Is rotted wood any good for camp wood?

[sdaly]

I cut just a hair over a cord of pine this weekend from national forest fuelwood stack. The pickins of good wood are getting slim, but there's still a bunch of rotted wood laying around. Much of it looks anywhere between 12 to 20 inches in diameter. The stuff is real dry and pretty light. I know it's not real desirable stuff, but is rotten wood good for anything like just camp wood, or is it not even worth picking up? Maybe seeing the piles of it left laying around answers my own question!

 

[Mike Van]

If it's dry, it'll burn, but won't last long - In my book, anything's better than buying oil though.

 

[sdaly]

If it's dry, it'll burn, but won't last long - In my book, anything's better than buying oil though.

Thanks. I agree it's better than oil (or nothing). What makes it not last as long? It is because it's more porous from the rot?

 

[woodbooga]

Thanks. I agree it's better than oil (or nothing). What makes it not last as long? It is because it's more porous from the rot?

Yup. More rot means less actual wood density. Plus extra dry wood burns more quickly. The suggested moisture level is 20% for a good even burn. Overseasoned wood has less moisture and burns more quickly.

I agree that punky wood is better than oil. We burn in a cookstove and burn most anything apart from plywood or overly treated wood. The quick hot burning stuff is great for baking or stovetop cooking when you want high heat fast.

 

[Zackman1801]

for a campstove i would throw anything in that would burn. i would pick it up, if it were me. when we go up to the camp we burn anything that is laying around, if it will burn it gets thrown in, but then again we are only there for a few days a year.

 

[aandabooks]

All of my camp wood comes from the bad splits and gnarly pieces from the woodpile. Also anything punky. Just goes on the campfire stack. I don't use the good wood for campfires.