How to Season Firewood

When it comes to "roughing it" in the great outdoors, there's one thing that you're going to need to help you get a good meal and a little warmth-firewood. But if it's not seasoned, then you'll suddenly find yourself lighting a whole lot of matches that won't catch. Here's how to season your firewood so that it burns on demand when camping.

Things You'll Need

• Axe (optional if wood is not pre-split)

Instructions

1. Split the wood so that it is at a relatively medium size. Remember that smaller pieces dry faster. The ideal piece of wood is a little over 1 foot long and a few inches in diameter.

2. Place the wood outdoors and off the ground. There are several remedies for this if you are roughing it. One is to build a make-shift rack with wood. Another is to use cinder blocks. Another is to use rocks. And even another is to place it on the picnic table. (The picnic table has already been treated.)

3. Allow air between the wood. The more air that gets at the wood, the faster it will dry. So while you'll have to stack it to keep it in one place, allow plenty of room between the logs.

4. Strip the bark of the wood. This trick is dependent upon whether the wood is covered. If you have covered it with a tarp, then strip it, as it will dry faster. However if a tarp is not available, only strip the bottom half of the bark. This way the top half will protect the wood from rain, sleet, snow and other moisture.

5. Season the wood by placing it in the hot sun. Obviously, if the wood is in a hot dry place, it will season faster than if it is next to a damp rock.

Tips & Warnings

• Firewood retains almost 50 percent of its water after it's cut. It will not properly burn until the threshold dives below 20 percent. When camping, look for wood that is already "dead." That way you won't have to wait for it to season.

• Always bring along a little lighter fluid and a lot of matches. This tends to make up for wood that is not fully seasoned.

• Wood can house many insects. Keep the wood pile at least 20 feet from your home. Also, burn the wood as soon as you bring it inside. You don't want any creepy crawlers running around.