kypaddler wrote on Oct 2^nd, 2009 at 1:32pm:

As to the charred birch tree shot, don't kid yourselves. That wasn't a paddler/camper. That was a partier. Kegger anyone? -- kypaddler

You might be on too something ;)
When I used to trip with 3 other guys who NEVER met a campfire they didn't want too get DRUNK around, I would retire early because I was the "cat" herder and often woke up to find the fire pit full of items they thought would burn :-?  A few times it contained items of clothing they had hung on dead branches and ended up throwing in the fire :(
One trip to Maine one of the guys burned up his ONLY pair of long pants.
He was a rotund fellow, and only one of us wore the same size pant as he. Sooo, he had too wear the guy's DIRTY pants for a week. It was late September, cold and rainy, with a frost every night, not good laundry weather.
 Not a big thing, EXCEPT the guy had had some Lower Intestinal problems from eating Freeze dried food that was past its expiration date :'(
 WE called that trip the CRAPPY PANTS trip and I can guarantee the wearer of those pants NEVER came on a trip again without at least 2 pair of pants ;D