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Vanderpooch
Junior Nomad
Posts: 25
Registered: 11-17-2009
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campfires
I will be traveling up and down Baja for the first time and will be mostly boondock camping. are campfires common? is is easy to find wood? what do I
need to know about having fires while traveling and camping in Baja??
Thanks!
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
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"are campfires common?"
I saw one once IT WAS HOT!
Welcome aboard!
Yes very common. In fact you may be in trouble w/o one!
Wood usually no problem.
There are many wildfires in Baja, mostly in the north and sierras. Use extreme caution in dry grassy areas. I think fires are regulated in the
Parques.
Beach camping is always the safest obviously but use good sense regardless.
[Edited on 11-22-2009 by Sharksbaja]
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Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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I almost always have campfires, but I bring my own wood-----it's a desert, and wood is at a premium, and the locals need all that is there for
cooking.
On the Pacific side, on the beach, there is usually drift wood however.
Barry
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Vanderpooch
Junior Nomad
Posts: 25
Registered: 11-17-2009
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Is there any problems bringin firewood across the border?
I have had problems bringing out of state wood into State forestst before.
Is making fires right on the sand Kosher?
[Edited on 11-22-2009 by Vanderpooch]
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shari
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Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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welcome to Nomadlandia pooch...you will LOVE baja too.
One thing that sometimes bothers me on an otherwise pristine sandy beach...are the black sooty fire pits that strew charcoal all around and get
everything black. I suggest either using an existing fire ring or if you must make a new fire pit...make it deep and then bury it well when you
leave...no trace camping would be great amigo.
At our surf breaks here on the mid west coast, you'll need a suit for sure but the water is usually still in the low 70's in
january/february...definately swimmable without a suit but ya may want to suit up to be comfortable surfing...at least ya dont need a hood and gloves
like in Tofiino BC!!!
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Vanderpooch
Junior Nomad
Posts: 25
Registered: 11-17-2009
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| Quote: |
no trace camping would be great amigo.
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That's always been my style and I thought that that would probably be an issue on the beaches. I was looking at something like this but the cost is
high dollar.
Snow Peak Medium Pack & Carry Fireplace
How does one acquire fire wood without taking the locals supply?
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surfer jim
Super Nomad
Posts: 1891
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: high desert
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Not sure about southbound but you can't bring any back to the states....
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
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Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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there is firewood around...either driftwood, or you can ask local mexicanos to bring you some nice mesquite and buy it...providing beer money to the
locals...surfers often burn the old dried up century agave plants
I Sure wouldnt bother with the high price fire thingy.
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Terry28
Senior Nomad
Posts: 825
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Location: S.Calif mtns.
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Surfer Jim....your mistaken dude...I bring back pickup loads of cut firewood all the time. I get a load of oak for about $50. At the border all they
ever check for is that it is soil free....and no one is hiding under it....
Mexico!! Where two can live as cheaply as one.....but it costs twice as much.....
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
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Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Here's a good cheap, maybe free, portable fireplace.
Washer Tub.
You can find these all over the place..just ask in your area or dismantle an old washer yourself. Easy, cheap, and last forever. It's a bit bulky,
so make it do double-duty when transporting, fill it with firewood, camp gear,, etc. Improvise.
A huge plus is leaving no mess behind you. have a ball in Baja!
[Edited on 11-22-2009 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Udo
Elite Nomad
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| Quote: | I was looking at something like this but the cost is high dollar.
Snow Peak Medium Pack & Carry Fireplace
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 QUE ES?[/B]
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64858
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Terry28
Surfer Jim....your mistaken dude...I bring back pickup loads of cut firewood all the time. I get a load of oak for about $50. At the border all they
ever check for is that it is soil free....and no one is hiding under it.... |
Oh no he's not... at least in my case: I had a bundle of store bought firewood... wrapped in platic with the lable and handle... from the grocery
store. We didn't use it, and obviously being from the U.S., and packaged... I was going to use it next trip.
