Firewood

The campfire is certainly one of the iconic features of camping.  In days gone by campers would often collect firewood from around their campsites.  This practice eventually consumed almost all such natural sources of firewood and in most places today, collecting firewood is impractical and mostly illegal.  You will need to bring your own with you or purchase it at the camp store.   Be sure to read the rules or check with the ranger before collecting any firewood around a campground.  Illegal collecting can result in stiff fines.  It is much cheaper to buy a bundle or two of firewood than pay the fines.  Buying local firewood helps prevent the spread of some diseases that might infect wood brought from outside the area and saves you the hassle of transporting it.

Choosing firewood.  A lot of people are rather indiscriminate about what they burn.  This has led to regulations prohibiting the use of some types of scrap lumber in campfires.  Pallets are popular for large bonfires but they leave behind huge amounts of screws and nails.   I once dragged a burn site in a popular camping area in the Mojave desert with a magnet and in less than an hour picked up more than 10# of rusty nails!  You DON'T want to be driving over a mess like that with your RV, car, tow vehicle, or OHV!  Other scrap lumber problems involve painted and chemically treated lumber, including plywood, laminated beams, pressure treated lumber, and other items that include paint or adhesives.  The non-organic materials give off toxic fumes that can cause illness or even death!  Besides that, they smell bad and usually put off nasty smoke which won't endear you to your fellow campers or enhance the fragrance of your clothing.   Using treated or painted lumber outdoors in a campfire isn't as much of a health hazard as it is using it in an indoor fireplace but the fumes can still be dangerous, even outdoors if you happen to be downwind and should breathe them.  Better to avoid the problem by not burning painted or treated wood.  Many places prohibit burning scrap wood with any kind of hardware attached (hinges, knobs, latches, nails, screws) because it contaminates the fire pits and fills them with junk that someone then has to dig out and haul away.

Sagebrush is common in semi-arid areas of the Western United States.   It burns well even when green and makes excellent tinder for starting fires.  It burns very quickly so if it is your sole fuel you'll need to add sticks frequently.   Its aromatic smoke has a pleasant smell and has disinfectant properties so it makes a good fuel for "smoke showers" and killing bacteria on your skin and in clothing and other fabrics when in survival mode.  You can also make tincture from sagebrush to be used as an antibacterial cleaning agent.  A tincture is similar to a tea and made by boiling the silvery leaves.

Best firewood.  The best firewood is whatever you can get conveniently at a reasonable price that is dry and well seasoned.  Avoid green wood (any wood that hasn't been dried for at least a year after being cut).  It will be hard to light and will give off lots of smoke.  However, green wood is a good choice for daytime signal fires where you want to create a lot of visible smoke.  In fact, for creating smoke use green pine boughs or leafy branches.  Choosing hard or soft woods is mostly a matter of cost and availability.  Fancy hardwoods may burn longer and give off more heat per volume, but, unless there is a local source, imported hardwoods will probably be a lot more expensive than local softwoods.  Softwoods are usually easier to split and to light, so they make good tinder and kindling, even if you are using hardwood as your primary fuel.  If you're concerned about which wood produces the most heat, do an Internet search for "firewood btu".  You'll find several charts that give the ratings for various types of wood. In general, hardwoods, like oak, walnut, hickory, and some fruit woods, will burn hotter and last longer than softwoods like pine, poplar, and cedar.  Cedar has a slightly higher btu rating than pine which are both rated "good" overall.  Poplar is generally rated "poor" but is often cheap and readily available because it grows fast.  Wood with "excellent" ratings include ash, oak, and hickory.   For most people, price and availability will be the most important factors.  Even softwoods with low ratings will create beautiful campfires and generate more than enough heat to make you move your chair back when it gets going.  Need more heat?   Pile on more wood.   But don't make your fire bigger than necessary to keep you and your companions warm.  That's called a "white man's fire", according to the old saying "White man build big fire, stand way back; Indian build small fire, get up real close."   There is much wisdom in using an Indian fire.  Not only does it conserve wood and save money, it reduces the amount of pollution you add to the atmosphere -- and you'll most likely be more comfortable anyway.   And remember, it isn't just the smoke that pollutes the air, even invisible carbon-dioxide, a by-product of burning wood and other carbon compounds like gasoline is released and believed by some to contribute to global warming (now renamed "climate change")...  Another downside to a big fire is you generally tend to be too hot on the side facing the fire while your backside freezes.  Instead of building a bigger fire, you might want to build smaller ones you can stand between on cold nights or even create a circle of smalls fires and sit or stand in the middle.  Keeping multiple fires going will take more effort, but it might be worth it for the comfort.  Sitting or standing in front of a big fire usually makes you too hot on the side toward the fire while the other side freezes!

