Haven't looked at that reg. in years, it brings back memories. When I was a kid in Central Oregon, we always used to carry those in the trunk of our bug whenever we'd head out for the woods. I would be willing to bet you'd figure out how to cut fire-line prettty quick if a wildfire came screaming toward your camp.  Self -preservation often trumps incompetence, and barbecued Squirrel only smells good when it's not covered with hair. Carry that axe and shovel
Don

----- Original Message -----
From: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Date: Sunday, October 11, 2009 2:11 am
Subject: [NVC] An axe, shovel, and a bucket of water

> The dispersed camping guidelines for the national forest
> hereabouts urges
>  that "You should have a bucket, shovel, and axe available to
> control or
> extinguish escaped fire."
>
> (
> http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/recreation/dispersed/index.shtml )
>
> I can see how the shovel and water (I assume that the bucket is
> meant to
> have water in it) would be useful if the fire jumps the fire ring,
> and for
> making sure that the fire is out -- dead out -- and covered before
> leaving.
> But how, exactly, would an axe be used to control or extinguish
> escapedfire? I'm fairly sure that I'm not in any way qualified or
> trained to be
> cutting down trees to form a fire break.
>
> --
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> 74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
> Bend, OR
> KG6RCR
>