Firewood in the Forest

A lot of times out in the wild, you’ll find yourself searching for some use-able firewood. But sometimes, you’ll put in your kindling, set up your firewood, and… nothing. Why won’t it start? Well, you’re probably using wood that’s got some moisture built up in its core. Today we’re going to give you some tips on how to identify the best firewood to get your camp up and running!

The most important tip is to get the driest wood possible. You can easily test this by picking a smaller piece of your firewood, and snapping it in half. If it snaps well, and produces a loud crack, then it is dry inside.

Next, try to collect a variety of firewood. Much of the smaller debris in a forest is a softwood twigs. These twigs don’t produce as much heat, but they do ignite easier. If at all possible, collect some hardwood firewood as well. Hardwoods will burn longer and slower, which means more coals.

Finally, just to save yourself some time, gather a whole bushel of firewood so that you can spend more time enjoying the fruits of your labor. And, if you really want to save the trips to get firewood, get one of our Hot Ash Rocket Stoves. All you need is just a handful of twigs to get it going, even softwood will do! Thanks to their efficient design, you can cook with a minuscule amount of firewood, and still end up with a delicious meal on the trail.