How do you plan/calculate your kindling needs for a season?

[ruserious2008]

first year burner who winged it this winter and used scrap from construction projects I saved from the past year and cut up pallets thru out the winter as I ran out and needed more kindling.
Figuring I'm going to burn 2-3 cords next year (unless Al Gore can get that global warming thing going!) and really have no idea or feel for how much kindling I need to get cut up this summer for next years season so that I'm not out there in a couple of ft of snow cutting pallets up in the freezing winter! . What do you do for planning your kindling needs? tnx

 

[thewoodlands]

first year burner who winged it this winter and used scrap from construction projects I saved from the past year and cut up pallets thru out the winter as I ran out and needed more kindling.
Figuring I'm going to burn 2-3 cords next year (unless Al Gore can get that global warming thing going!) and really have no idea or feel for how much kindling I need to get cut up this summer for next years season so that I'm not out there in a couple of ft of snow cutting pallets up in the freezing winter! . What do you do for planning your kindling needs? tnx

We used less so far this year burning 24/7, we had what they call a face cord ready this year. 4 feet high x 8 feet long x 15 inches long.

We will have about the same amount ready for this coming heating season.


Zap

 

[Jagtec1]

I simply pick up all the fallen branches that have been "naturally dead-wooded" from the trees on my property.

 

[remkel]

Well, I just make kindling as I go along. An axe, some smaller splits, and away i go.....dry wood is dry wood no matter how large or small the split is.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I do not find I need a whole lot. A couple of boxes of twigs and some left over bark. I usally start a fire with a piece of paper egg carton, a little dry lint in the egg carton (just one eggs worth) and I put 2 or 3 twigs over my make shift firestarter. Put a big split in the back of the fire box and lean 1 or 2 smaller splits over the starter stuff. I am upset if I need a second match. Once you get dry wood and some practice it does not take long. Cut up pallets will make great kindling and I used that my first year, this year I did not use any pallets. Ideally when you keep some coals going you do not even need to restart.

 

[KB007]

Don't really use any - just use a firestarter when we need to start - which is not that often burning 24X7. Much less of a PIA and the wife can start a fire when I'm not there

 

[rdust]

I split it as I need it, usually about a wheelbarrows worth at a time. It's crazy really, I have more kindling sized pine branches on the ground than I could ever burn in the stove yet I still split my cord wood into kindling. If I'm having a fire outside I'll usually gather the pine branches.

 

[bogydave]

Burning 24/7, my fire don't go out totally. So a 5 gallon bucket full for the year.
When I empty, I leave some hot coals & since my wood is primarily birch,
it starts up with just the coals, (sometimes i throw in some extra birch bark).

 

[bboulier]

I don't burn 24/7, so I need more kindling. Like Dave, I usually split about a 5 gallon bucket full, but it doesn't last me all that long before I need to split some more.

 

[LLigetfa]

There was a time I lived hand-to-mouth and would make a 5 gallon pail full of kin'lin at a time but it seemed everytime I ran out and needed to make more it was damn cold outside. In the Fall of '09 I decided to make enough for the whole year and must have overestimated my needs as I still have a few bundles left.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/43993/

 

[bogydave]

Very nice & neat.
Great idea, will copy it for sure, Thanks for the pics.
Not birch kindling but
the wood below it looks like birch? (or aspen)

 

[LLigetfa]

Ja, the wood below it is Aspen and I turned it all into kin'lin too. The Ash however splits nicer.

 

[begreen]

We are usually a year or two ahead in our kindling. I keep boxes filled that I gather from projects, splitting scraps, carpentry scraps, cabinetry scraps, flooring scraps and keep them dry in the shed.

 

[PapaDave]

Don't use much kindling, but what I do use is just bark and pieces from splitting. I make no real effort to actually MAKE kindling.
I do pick up downed branches every once in a while. When the wood is nice and dry, no kindling needed. I just put the wood in with a little newspaper, and off it goes. It wasn't always this easy, it took a couple-three years to get to this point.
In the middle of winter, the fire rarely goes out, so that's just reloads of wood. YMMV

 

[nate379]

I don't use any.

