Responsible Firewood Gathering

The wife and I quit campfires after our couple of years of backpacking in the early 80s and never looked back. The woodsmoke smell on everything is the biggest issue and as we aged neither one of us can tolerate the effect on our sinuses. It is one of the biggest reasons why we avoid campgrounds when ever we can because it certainly seems to be that others can't do without. I think one excuse is that they burn to "keep the bugs away!" but I've seen plenty of smoky mid-day campfires when the bugs are laying down and the temperatures are in the 70s. There were several campfires in the Wahweap CG at Lake Fowell last week despite there being a ban on wood and charcoal fires and nighttime temps in the 60s. I got into it a bit with a neighbor that made a charcoal fire to cook his burgers and then said everyone else is doing it.