Hard versus soft woods.  What is the difference between and hard and soft woods and why do you care what you use in a campfire?  The actual "hardness" of the wood isn't the defining scientific characteristic.  Basically, in layman's terms, hardwoods are flowering plants, softwoods are non-flowering.  Surprisingly, balsa, one of the softest and lightest woods around, is a very soft hardwood. Yew, famous for being used to make English long bows, is a very hard softwood.   Common hardwoods used for firewood usually come from trees such as oak, ash, and hickory.  Pine, fir, cedar, and poplar are among the most common and popular softwoods for campfires.  Hardwoods often have denser cellular structure than softwoods, giving them a higher number of calories or btus per unit volume. That means you'll typically get more heat out of a hardwood log than a softwood log of the same size.   Softwoods are usually easier to light and will burn faster than hardwoods.  Softwoods usually split easier to make kindling too.  Hardwoods are good for fires you want to last a long time and for making good beds of coals for subsequent cooking.  Most of us are too impatient to wait for our fires to create good coals and cook right on the flames, but that is not the best way to do it and one of the reasons so many marshmallows end up as torches instead of golden-brown deserts.   If you're anxious to get that bed of coals, burn softwood, but for a long-lasting cooking fire, use hardwood.  You probably won't be able to tell the difference between the heat output of hardwood and softwood fuels on a campfire, but it might make a difference if you are heating a cabin with a fireplace or wood stove -- or cooking on a wood stove.

Commercial firewood bundles are quite often primarily softwoods like pine, fir, and cedar, but in some areas where hardwood forests remain you may find hardwood bundles.  In some areas where orchards are common, you may find firewood from fruit trees.  Apple, cherry, walnut and almond all make pretty good firewood.  Firewood needs to cure for about a year after it is cut before it is dry enough to burn well.  Commercial firewood is usually well seasoned or kiln dried, making it dry enough to burn efficiently.  Green wood will be hard to ignite and will give off a lot of smoke.   Most commercial bundles consist of split wood in chunks about 1 1/2' long and about 3" across.  Sometimes you'll see larger or smaller pieces in bundles.  Fatter pieces will last longer in your campfire but smaller ones are easier to light so having a variety of sizes is a good thing.  You can usually split a couple of the larger pieces further to make kindling.  If you have to carry your wood any distance, denser hardwoods are going to be heavier and softwoods lighter, making it easier to carry more softwood.   But, since softwoods burn faster, you will probably need more softwood.  Some firewood bundles are bound by an elastic cord.  Although it is convenient to pick it up by that cord, doing so often results in it breaking and dumping your bundle on the ground.  Better to grab it by the ends of one of the bottom pieces of wood.

Buying in bulk can save you money.  A cord of firewood is 128 cubic feet -- 4'x4'x8'.   It takes a lot of bundles like those sold in front of supermarkets and ranger stations for $4-5.00 each to make a cord, probably more than 60-70, making a cord of firewood at $200 a bargain -- if you have somewhere to store it properly (see below for storage guidelines).  Bulk firewood is sometimes sold by the pickup truck load.  A truck load is usually somewhere around half a cord.   If you buy bulk firewood, know what you're buying.  Is it hard or soft wood? Is it already split and cut into campfire lengths?  How long has it been seasoned.  Good firewood should be seasoned at least one year.  You may see "kiln dried" firewood too.  That is usually more expensive because of the cost of kiln drying it.   Kiln drying makes new wood ready for use quicker than natural seasoning.  The 'kiln' is essentially an oven where the moisture is baked out.  Kiln dried firewood is claimed to burn cleaner, hotter and longer than regular, naturally seasoned firewood and is often guaranteed to have a moisture content below 25%.  Properly seasoned or kiln dried firewood should be fairly light.  Heavy pieces indicate there is still a lot of moisture present.  Some firewood sellers deliver and stack the wood for you.  You can probably save money by going to the lot and picking it up yourself, or stacking it yourself if it is delivered and just dumped in your yard.

Scrap lumber is sometimes an economical source of firewood. It may not be as cosmetically appealing as commercial firewood but you probably won't notice its shape for very long in a fire.   It usually burns faster than logs too.  The odd-sized scraps are sometimes difficult to transport and to arrange in your fire.  As mentioned previously, avoid lumber with hardware and treated or painted lumber.   Old, unpainted wooden fences make good kindling.  They are usually very dry, having been exposed to years of sunlight and rain.  Dimensional lumber from demolished buildings (2x4s, 2x6s, etc) cut into appropriate lengths makes good firewood, if all the hardware has been removed.   Cedar roofing shakes often contain fire-retardant chemicals that may give off toxic fumes, but often, by the time the roof is replaced, the chemicals have mostly been leached out by rain water.  Untreated shingles and shakes make great kindling.  The cutoff scraps from construction sites also make good firewood, although inconsistency in length can make transportation and arrangement somewhat of a problem.  

