Moving rounds through the woods

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bryan

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Aug 10, 2012
108
Wilmington, NC
There is a strip of woods/county "park" behind the house through which the powerlines run. Just before Sandy hit the powerline crews came and took out some standing dead trees and they cut them into firewood lengths. A beech was just behind my neighbors house and he offered it without me asking. Easy enough to get to my piles as they were literally a stones through away. About 6 houses up two more trees were taken down another beech and perhaps an oak (I know picts). It is lying in the park, but the neighbor has quite of bit of ancient firewood stacked in her yard so I figured I'd make sure she didn't want it. I approached her yesterday and got the go ahead to take it. The only issue is its going to require hauling it through the woods about a tenth of a mile and I have to cross a shallow stream 3 times. Any advice on how to move it? Do I split it where it is and carry it or somehow roll the rounds. I have a wagon, but it wouldn't be able to make it up and down the banks of the stream. She quite the landscaper and a bit cranky (she was defensive of her stacks even though I didn't even mention them) so I think asking her to trek it across her yard to the road is out of the question.
 
4x4 quad would be nice with a trailer?? Or just split it and use a wheel barrow as an option. take the time to make a decent path and the one wheel will make it rather simple depending on the up/down and depth of the creek(s). TSC or others offer some really decent tow wagons that can handle pretty big loads and will be valuable moving firewood around the yard so that is always an option to invest in.
What does Zap say?? Get it before it ROTS
Necessity is the mother of invention!!
 
I believe they call what you're in a "Pickle"==c As a great philosopher once said: "Good luck with that!"
 
Boy those are all nice toys I'd like to have. Sounds like I'm just in a pickle and time to invest in that wheel barrow I've wanted. There is no road just a narrow hiking path. It'll be a pain no matter what, but scroungers can't be choosers.
 
If there is snow on the ground I pull all my wood out with a heavy duty plastic sled. I don't have any of those toys yet either! Its not fast but you'd be surprised how much weight you can pull pretty easy. The one I have is called a "Jet Sled" They work good for ice fishing too! I have pulled about 6 cord out of my 15 acre this winter this way.
 
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Backpack?:p
 
but scroungers can't be choosers.

Its the prehistoric thrill of the hunt; like tracking and spearing a wooly mammoth. Once the adrenalin kicks in you'll get that wood back to the cave and keep the whole pod warm!;lol
 
50 feet from the back of the truck is about my limit, anything further than that gets labeled "inaccessible". After a certain distance it's just not worth it, going over or around obstacles shortens that distance considerably.
You are 10 times my maximum distance and have 3 times as many obstacles I would be willing to deal with. Personally I would have to label that wood "inaccessible".
Of course if my family was shivering in the cold, and I was unemployed, I would grab a wheelbarrow and my saw and start cutting and hauling, if nothing else it would be good exercise. But then again,,, that wood probably won't be much good for burning for a couple years, so you might be the only one who gets warmed up by it for now. ;)
 
Backpack?:p

I'm thinking of rigging something with some rope so I can bind up the pieces and pack them out on my back. Or building a sledge and dragging them out.
 
For rounds up to about 12" Dia. I use the "Indian walk" to get them to wheelbarrow territory. Hold the round by the ends in front of you, lean forward slightly, and swing the round gently side to side with your stride and toward your advancing leg. It takes a while but is easy and almost fun, much more enjoyable than the "Paul Bunyan".

Throw a party for the neighborhood kids and teach them the technique!
 
Have you considered a deer drag cart? I've see others use this method. Your center of balance stays over the axle, you load that puppy up as much as you can maneuver and use a ratchet strap to hold it to the cart. Maybe split some of the bigger rounds on the spot to make it easier to load.

http://simage1.sportsmansguide.com/adimgs/l/1/120146i2_ts.jpg

Some modifications to this buggy would make a great scrounging cart!
 
Have you considered a deer drag cart? I've see others use this method. Your center of balance stays over the axle, you load that puppy up as much as you can maneuver and use a ratchet strap to hold it to the cart. Maybe split some of the bigger rounds on the spot to make it easier to load.

Some modifications to this buggy would make a great scrounging cart!


I was contemplating a hand truck with large wheels with some bungy cords/tie downs, but that looks even better. It sure would cut down on the number of trips from a scrounge.
 
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Boy those are all nice toys I'd like to have. Sounds like I'm just in a pickle and time to invest in that wheel barrow I've wanted. There is no road just a narrow hiking path. It'll be a pain no matter what, but scroungers can't be choosers.

If you are burning wood & don't have a way to move it around. I think you are due at least a wheel barrow :)
A piece of thin plywood may make a usable sled, but
get a wheel barrow, for more than just fire wood, kids love to ride in wheel barrows :)
 
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. But then again,,, that wood probably won't be much good for burning for a couple years, so you might be the only one who gets warmed up by it for now. ;)
I do believe Dennis burns wood older than me, well maybe close. But stacked off the ground that should easily last 10 years
 
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I have wheelbarrowed a lot of wood out of the woods in my time. I would not be without one. Today I had 6 ft wide ditch between my cutting and the truck. 7' 2x8 worked real fine to wheelbarrow across that ditch.
 
Have you considered a deer drag cart? I've see others use this method. Your center of balance stays over the axle, you load that puppy up as much as you can maneuver and use a ratchet strap to hold it to the cart. Maybe split some of the bigger rounds on the spot to make it easier to load.

http://simage1.sportsmansguide.com/adimgs/l/1/120146i2_ts.jpg

Some modifications to this buggy would make a great scrounging cart!

Scott, I've came close to buying one of those (there are different models too) a few times thinking how handy they could be. For sure if someone had to haul wood out by hand, it seems they would really be nice. Then if there were 2 people, it could really make it easy.
 
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Scott, I've came close to buying one of those (there are different models too) a few times thinking how handy they could be. For sure if someone had to haul wood out by hand, it seems they would really be nice. Then if there were 2 people, it could really make it easy.
I'm going to try and build a similar cart, but it'll be dedicated to JUST wood hauling and I'd make a 'floor' of canvas or something like that. But I have talked to others who said that they work great, and I believe it. I know they make it a hell of a lot easier to get a deer out of the woods!
 
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Is the stream small enough that you can drop a plank across it? I've done that before with ditches and worked well.

Cheers!
 
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