Water and firewood

[Brucer]

The info provided for almost any public camp ground seems to include advice to the effect; water not suitable for drinking (or boil before drinking)
Is there really a problem with the water from wilderness streams, or is this just cautionary? I'm usually happy to dip my hands in and take a drink from clear flowing water, and never yet had cause to regret it. What do others think?

They also, almost without exception state "bring your own firewood". Yet not only do I find firewood is often plentiful in many of these places, I see plenty of other campers collecting and using it, and very little evidence that anyone has brought their own from home. Do many swaggers take their own wood supply, or do most collect onsite? Has anyone run afoul of authorities when collecting firewood when camping?

[Ricklanga]

I to used to drink from creeks & streams without problem. As long as the water is free flowing & free from dead animals & the like it is probably ok. I would be more worried about man made pollution to be honest. As for fire wood, if they did allow people to collect dead & fallen branches etc then perhaps we may not have such a problem with bushfires each year.

[Trex_s4m1]

i tend to take my own firewood if i know camp fires are allowed. but only put it in the trailer.. dont want bugs all through my vehicle!

water i would drink from creeks but only if its flowing of course no still pools.

[Kit_e_kat9]

I believe that the cautionary warnings about water are due to those with No Brains or Common Sense.  On the other hand, sometimes treated effluent can be used where water is not in abundance, hence the warnings.

Then there are things like Giardia (spelling) and staflocockus (again with the spelling) that can make you extremely ill and sometimes even die.  The warnings are in place so that whom ever constructed the water facility is covered by law against the likelyhood of some stupid sap with zero common sense sueing them for all they are worth and more (which seems the norm these days alas).  Not to mention getting a long winded, jaw clenching dose of The Runs if you are sensitive to these things.

We always take our own firewood with us (he's a carpenter so that's fairly easy for us).  Fallen timber also can a be suitable home to our smaller native creatures.  You just never know when you may pick up a piece of fallen timber and have a nasty crawl out from under it and get you on the leg.  I'm talking snakes, spiders, scorpions, ants the size of small dogs, centipedes and the likes, but also including some furry ones that tend to scurry away hoping you don't find their 3 week old kids in the hole they've been nibbling away to create for 2 months now. 

Always keep a well stocked first aid kit and remember where the last hospital or station entrance you saw was. 

Kit_e   

[Squalo]

I have a nice little Husqvarna chainsaw, a decent axe and a drag chain, but I usually just buy hardwood offcuts from a local sawmill for camping - no probs with mess in transit or bugs and crawlies, and it burns nice and clean. Also good for places like Fraser where you must take milled timber to avoid introducing pathogens and bugs.

I use stout black plastic tubs of about 50 litre capacity and fill them locally for $15 per tub (the sawmill I use is at North Arm, a bit south of Eumundi), and I get to select the wood myself which means I can get light stuff to split for starting the fire and heavier stuff for when it's up and running.

When you're on the road just plan ahead and swing by a sawmill every now and then to stock up.

[Redcherokee]

Some years ago I drank out of a stream while walking in the Snowy Mountains.  I have been extremely cautious about doing so ever since.  Never been so sick, I had to lie on the bathroom floor as it was easier to clean.  It took quite a few days to recover.

On the odd occassion when I have rinsed the morning toothpaste out with bore water, it hasn't tasted very nice.

So we tend to carry large amounts of safe, nice tasting water. 

As to firewood, you don't want to denude an area so the animals have nowhere to live. That is what happens when lots of people gather wood.  Besides, if you really want a fire, bringing your own wood ensures you don't need to worry about hunting for it.

[apsilon]

I always filter or boil no matter how clean it looks. Odds are if it looks clean and is flowing it'll be right but on the other hand, do you really want to be stuck out bush (especially on multiday walks where you need to dig cat holes and have a limited supply of paper) with a good case of gastro?

Firewood I often take some in with me but it's pretty much impossible to take enough to cover you for several days. It's also a pain finding it if it's a popular camp ground.

[austastar]

Hi,
   In Tas, most of the flowing water is ok if it is coming from the mountains. Northern and eastern rivers pass through agriculture near the coastal plains, so are less pure as they approach the sea.
The water on the west coast is pretty good, even if it is a bit brown with the local tannin stain, as long as you are not down stream of a mining area.
Pretty will all water in the central highlands, mountains and south west is drinkable.


We are just starting to notice the 'bring your own firewood' signs, guess it was inevitable. Some of the better known campsites are getting pretty denuded, but 100m or so into the bush will usually still find plenty of fire wood.


cheers

[NewMax]

Carcour Dam (NSW - near Blayney) signs saying not safe to even to go in the water - never mind drink the stuff.

Most likely response to sign over kill like this is total ignorance of them all.

[Ricklanga]

You could get one of these if you have the cash then you can drink water from just about anywhere http://www.lifesaverbottleaus.com/. I've seen a couple of demo's at camping shows & they are pretty good though rather expensive.

--
Richard.

[speewa158]

When going out depending on duration of camp l take 40/60 L of water . Usually that will last for 4 to 5 days includind a bucket wash for 2 . The rate of consumption depends on how many & how hot it is . As a safty factor l always travel with 40 L . Firewood is as you find it bet assune there wont be any there & as you start to settle in the arvo start gathering . 

[apsilon]

You could get one of these if you have the cash then you can drink water from just about anywhere http://www.lifesaverbottleaus.com/. I've seen a couple of demo's at camping shows & they are pretty good though rather expensive.

You're better off with a hiking filter that you hand pump the water through into your own bottles etc. Will cost less than half what that bottle costs, filters at least as well if not better and allows you to filter more water (eg fill a jerry) in one go.

[Brucer]

I went to Wollondilly once, arriving on dusk and immediately set about finding some wood. There was none to be had anywhere so I went back to the office to buy some (they advertised as having it). Nobody there so I drove up the road about 10km and although there was some good fuel visible, the near vertical rise to one side, and drop to the other made it impossible to reach, let alone safely cut and collect. I eventually found enough scraps to last the evening and set out the next day some 20km before finding a decent supply where the country was flatter. I kept checking at the office looking to buy wood but in 4 days I spent the guy was never there, s it was either collect my own or go without a fire. Now if I'd known this in advance I might've taken some, although space for doing so would certainly be an issue.

[bobnrob]

I reckon Kit_e's hit the nail on the head in answer to the OP's question...it's not a case of can't, but more of why you shouldn't 

[austastar]

Hi,
   I first hit the lack of fire wood (which coming from Tas was a bit of a surprise) at Wilsons Prom camp site in about 1966.
Not a stick or twig that would burn to be found anywhere in the camping area.
It was picked clean.
I had no other means of cooking then, so it was a matter of finding something, so went for a drive around and ended up in the local tip not far away.
Much to my surprise I found lots of timber and cable reels. Quite big and solid, made of some sort of pine, possibly from heavy power cable to some nearby light house or something.
With this loaded up on the roof rack, it was back to camp and a good fire.
cheers

[bushrat]

The main reason behind they don't want you collecting wood from around the camp area is that once pick clean or some lazy numb nuts that carn,t walk a few metres start breaking off branches or cutting down tress to throw on there fires.