My 2 cents. In recent years all my camping has been done in state parks in Michigan.

- There is plenty of dead dry wood on the ground or still on the trees in most areas in Michigan. A hatchet is not necessary. I can break larger branches in the "V" of a tree, or simply drag one end to my fire pit, or break it with my feet. If the branch bends too much without breaking, perhaps it is too green or too wet. As the branch burns I drag more of it into the pit. I let the fire do my work to burn through long logs. Then I am left with 2 shorter logs.

- Pines are very common in Michigan and should not be used for cooking meat directly over a fire as the smoke will give your food a bad taste. Instead, put foil over your wood stove grill, and cook over that IF you are using pine. Otherwise try to stick with non-pine (box elder, maple, oak, mulberry, etc) for directly cooking food when the flames/smoke will touch the food.

- I went to Isle Royal in 1986? I think they have giardia there. A ranger told us to filter or boil all our water. Possibly the giardia is transmitted by moose poo.