 

[pen]

I keep about a 5 gal pail w/ kindling as backup and have about the same amount in a rack not far from the stove. Then when I find an extremely straight piece of wood I'll set it to the side and save it for kindling. My stove is in the basement so I can cut it down there if need to w/ the hatchet or double bit axe. I have a chopping block w/ carpet on the bottom so it's not too loud. I probably only go through 2 maybe 3, 5 gal pails worth a year. It depends on how many times the wife has to start the stove compared to me (she uses A LOT of kindling, which is just fine). I also don't use much since my stove runs 24-7 from November through March generally.

I suppose it really depends on your burning habits (24-7 or not) and whether or not you will be making small, hot fires during the shoulder season or if you'll turn the furnace on during those damp, cool days.

pen

 

[SolarAndWood]

I used a few framing cutoffs when we lit at the beginning of October, nothing but smaller splits on a bed of coals since.

 

[Woody Stover]

I usally start a fire with a piece of paper egg carton, a little dry lint

I can send you a cord of dust bunnies from under the bed, and I'll throw in some belly button lint for good measure. PM me your address. ;-)
I usually get kindling when I play golf; I just stuff several choice pieces in the bag as I walk through the woods looking for my ball. :lol:

 

[smokinj]

I don't use any.

+1 start fire mid-Oct goes out when the wood runs out!

 

[Thistle]

I accumulate it all the time- twigs from the yard,pruning,corn cobs,slivers etc from splitting,most of what I have is scrap from my shop,offcuts/trimmings from the Alaskan mill & bandsaw though.Plus I still bring home scrap wood & the occasional pallet or 3 from various jobsites I work at too 2-3 times a year.Stored outdoors in several lidded metal cans from 30 to 55 gallon each,with the larger pieces stacked with the 'regular' wood.Guessing I use maybe 5% in a year,but accumulate twice that in same period.So I shouldnt run out anytime soon.Also give away 3-4 big boxes full to anyone I know who needs it for their fireplace/stove or outdoor firepit.I just hate to see good dry wood just get tossed in the dumpster.

 

[Wood Duck]

I use a lot of kindling. I start fires often, and often on reload I add some kindling at the end of the splits to get things burning hot fast. I can do this because my splits are cut to rather variable lengths, so when I load side to side (east/west) I usually have a few inches left at one end of the stove. If I let the coals burn down a little too much I add a layer of kindling under the splits because the kindling catches faster and allows air under the splits. I prefer to get the fire going fast rather than let it smoke. Kindling cut the right length for n/s loading (10 inches for my stove) is very convenient. I guess I might burn a 'face cord' of kindling next year, and I already have most of it dry and in the shed. I like to have my firewood dry, and my kindling even drier.

 

[shawneyboy]

I use alot of kindling as well.. Sometimes in the shoulder season I load the stove up with a bunch just to bring the rock up to a good temp, then let it radiate without using my "good" wood. I also sometimes add some in during 24/7 season if I burn down the coals a smidge to far. I have a few garbage cans that I work out of, whatever is left I can burn over the summer in the chiminea. I don't know if I could ever have to much.

Shawn

 

[KarlP]

I point my mouse to Ace Hardware Outlet and the UPS guy drops a bunch of 144ct boxes of Rutland 50B Safelite Fire Starters on my porch the next day.

It looks like I order a half dozen boxes every other year.

If for some reason I need small splits I quarter a large split with a maul.

 

[wood-fan-atic]

No need to 'make' kindling. I only start a few fires a year. A few in fall...then one will burn for 4-5 months (Nov-March), and a few in spring. I find that I will always have some smaller splitter scraps laying around for starting fires from scratch. Some Rutland fire starters or SuperCedars with small splits do the trick. The last thing I need to do is 'find room' to store more wood.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

We actually could get along easily without kindling since buying some Super Cedars. If you have never used them, Thomas might send you some samples. They work great. The come looking like a hockey puck but we break ours into quarters so start 4 fires with each one.

However, old habits sometimes die hard and I still like to use kindling, My wood of choice is soft maple because it splits super easy and also lights super easy and burns fast and hot. This gets the other wood started very nicely. I once time took some still pictures and posted them on this forum of how I make kindling. Here are a couple of those pictures.

These are not the normal size as I usually split to about 1" square but this was some older wood that didn't want to hold together really good so I made it a bit bigger size. It still worked great for kindling. Maybe it is time I took a video of making some and I'll try to remember that if I am able to do any splitting this year.