It goes without saying that campfires are the heart of a campsite. However, building a stable campfire is much more than tossing a few wood logs in a pit and lighting the fire. It requires patience, experience, and most importantly, the right kind of stringybark firewood.
Yes, you have heard it right – whether you need the campfire for cooking or want to protect yourself from the chilly outdoor weather, the success of your campfire depends on the kind of wood you choose. Otherwise, you may end up running into trouble when building a fire.
Sometimes, you might not be able to get the fire hot enough for cooking, or you literally burn through wood quickly. So, in this guide, we will share a few factors you should keep in mind when choosing the right kind of firewood.
What should you consider when choosing firewood for a campfire?
Season: Different firewood has varied dry time, ranging from 1 to 2 years. However, when it comes to choosing the right kind of stringybark firewood, it is important to check in which season the wood has been cut as it will decide for how long it will burn.
It is a fact that properly dried wood will burn hotter than wood with some moisture content. Moreover, the unseasoned wood will produce more smoke than seasoned wood and result in incomplete combustion. It will make it difficult to sit around the campfire. So, experts suggest that you should always choose a wood for your campfire that has been cut in the spring season and then stacked in a sheltered area for at least 1-year.
Density: Wood density is defined as the ratio of the amount of wood in a unit per volume of wood. The density of the wood plays a vital role in deciding the success of your campfire. When the firewood for sale has a high density and is compact, it will burn slowly and for a long time. On the other hand, if the wood has holes or low density, it will burn faster. So, it is vital to check the density of firewood before picking it for your campfire.
Moisture content: As already discussed, the moisture content in the firewood decides for how long the wood will burn. More moisture content will slow down the ignition process and produce less heat. The reason behind it is that the heat energy from the fire will get wasted on drying the wood. So, before you choose firewood for your campfire, check the moisture content of the wood.
Soil type: Each wood species has its own burn rate, flame output, and ash generation rate. For instance, Wandoo and Jarrah are amongst the best logs in Western Australia. In contrast, brown peppermint in Tasmania, brown stringybark in Southern NSW, and Ironbark in Queensland are the favoured options. So, before you go ahead, it is vital to check where the trees grew.
The Bottom Line
Since not all firewood is created equally, you need to be extra careful when choosing the firewood for your campfire. We hope that this guide will help you find the best firewood and ensure that you can have a stable campfire and enjoy your trip to the fullest.
All the Best!