The 4 Best Woods for Campfire Cooking

While there’s a lot to love about camping outdoors, there are a couple of activities that are less than appealing. To be specific, learning to cook with a campfire is a difficult skill to master. One thing that can make this task incredibly easier is to invest in the best woods for campfire cooking.

Sure, choosing the ideal location to start a fire helps. But if you’re using the wrong type of wood, you’ll have a difficult time getting the fire started. To help you, we’ve compiled a list of the 4 best woods for campfire cooking.

Reviews of Best Woods for Campfire Cooking

There are different types of woods that you can use for campfire cooking. Here are detailed reviews of some examples of wood that you can use:

Wilson Enterprises Split Firewood

If you’re looking for wood that will help you build fire within minutes, this set of cherry logs is an excellent option.

The logs are about 18 inches long with a diameter of 2 to 3 inches. These are neatly packed into a box measuring 12 inches long by 12 inches wide. This makes them easy to carry and store for your camping expedition.

Another thing that sets the Wilson Enterprises logs apart is the fact that they arrive already split. This saves you the trouble of having to split the wood yourself.

Better yet, split firewood lights a fire more quickly and easily than whole logs. As explained in this article, the split logs contain less of the flame-retardant bark; hence easier to ignite.

Also, these logs do not contain any chemical treatments or additives. Thus, you don’t have to worry about any toxic emissions once you burn the wood.

Pros

• Neat packaging for ease of carrying
• Split firewood, which ignites faster than whole logs
• Does not have any chemical treatments

Cons

• Expensive given the number of logs per box

Smoak Firewood Premium Oak Firewood

Want logs that will produce large amounts of heat, steadily? The Premium Oak Firewood by Smoak Firewood is your best bet.

The mini logs are about 8 inches long and come packed in a 12 x 12-inch box. This makes for easy storage and portability.

But if you prefer a bigger size, the manufacturer provides these logs in two larger sizes. You can choose between 16-inch logs weighing 60 to 70 lbs and the 16-inch that weigh 120 to 140 lbs.

The oak wood is harvested fresh from Georgia. The logs are then kiln-dried, a process that enables them to burn cleanly and ignite easily.

According to the manufacturer, the logs are kiln-dried for up to 48 hours. This is way past the required 75-minute duration for kiln drying wood.

If you doubt this, the Premium Oak Firewood is backed by USDA-certification. This means it’s been tested and found safe for use.

Pros

• Convenient packaging for ease of transport
• Logs are available in different sizes: 8-inch and 16-inch
• Kiln-dried for 40 to 48 hours for easy ignition

Cons

• A small number of logs for the price

Oak Kiln-Dried Firewood

Planning your next camping trip? Don’t forget to include Oak Kiln-Dried Firewood in your list of essentials.

As implied in the title, the logs are purely oak. This is a plus, considering oak is of the most recommended wood types for campfires.

In total, you’ll get about 10 to 12 pieces of quality oak logs. Holding other factors constant, these should be enough to help you prepare a quick meal. Besides, the firewood is kiln-dried so they ignite pretty easily.

Also important to note is that these are clean logs. This means they’ve undergone necessary treatments to mitigate their risks to insect damage and mold formation.

Pros

• Contains only oak logs that offer long burn-time
• Comes with fatwood starter kicks
• Clean wood that’s not prone to insects or mold
• Ready to use straight out of the box

Cons

• Only suitable for outdoor use

Smoak Firewood Cooking Wood Logs

Designed specifically for outdoor cooking, the Smoak Firewood Wood Logs are perfect for your camping trip.

Not only do these logs come in different sizes, but also different species. Choose from 8-inch (8 to 10 lbs.), 16-inch (25 to 30 lbs.), and 16-inch (60 to 70 lbs.).

When it comes to the type of wood, you have the best options to choose from: maple, red oak, white oak, hickory, and cherry. Since these are all hardwood, they light very easily. Plus, if you opt for oak, you can prepare food for as long as you want as it burns very slowly.

The cooking wood logs are approved by the USDA. This suggests that they’ve been tested and found safe and suitable for outdoor applications.

Pros

• Logs come in different sizes and species
• USDA-certified
• Burn slowly, which helps to infuse flavor in food

Cons

• A bit expensive for the amount of wood

Buying Wood for Campfire Cooking: Hardwood vs. Softwood

When it comes to picking wood for campfire cooking, hardwood is the best option. The majority of hardwoods have a higher density than softwoods. Simply put; they contain more material, allowing them to burn for longer.

The density of wood also helps to regulate the speed at which the log burns. The material inside a hardwood is packed tightly, and this causes it to burn at a slower pace.

The fact that hardwoods burn more slowly offers two key benefits for campers. For one, it means you can prepare foods that take longer to cook. Secondly, you’ll be able to keep the fire burning all night long; hence keep yourself warm.

Examples of hardwood trees include:

• Oak
• Beech
• Maple
• Ash
• Hickory
• Cherry
• Walnut
• Elm
• Birch
• Poplar

Softwoods, which are obtained from coniferous or evergreen trees, are less dense. As a result, they’re not suitable for building campfires. However, they are a more sustainable source as they grow faster than their hardwood counterparts.

Softwood trees include:

• Fir
• Pine
• Larch
• Spruce

Guide to Building a Campfire

If you’re new to camping, you should learn the proper way of building a fire. Here are the main steps to follow:

Pick a suitable spot

The first thing you should do is pick the ideal spot. Most campsites usually have a designated fire pit or fire ring to make things easy for campers.

In case your campground doesn’t offer one, look for an area that doesn’t have any overhead dead branches. It also shouldn’t be close to piles of wood, dry bush, or a wooden structure.

Lastly, ensure you create a ring where you plan to build your campfire. Simply place stones in a ring formation to help you contain the fire.

Create a tinder bed

Once you find the perfect spot, the next step is to build a tinder bed. This refers to the tiny pieces of wood, dried leaves, or needles that are essential for igniting the fire. Be sure to use a considerable amount of tinder to keep the flame burning.

Incorporate the kindling

The next thing you need to do is to add kindling on top of the tinder. Kindling is simply the small pieces of wood or sticks that help to shape the fire.

Build your fire

Finally, it’s time to add larger pieces of wood. These form the biggest bulk of your fire’s energy so ensure you choose your firewood wisely.

The only thing left now is to ignite your fire. You can use a lighter or some waterproof matches to create a spark. It’s wise to have extra tinder and kindling nearby so you can feed the flame.

Conclusion

It’s important to use the right type of wood for your campfire. The wrong type of firewood might produce too much smoke or it might not even ignite at all.

For the best outcome, we recommend Wilson Enterprises Split Firewood. This package includes split logs, which are much easier to work with than whole logs. More importantly, you get hardwood, which ignites easily and burns slowly.