At Tecate, the gaurd sent us to secondary only because of that packaged wood (no soil)... and they took it and sent us on our way! That was about 4
years ago. There was a small mountain of firewood bundles ours was tossed onto!
Terry, I can hardly believe you bring commercail quantities of firewood into the U.S. from Mexico without special permits or with the blessing of
Mexico...?
In some parts of Baja (Bahia de los Angeles) under ejido control... they want you to buy 'ejido' firewood (leņa) and not gather your own.
In Baja, if you do gather your own dead wood... be careful of scorpions who love to live in it!
One special Baja fire feature is tossing in some copper ore (many copper mines around Baja) and after several minutes the ore causes color changes in
the flames... Paulina calls them MAGIC ROCKS!
It is hard to capture on film, but here is one taken by Bedman at Camp Gecko:
and I tried to capture it, not as good as Bedman!:
HAVE FUN!
[Edited on 11-22-2009 by David K]
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
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Location: Redding, Northern CA
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I have always brought wood back from Baja that I took down in the first place from the USA------nobody has EVER even asked me about it. I have my
wood on top of my camper, in a storage box, so maybe they never knew ?!?!?!?
Barry
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
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Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Bringing your own wood or buying it from the locals is the best way. You don't deplete the local supply without giving something back. Back in the
day, before I decided that hot showers and A/C were important, that's what we did.
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woody with a view
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| Quote: | Originally posted by soulpatch
As common as anywhere else. If there are dead agave around they burn great.
Have fun. |
like the man said. these dried up, dead agave are EVERYWHERE. bring some rope and drag them back to camp with your truck. get out on the sand where
the tide will wash the burnt scar away tomorrow. with a splash of charcoal lighter fluid they burn HOT so watch out for spiders/scorpions/snakes
trying to get away!!!! 
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Terry28
Senior Nomad
Posts: 825
Registered: 8-25-2007
Location: S.Calif mtns.
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Mood: Thirsty
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David K..I have been buying wood and bringing it back for over 10 years..never a problem...and I always cross at San Ysidiro....oak for $50 +_ is a
very good deal for me....and the guys that sell the wood are happy as well...they say it comes from their ranch in the hills outside of Rosarito
Mexico!! Where two can live as cheaply as one.....but it costs twice as much.....
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 2-9-2004
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that fire in the photo above is not a campfire. That's just an uncontrolled burn of dead foliage. Do a little better and make a small campfire -
enough to cook or keep you warm, without hacking down and destroying anything that is still IN the ground -- only something that is laying about.
There are many desert species that go dormant in winter and they look dead, but they are not. And, like turtles and other endangered stuff in Baja
California, mesquite has been over harvested which is impacting the prevalence of this plant where it should thrive. Just bring your own, or collect
wood on the side of the road, or buy oak if it's available - but don't buy mesquite or ironwood to burn for firewood. And please don't make any new
fire rings where there are others already available, and don't throw garbage in it that won't burn, or toss bottles in it and leave them there, etc.,
etc. I'm sure you understand if you practice "leave no trace." Always a good thing. And if you're some place where there are multiple fire rings,
you can do everyone a favor by breaking up the old fire rings and restoring the area like it should look. I know that's probably not the answer you
were looking for, but the old Baja took a lot of abuse - it's time now to repair some of the damage when we can. Thank you.
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Crusoe
Senior Nomad
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Registered: 10-14-2006
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Good ON YA Wilderone---Tell it like it is........++C++
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bog
Newbie
Posts: 11
Registered: 5-28-2009
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try a weber smokey joe bbq. they are small and pack well. you cook your food and the coals stay hot so adding a 3 hour match log is perfect. you will
get plenty of heat. take out the top grill and add the log. these log burn clean and are also easy to pack. you don't have to destroy the local plants
or leave a ugly mess on the beach or any where you camp. leave no trace
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Vanderpooch
....what do I need to know about having fires while traveling and camping in Baja??
Thanks! |
You will have no problems with campfires or firewood if you follow all these good suggestions.
However..You DO need to know that CHUPACABRAS live in Baja campfires.
Have fun with them on your trip and write a report when you get time.
.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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