FINDING THE RIGHT TYPE OF WOOD

Articles In This Section:

· Around the Fire

· FINDING THE RIGHT TYPE OF WOOD

· KINDLING A FIRE

· DIFFERENT TYPES OF FIRES - Part 1

· DIFFERENT TYPES OF FIRES - Part 2

· COOKING SITES

· BAKING BREAD

· DRILLING A FIRE - Part 1

· DRILLING A FIRE - Part 2

Before you build a fire, you must first have a good supply of firewood on hand. It's embarrassing to realize that there's no more wood when your hot dog is only half done. For a smokeless fire you need completely dry, brittle wood. The dryest branches are those that have lost their bark and never feel cold; cold wood is damp and heavy, and it is useless to you unless you want to dry it out at a fire first. You can find dry brittle wood even after a rain. Look for branches under dense shrubbery (that's a bit of old gypsy lore) or find the lowest dead branches of young pine trees, which are especially suitable for starting fires. Only a greenhorn would start a fire with wood that still has green leaves hanging on it. Such wood is usable only if you already have a strong fire. Thick, dead limbs of old oaks, dried roots and trunks make good heating material. In rainy weather, cut away the top layer of wet sticks; the center will be dry.