Crates, plastic tubs, and canvas bags make good containers for transporting odd-sized firewood.   I like using bags because they can be folded or rolled when emptied and take up little room when not in use.  Consistent lengths of wood can be tied in bundles.  Take care when lifting or carrying firewood bundles.  The ties or rubber bands are not really designed for lifting and often break.   Cradle the bundle in your arms or grab a bottom stick by both ends to avoid having the bundle break open.   Sometimes bundles are wrapped in "shrink-wrap".  If you have an aversion to breathing burning plastic, remove the shrink wrap before putting the wood on your fire.  You probably don't want to put the whole bundle on at once anyway.   Disposing of the shrink-wrap in your campfire in a well-ventilated, open area will probably not be hazardous to your health unless you stand over or downwind of the burning plastic and inhale the smoke!  Put the shrink wrap in your trash or follow the example of Bill Clinton's claim about his college marijuana use and don't inhale!

Sources of scrap lumber.  Since most of us are limited in the scope and number of home projects that generate scrap lumber, you'll want to look for alternate sources.   Sometimes you can find "free firewood" in your local classified ads or on craigslist.   This will usually be scrap lumber from new construction or demolition projects.   In many cases you will have to cut it to firewood size.   Watch for new construction projects in your neighborhood.  Many times you can approach the superintendent in charge of the job and get permission to haul away scrap lumber.  Be sure to take ONLY what he/she has designated as scrap.  Many times they will have a pile of unused pieces -- even odd-sized pieces -- that they still plan to use.   Factories that use wood products, like those who make doors, cabinets, and furniture may also be a source of scrap lumber.   I've seen some who put their scrap in a dumpster clearly labeled "free" for anyone to take.   If there is any question, be sure to check with the office before taking anything.  As a courtesy, check in at the office even when there is dumpster labeled free firewood.  Avoid anything that has been chemically treated.   The treated lumber used where wall framing comes in contact with concrete floors and foundations contains chemicals that can generate toxic fumes . Same with plywood and other manufactured wood products and painted lumber.   IF you choose to burn treated or painted lumber, make sure you maintain good ventilation and stand or sit upwind, and avoid breathing the smoke.

Sources of natural firewood.  Never gather firewood in a National Park or Forest Service camp ground without permission. Some open BLM managed primitive camping areas may allow gathering of firewood.  While gathering firewood near most camp grounds is now prohibited, it is possible to obtain wood cutting permits from some forest services.  These permits allow you to harvest limited wood for personal use, taking marked trees from designated areas.  Contact your local Department of Forestry or the USFS to find out if there are permits available in your area and to learn the rules for where, when, and what you can cut.  You'll need a chain saw and a truck or trailer. In some areas you are only allowed to collect already fallen timber or cut only dead trees.   Sometimes the forest management may have "tagged" trees to be removed for thinning.  In any case, take care to follow the rules and take only what your permit and local regulations allow you to take.  You may have to get certified by the Forest Service to use a chainsaw before you will be allowed in the forest.  Fruit orchards sometimes cut down old trees and make the wood available.  Be sure you have permission from the owner and take only that which is designated to be taken.  You may be able to use firewood cut from trees on your own property. I got enough for a couple of nice fires from a single large limb that blew off a big elm tree.  I often save smaller branches cut during annual pruning for future use as kindling.  I also trim the branches from our Christmas trees and save them in a plastic trash bag for tinder and cut the trunk into kindling.   By next Christmas it is dry enough to use for nice, fragrant holiday fires in the fireplace.   When using green wood, cut it into firewood lengths, split larger pieces, and stack it.  It will need to "season" for about 1 year after it has been cut before it will make good firewood.  Split firewood will dry faster and better than full logs.   Cover the top of the pile to keep off rain and snow but leave the sides open to allow air flow to dry and season the wood.   Green wood that hasn't been seasoned will be difficult to burn and will create a lot of smoke.  Split large logs into smaller pieces to facilitate drying, handling, and burning.  The largest logs or pieces of firewood I like to use are 6-8" across.  The best size for normal campfires would be 3-4" across.  While you can split logs using an axe, a wedge works better.  A log-splitter adds a lot of convenience.  Gasoline or electric powered log splitters are the easiest to use but those that use a hydraulic jack and good old fashioned elbow grease are a lot less expensive and are still a LOT more effective and efficient and safer and easier than splitting with an axe or a wedge.  If you do split your wood with an axe or wedge, be sure to follow proper safety procedures to ensure you don't injure anyone, including yourself!

