When first picking out wood, you want to make sure it is seasoned or dry.
By making sure the wood is dry, it will be easier to start a fire with and produce more heat.
You will be able to tell if it is dry or seasoned because it will be lighter in weight or by looking at the bark.
If the bark is brittle and can crack off easy, then it is dry.
If you have to peel or rip off the bark then that piece of wood is probably still wet.
If the wood is still green or too wet, then they heat produced by the fire will use up all of its energy just to dry out the wood until it can burn.
Wood will not burn unless it is dry.
You can tell if the wood is wet also if it feels too heavy.
Think about it in terms of anything that falls in the water (like a t-shirt) is heavier than when it was dry because it is holding all of that water.
When starting a fire, I always like to do the log cabin effect.
This way is when you place two small pieces of kindling (small sticks of wood) on the ground about 7 inches apart, then place two more pieces perpendicular on top of those on the ground and repeat for 4 or five levels.
This way you can start a small fire in the middle of the "log cabin" with a fire starter or small twigs and leaves and then they can catch on the small sticks that surround it.
It also makes it super easy to build off of it once the flames get big enough, you just progressively put larger and larger logs on in the same fashion/stacking technique and watch the fire burn.
The first wood I will mention is Oak Wood.
This type of wood is very dense which means it should hold a longer burn as well as last at least a year while being stored.
With it being so dense, it also means it will create a very hot fire.
Now, fire is fire and it will be hot regardless, but what I mean by hot is that it will radiate more heat more quickly and more efficiently.
One negative of Oak is that because it is so dense, it will take a long time to season or become dry.
It is said that you should let Oak wood season for about one year, but it is definitely worth the wait.
The next wood is Maple Wood.
Maple is a great wood to burn because it is one of the most come types to come across and it burns well.
Maple wood is a faster burning wood, but it has a very hot burn.
This species of wood is also very difficult to split.
So if you are looking to stock up for the winter, this type of wood my not be your first choice if you are in a hurry or time frame.
Maple will start to rot more quickly than other woods so once it is seasoned or dry, make sure you keep it dry.
Next is Birch wood.
Birch wood is interesting for a few things, one of them being its bark.
The bark on Birch is white in color that you can actually horizontally peel off of the tree.
A great use of this bark is for a fire starter.
The bark is easy to pull off and almost paper like so it is perfect for kindling.
The easiest way to tell it is Birch is not only the bark, but the smell, which is the smell of wintergreen.
That is just when it is alive, but when you burn it in the fire, it smells even better because of the heat and smoke.
With Birch being so brittle and thin ini diameter, it is a quick burner but burns hot and very bright in color.
By making sure the wood is dry, it will be easier to start a fire with and produce more heat.
You will be able to tell if it is dry or seasoned because it will be lighter in weight or by looking at the bark.
If the bark is brittle and can crack off easy, then it is dry.
If you have to peel or rip off the bark then that piece of wood is probably still wet.
If the wood is still green or too wet, then they heat produced by the fire will use up all of its energy just to dry out the wood until it can burn.
Wood will not burn unless it is dry.
You can tell if the wood is wet also if it feels too heavy.
Think about it in terms of anything that falls in the water (like a t-shirt) is heavier than when it was dry because it is holding all of that water.
When starting a fire, I always like to do the log cabin effect.
This way is when you place two small pieces of kindling (small sticks of wood) on the ground about 7 inches apart, then place two more pieces perpendicular on top of those on the ground and repeat for 4 or five levels.
This way you can start a small fire in the middle of the "log cabin" with a fire starter or small twigs and leaves and then they can catch on the small sticks that surround it.
It also makes it super easy to build off of it once the flames get big enough, you just progressively put larger and larger logs on in the same fashion/stacking technique and watch the fire burn.
The first wood I will mention is Oak Wood.
This type of wood is very dense which means it should hold a longer burn as well as last at least a year while being stored.
With it being so dense, it also means it will create a very hot fire.
Now, fire is fire and it will be hot regardless, but what I mean by hot is that it will radiate more heat more quickly and more efficiently.
One negative of Oak is that because it is so dense, it will take a long time to season or become dry.
It is said that you should let Oak wood season for about one year, but it is definitely worth the wait.
The next wood is Maple Wood.
Maple is a great wood to burn because it is one of the most come types to come across and it burns well.
Maple wood is a faster burning wood, but it has a very hot burn.
This species of wood is also very difficult to split.
So if you are looking to stock up for the winter, this type of wood my not be your first choice if you are in a hurry or time frame.
Maple will start to rot more quickly than other woods so once it is seasoned or dry, make sure you keep it dry.
Next is Birch wood.
Birch wood is interesting for a few things, one of them being its bark.
The bark on Birch is white in color that you can actually horizontally peel off of the tree.
A great use of this bark is for a fire starter.
The bark is easy to pull off and almost paper like so it is perfect for kindling.
The easiest way to tell it is Birch is not only the bark, but the smell, which is the smell of wintergreen.
That is just when it is alive, but when you burn it in the fire, it smells even better because of the heat and smoke.
With Birch being so brittle and thin ini diameter, it is a quick burner but burns hot and very bright in color.