How to Find Dry Firewood While Survival Camping

Here's how to find dry firewood while camping in an area that allows both open fires and the collection of firewood. Otherwise, use propane or white gas burners to cook your food.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. If you are on a multi-day camping trip where the collection of firewood is permitted, use these steps to collect dry firewood with minimal environmental impact.

2. You'll need to collect three kinds of firewood, kindling, branch size pieces, and larger log size pieces. Start the fire with the kindling, and move up to the larger size pieces.

3. Only dead wood burns hot enough for a suitable fire, so don't collect wood from green or living trees.

4. Look for dry wood on the ground when it's sunny out, and store it for later use. In wet weather, look on the ground under trees.

5. Take wood from completely dead trees, in out of the way locations. Don't saw off branches, or break the lower branches of living trees.

6. Don't use logs or wood that will be "missed" in the landscape. Use common sense in order to preserve the character of the land.

7. When collecting wood in areas without deadfall, build small fires, and use as little wood as possible.

8. Don't strip birch bark or any bark as firestarter. Bring firestarter blocks with you.

9. Make sure any fire you leave behind is completely out to the touch. Rake the coals in order to be completely sure. Never start a fire in an area that is of high fire danger.