Fire wood amount

troutfisher13111

troutfisher13111

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How big a pile of wood would be needed to keep a fire going through a winter night? I know the common idea is take as much as you think you will need and multiply it by three, but its hard for me to picture in my head. I am going to do a overnight winter practice survival trip this winter and I need a idea.
 
I don't know, but I've always remembered this:

"Redskin build small fire, stay warm all night. White man build big fire, keep warm all night fetching firewood!"
 
When I have been backpacking in places that allow fires I use how much burns during the day as a gage. Each camp site will have a certain type of wood that is down with different sizes and water content. After stoking the fire the whole day I have a good idea of how much to scrounge up to last the night.

After thirty years of backpacking I have never had to get up at night and go scrounging for wood via flashlight. I always use the * shape to build the fire and slide the logs in as they burn. That tactic evolved from me always burning larger logs in half vs trying to cut them.
 
This depends completely on how cold it is ging to be. At thirty below, with no shelter and city clothes, you could burn a cord a night.

With a good sleeping bag and some shelter, you might not need any at all. I have camped in twenty below on the gound, no tent, and no fire, and been comfortable. But of course I had a nice down sleeping bag.

So what would you be sleeping in, and how cold would it be? Then I could probably give you an okay idea.
 
A cord of wood is 4' wide, 4' tall, and 8' long! :eek:

Different woods burn at different rates and give off different heat amounts. But a cord???

Codger
 
You bet! When it is thirty below and you are going to lie still for hours at a time, and you aren't insulated in any way, you need a fire the length of your body shooting up a pretty solid wall of flame to keep you alive.

If you built a little cabin and had a wood stove inside it, that same cord might last you three weeks at that temperature...or if your cabin was really well insulated, maybe even longer. But with no shelter, you go through a lot of wood. Try it and see! But hopefully take cold weather gear and a fueled-up truck to hop in to if things go badly!
 
It also helps to set up a space blanket (if you have one) as a reflector to reflect the IR back towards you.

As to the original question, I also use the "see how fast the local wood burns during the day" approach. Always bring more than you calculate you'll need.
 
One thing I tell my guys when collecting wood is to go at least 100 meters away from camp to collect it and don't touch anything within that 100 meter circle. This way when they wake up cold at night they can easily find wood right near camp inthe dark. I have them collect a one square meter pile, but fires here don't need to be big to do the job at night.

I had one group of guys camp right next to a huge dead tree, but they didn't touch it. When I went to check on them in the morning it was all gone. They said that tip saved their bacon. Mac
 
troutfisher13111 said:
How big a pile of wood would be needed to keep a fire going through a winter night? I know the common idea is take as much as you think you will need and multiply it by three, but its hard for me to picture in my head. I am going to do a overnight winter practice survival trip this winter and I need a idea.
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There are so many variables that it's really difficult, if not impossible to tell in advance. In addition to what's already been mentioned such as the different types of wood that might be available and the type of clothing or shelter you'll have, there's also no way of knowing at this point what the weather will be like on the particular night you choose to do this. It might be anywhere from right around the freezing point or possibly warmer to well below zero.

Are you going to forage for all of your fire wood or haul some or all of it with you? If you're going out a ways into the wilderness and won't be hauling any with you, I'd suggest trying to find a nice stand of pines to camp in. Unless it's a pretty well used camp sight there should be lots of dead branches on the ground and lots more still on the lower portions of the trees themselves and pine boughs and needles make good shelter and bedding.


Cpl Punishment said:
It also helps to set up a space blanket (if you have one) as a reflector to reflect the IR back towards you.
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The space blanket would be great for a reflector, but anything will work to some degree. . . a tarp or blanket or animal skin, or if the terrain provides such a camp sight, a cliff face or boulder, or anything else you can think of behind you will help reflect some heat back on to whatever side of you is facing away from the fire.
 
Over the course of a night's burning, hard versus softwoods also make a big difference. My general rule is to keep collecting till I have enough, then collect that much again.
 
just a tip, aluminum foil can also take the place of the space blanket as a reflector. might wanna test it before you go out tho. aluminum foil reflectors can also be used to make a cooking oven, fyi, so be careful not to cook yourself. :P
 
Be careful with the space blanket. The last time I put a match to one as a tester - it went up in flames like magnesium!
 
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