Firewood is not as generic as it may seem. Different types of trees produce wood with traits that are both good and bad. You need to determine the use for the firewood and what will work best for you.
- Hardwood will give you a more sustained, or longer, burn time, but it will take longer for the wood to be ready to use since it will need a greater time to dry out, called seasoning.
- Softwood is a faster burning substance. It will get hot quicker but will not last as long and you will need to feed the fire more frequently to keep it going.
You should be able to identify the tree wood for your fire and choose carefully. You can start with some basic questions:
- Is it hardwood or softwood?
- How much heat is produced?
- What will I use it for, i.e. a campfire or a stove to keep the room warm all night long?
- Will the tree wood split easily and therefore be easy for me to manage into usable sizes?