire. They even make 4" telescoping stovepipe.

Here abouts we have massive amount of Spruce bark beetle killed trees, tens of thousands of standing dead spruce trees.

not much into stoves, you know me hopeak use what the bush provides if i can own the skills that it takes to make it with little then everything else is a comfort

[Sourdough]

not much into stoves, you know me hopeak use what the bush provides if i can own the skills that it takes to make it with little then everything else is a comfort

I was thinking more for the family car/truck bug'out kit.

[Dennis K.]

around here all dead standing birch is only good as a widow maker was thinking more of pine elm aspen
as far as i know norm is good he was tagged and i did not hear from the ministry about a harvest but this season is fast approaching so we shall see, thanks for asking

Would you elaborate on this? How is a dead tree any more dangerous than a live one when taking it down with a chainsaw?
Also, how would one check to see if it has rotted from the inside?

[canid]

hung up snags are even better, if the base is not still rooted into the ground. standing snags will continue to draw moisture to the ground, and while it may be drier than green wood [not always even the case, depending on tree, season and location] it ca still be much damper than it seems. for the immediate term, i would recomend hang ups which do not tough the ground at all, if available.

dennis:
a snag tree which may still have very heavy limbs, or even trunk sections, will often be brittle and those widdowmakers can rain down like hell when the tree sways, lurches, etc while felling. there are just more dead branches on a dead tree.

[Rick]

Dennis - You probably are imagining the trees falling like you see in the movies or may have done yourself. Live trees generally topple in one (more or less) piece. Dead trees, on the other hand, have a tendency to come apart at the worst time and in the worst places. Running a chain saw into the base of a dead tree can often drop limbs just from the vibration of the chain saw. Certainly, as the tree weakens from being cut, stresses form through out the tree that will cause limbs to fall out. Being directly beneath the falling limbs while cutting the tree is just bad karma.

[wareagle69]

actually was not refering to cutting down a tree at all just around here allot of the birch that are dead a couple of years are so rotted that you don't want them for firewood but they have not blown over ..yet.. so must be careful around them cause they can come down w/o warning

[Dennis K.]

Thanks - I've taken out trees before, just never dead ones. Good things to be aware of.
Granddad always puts a come-along to help the trees fall in the right direction. Most of the time they fall right where he wants them. Sometimes they just have a mind of their own...

[Rick]

Always a good idea to look up when setting up camp, too. Never want to be under a dead limb when sleeping.

[Dennis K.]

Always a good idea to look up when setting up camp, too. Never want to be under a dead limb when sleeping.

For some inexplicable reason, that reminded me of a girl I once dated....

[wildWoman]

Wow do you ever have lots of wood stored, WE!! We always have only about a 2 month supply on hand at the beginning of the winter and then get what we need until about March. Then (ideal skidoo conditions) we cut a whole bunch of trees for lumber and firewood to last us into the beginning of next winter. For firewood, we only cut dead standing poplar and spruce (hardly any pine here), and of course use up the tips and cut-offs from lumber making. Poplar is not the most amazing wood but works ok if not much else is on hand.