Firewood from your own trees.   Unless you're a city or apartment dweller you probably have some trees on your own property.  Branches and limbs that blow down during storms and those you cut out during pruning can often be used for firewood, or at least for kindling.  But make sure you season it about 1 year before burning it, if you have somewhere to store it while it dries.  Otherwise it will be green, making it difficult to light and producing lots of smoke when you burn it.  Our neighbor has a huge old elm tree that often drops 4-6" thick limbs in high winds, often in our yard.  Each one amounts to about 1 night's fuel for our fireplace at home or one campfire.

Cutting your own firewood is an option if you live near a forest where you can get a firewood permit or own land with trees on it.  Remember, firewood needs to be thoroughly dried or seasoned before it makes a good fire.  If possible choose dead trees for firewood.  If you have to cut green trees (because you need to cut them down for safety or clearing anyway or because you don't have any dead trees available) count on letting the wood season for at least a year before burning it.  Cut your firewood in suitable lengths to fit your fireplace or log splitter before stacking it to dry.   Split wood dries faster and better that green wood.  When stacking it to dry, put it on pallet or lay down a couple of small logs so the firewood doesn't lie directly on the ground.  Cover the top of the pile but leave the sides open so air can freely circulate. 

Storing firewood.  It may be cost effective to purchase larger quantities of firewood than you need for a single outing.  When you do, you'll need a place to store it until you're ready to use it.  Do not stack it against your house or garage.  It can attract insects that may infest your structure or may create a fire hazard.  Do not stack it directly on the ground where it will absorb moisture and start to rot.  Put in on a pallet or "skids" to allow air to circulate beneath the pile.  Cover the top to keep rain and snow off, but leave the sides open so the pile can breathe.  Completely wrapping it with a tarp or plastic sheet will trap moisture inside and may encourage insects, vermin and mold.  Termites might turn your stack of firewood into a pile of sawdust.  Mold probably won't affect the quality of the wood much, except by retaining moisture, but it could make it nasty to handle and might give off strange odors when it burns.  And you DON'T want to breathe mold spores when you handle the wood. They can be toxic.

Splitting firewood.  You will normally want or need to split firewood.  There are several reasons for doing this.  First, split wood will dry more quickly, making it usable faster than logs.  Secondly, split wood is usually easier to ignite than whole logs.  And, third, you cans split it into sizes that are convenient to stack, store, transport, and use in your fire.  You will also probably need to split firewood to make kindling to help get your fire going.  Some people use a large axe to split firewood but it is usually faster, safer, and easier to use a wedge and a sledge hammer.  For even more convenience, use a log splitter.  As previously mentioned, electric or gasoline powered splitters are the easiest to use but manual splitters powered by a hand operated hydraulic jack are still a lot easier, faster, and safer than splitting logs with an axe or even a hammer and wedge.  You will probably use an axe or hatchet for splitting kindling.  Use a stick -- not your fingers --to steady the piece you're splitting.  It is no big loss if you chop the end off your stabilizer stick, but would definitely be a big deal if you chopped off one or more fingers!  And remember, "when you cut  your own wood, it warms you twice!"

Spiders and other insects may take up residence in wood piles so always wear gloves and be observant when handling firewood.  Most spiders are benign, but black widows and brown recluse spiders are very poisonous to human beings.  If you suspect you've been bitten by a poisonous spider, seek professional medical help as soon as possible.  Capture the offending critter if you can so they can confirm the nature of the bite.   Black widow bites are seldom fatal but they, along with brown recluse bites, can cause extreme discomfort.  Wasps and yellow jackets are also common residents of wood piles and wood sheds.  Although their stings are not life-threatening (unless you are allergic to them), they are very painful.  Some kinds of ants are also prone to biting or stinging.  Insects left in or on wood placed into your fire will quickly be eliminated.   However, a wasp or yellow-jacket nest inside a hollow piece of wood might be aggravated when placed in a fire and could send stream of angry insects in your direction.  Try to remove or otherwise neutralize nests before adding the wood to your fire.  If you are allergic to bees or wasps, be sure to have your epi-pen handy in case you do get stung.

An alternate source of fuel often used by American pioneers on the prairie where wood was scarce were "buffalo chips" -- dried buffalo manure.  Dried manure is reasonable fuel in an emergency, but most people are loath to handle it and fear it may give off odors when burned.  Actually it is mostly undigested grass and burns fairly cleanly.  Dried dung from grazing cattle is often a good source of survival fuel.  Deer and elk dung is mostly like pebbles and not suitable as fuel for a fire.  Dung from predators and other meat eaters including humans definitely does not make good fuel.  Unless you are camping in an area used frequently for cattle grazing, you aren't likely to find many "chips" lying around and you probably don't want to use up valuable space transporting it from home and it can get disgusting if it gets wet.

Fire it up!