Firewood is an essential tool for survival. It’s common, renewable, and is instrumental for cooking food and staying warm. Apart from gathering a pile of twigs, dousing them in lighter fluid, and setting them ablaze, it takes a skilled outdoor enthusiast to create a proper fire.
The species of wood is important to note when it comes to firewood. Various wood types can behave differently while burning. Characteristics to look for in good firewood include ignition temperature, heat output, smoke produced, longevity, spitting, sparking, and popping. Softwoods, for instance, ignite easily, burn quickly, and work well as kindling.
Some of the best wood to use for firewood includes:
Black Locust
This excellent firewood exhibits a remarkable heat output by weight and generates a low amount of smoke. It’s perfect for wood-burning stoves or fireplaces, as it emits few sparks while lit.
Hickory
A close second, this firewood burns extremely hot and generates a minimal amount of smoke. The aroma of hickory is second-to-none and is often used in barbecues to infuse into food. Very few sparks are emitted from this firewood.
White Oak
The third option does not burn quite as hot as the first two, but it does produce less smoke. A modest amount of sparks are generated, and this wood is effortless to split.
Try to avoid the following wood for firewood applications:
Elm
This firewood burns quickly and produces far less heat than most other woods. It’s also tough to split, generates a decent amount of smoke, and can be odorous when burned. Thankfully, it only produces a small amount of sparks.
Aspen
Second-worst on the list, this firewood produces low heat, high smoke, and lots of sparks. It can be burned in a pinch, but it’s definitely not the first choice.
Pine
Unless you are freezing to death, pine is probably not the type of wood you should use for firewood. When lit, it creates a massive amount of smoke, can cause buildup in chimneys, exudes tons of sparks, has a stinky odor, and produces a low amount of heat.
Firewood, check. Now all you need is supplies! Visit our online shop to browse our survival selection.
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Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.