Campfires are often associated with warm, pleasant memories with family and friends. When it comes to igniting and sustaining the fire, choosing the best wood to burn is important. This article will discuss how to pick the ideal wood that will make the best fire for everyone to enjoy.

Considerations When Choosing Wood for Your Campfire

For starters, the firewood needs to be properly seasoned – adequately dried for at least six months, bringing its moisture content below 20%. Well-seasoned wood will have cracks in its ends, be lighter in weight, and darker in colour.

Depending on the season, different wood types might work better for your campfire needs. Typically, hardwoods burn longer and hotter, while softwoods are easier to ignite.

The Best Campfire Wood Varieties

Has the highest heat production, and its smoky aroma also makes it great for cooking.

Is readily available and produces high heat with a long burn duration. Its downside is that it’s difficult to light, so it’s better to start off with wood that ignites more easily.

Makes a good campfire because its bark is highly flammable, making it a great choice for kindling. It also offers high heat value.

A good campfire option because it produces high heat with a long burn duration. Another benefit of using ash is that it’s easy to split.

Ignites quickly, and another bonus is that its aroma, which is pleasant to humans, has a repellent effect on mosquitoes. Its downside is that it burns out quickly. For this reason, it’s best to combine it with hardwood logs.

Is another great softwood option. It’s readily available and produces moderate heat with a moderate burn duration.

A popular campfire option because of how easy it is to ignite. Note that because of its high resin content, it produces a lot of smoke and sparks. This is why it’s often used to start the fire, and then other wood types are used to sustain it.

These make good campfires when you’re looking for low heat value. They both have a short burn duration and produce a lot of smoke, which smells rather unpleasant, so they’re best for kindling before switching to other wood varieties. Poplar smells especially pungent when it’s poorly seasoned.

The Best Wood for Campfires Chart

Wood Variety	Wood Type	Heat Value	Burn Duration	Smoke Production	Aroma
Ash	Hardwood	High	Long	Low	Barely noticeable
Birch	Hardwood	High	Moderate	Moderate	Sweet and pleasant
Cedar	Softwood	Medium	Short	Moderate	Strong and aromatic
Cottonwood	Softer Hardwood	Low	Short	High	Unpleasant
Fir	Softwood	Moderate	Moderate	Low to Moderate	Pleasant
Hickory	Hardwood	Very High	Long	Low to Moderate	Strong and smoky
Oak	Hardwood	Very High	Long	Low	Barely noticeable, especially when well seasoned
Pine	Softwood	Low to Medium	Short	High	Resinous
Poplar	Softer Hardwood	Low	Short	High	Pungent when poorly seasoned

Let’s Make Your Next Campfire One to Remember!

Fairwood Firewood offers bulk firewood for you to choose from. Whether you would like a full cord or a face cord, which is a third of a full cord, we’ve got you covered.

Get in touch to order your campfire wood!

Choosing the Best Firewood for Your Campfire

Considerations When Choosing Wood for Your Campfire

The Best Campfire Wood Varieties

The Best Wood for Campfires Chart

Let’s Make Your Next Campfire One to Remember!