This is how I prep a twig fire:

Step 1 - Tinder

A hat full of wood shavings and feather sticks made with my knife, Uploaded with ImageShack.com

Step 2 - Kindling

Pencil lead thick, pencil thick and thumb thick tinder
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Step 3 - Fuel
Bigger pieces of wood

Step 4 - Preparing the hearth for lighting

placed on a platform with a brace so that the kindling doesn't crush my tinder
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Step 5 - Light the tinder and give CPR as required

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Step 6 - as the fire burns through the tinder, gently start adding kindling, thinnest to thickest. I don't add more until the flames are confidently through the previous level

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Once the kindling is sustaining the fire, I start to add the fuel, but always stick to thinnest to thickest.


This is how I prep a split wood fire:

I use one of my folding saws to cut logs and branches to length. My Bacho Laplander lives in my day hike kit right now and my Sawvivor is in my BOB:

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Then I use my fixed blade to baton, or my axe, to split those pieces into the thickness that I want and then follow the same procedure as I do for a twig fire - shavings & feather sticks + pencil lead, pencil and thumb thick kindling + bigger pieces for fuel.




I always take an axe or hatchet in the Winter and Spring. Winter can be rough and make it tough to find dry dead wood and frozen wood is a PITA.

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Personally, I think wood burns better when it's split, especially when it's damp or wet outside.