I can't sleep and for some reason this just jumped into my head. My first BW trip, my son and I pulled into a camp and unloaded. Close to the fire grate someone had left a small stack of wood. It was cut about a foot long, the stack was about a foot high and 2 feet long and covered with a piece of old birch bark. I thought that was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. To be honest I've never done anything nearly that nice but I always make sure that, at very least, the next person has twigs and sticks and enough wood to start a decent fire while they unwind for a minute. The person who did that for me didn't ask for or receive anything in return, but they changed the way I think in a positive way. The world can use a lot of that right now.

"Courtesy wood." I was taught to do that on my first trip and have always done it.. As explained to me, the next camper may be cold, wet, hypothermic? That wood may just be the difference? Anyway, I always do, period, no matter how big a hurry I'm in.

We try to leave a small pile of cut and split wood when we leave camp. You never know if someone else forgot to bring an axe or saw and will need it.

It's the right thing to do...

Bruce

It's a great practice to get into. Especially if you can put it near the fire to dry it out while you're wrapping up your stay the night before. Nothing better than split logs piled up next to the grate when you arrive.

I always leave a pile of wood for the next person. I'm a bit OCD with my wood piles and I tend to make a very large very neat pile and I rarely use of all it. Before I leave a campsite I make sure the pile is restack, added to if need be, and left in such a way that it has a chance of staying dry. I'll cover it with a few pieces of birch bark or if its really raining I'll try to stack as much of it as I can under the fire grate covered with some birch bark. Then the next person at least has enough dry wood to get the fire going so they can dry out the remaining wood.

I've shared the pictures before but this is my typical wood pile.

quote ozarkpaddler: ""Courtesy wood." I was taught to do that on my first trip and have always done it.. As explained to me, the next camper may be cold, wet, hypothermic? That wood may just be the difference? Anyway, I always do, period, no matter how big a hurry I'm in."

Me, too. The guy who taught me is now dying of pancreatic cancer. He has done a lot of good throughout his life.

Great post. I have been the beneficiary of this kindness on a couple of occasions, yet I must admit I have never repaid said kindness. A goal on my upcoming solo!

Let the LNT argument commence, but we try to leave a pile like the one you describe. It helps that our resident fireman is not big on fishing so during most of our stay he is either in the hammock or has a hatchet in his hand. :-)

Breaking camp, Shell Lake, July 31, 2013

I've always appreciated the sight of "welcome wood", especially when arriving to a site after a long day's paddle. We usually try to leave it equally stocked but sometimes those late night lingering campfires the night before you know you're leaving the site make that goal hard.

I'm starting to feel bad about never bringing an axe. Those pictures show a lot more wood than we usually leave. We mainly just try to get some tinder and wood to get it started, not enough to make dinner with. I think I'll have to rethink how much wood we are leaving for the next group.

We call it karma wood. We're a bit superstitious that this is what will lead to good weather and vacant campsites on our next trip. Always nice to receive, and always try to leave at least as much as we got.

What amazed me about the stack of saw-cut wood I discovered is the exactness in length of the little logs and neatness of the stack. It was the one solo trip I did make a campfire and did replenish little stack--although not as pretty looking.

quote treehorn: "Always nice to receive, and always try to leave at least as much as we got."

+1

quote A1t2o: "I'm starting to feel bad about never bringing an axe. Those pictures show a lot more wood than we usually leave. We mainly just try to get some tinder and wood to get it started, not enough to make dinner with. I think I'll have to rethink how much wood we are leaving for the next group."

You don't need an axe, just a good saw and a solid full tang knife so you can baton the logs down to smaller sized pieces.

I do the the best I can to leave behind a small pile for the next group. I can't recall ever coming upon a pile of my own but I believe that what comes around goes around and maybe that 1 time when I really could use some wood on a wet and windy day there will be some for me.

This is a pile of cedar that my boys and I left on Williamson Island on Insula last summer. As a side note, if you plan on staying on Williamson Island, there is absolutely no firewood left on the island, you'll have to go to the mainland to find some.

It's a great thing to come into camp and see it sitting there. We too return the favor when we leave.

~

My buddy never understood why I was so obsessed with leaving a pile that last night until we showed up in the rain one day to a nice dry pile to warm up to. It was great. He now understands why I always like to leave a little wood for the next guy.

Its the simple kindness in life that matters, I love this thread !

I try to always leave a bit of courtesy firewood for the the next guy. I am always thankful when someone leaves a few neatly stacked logs and a bit of dry kindling. But I'm also equally disappointed when someone leaves a tangled mess of unburnable green branches littering the fire pit area. I've also arrived into camp to find someone had left a stack of wood under a small plastic tarp. That is a definite no no.

Yep, I leave a pile of wood behind too.

I do ask for all who are reading this thread though, that please don't stack courtesy wood infront of nor in the fire grate. I have come across that a couple times and I understand the thinking, but if the wood gets wet and soaked through, it becomes something that needs to be cleared out before using the grate.

I usually stack as much wood that can fit under all the sitting benches or if I find a big enough birch bark, will cover the stack with that. But always away from the fire grate.

Interesting post.

I guess I always thought this was just frompeople who had leftover wood.

I had no idea that people went out of their way to make wood specifically for the next person.

Great idea and I will implement.