First of all we need to know the types of wood and what they are good for. Softwoods burn quicker in a fire and are easy to ignite. Cedar is a popular type of kindling (smaller pieces of wood) and are great for starting a fire. Here is a list of softwoods Cedar, Cypress, Douglas fir, Fir, Juniper, Larch, Pine, Spruce and also Yew. Hardwood burns longer than softwood but does not ignite easily so they are good to put in a fire after it’s started. Here is a list of hardwoods Ash, Alder, Aspen, Balsa, Beech, Birch, Cherry, Chestnut, Cocobolo, Ebony, Elm, Hazel, Lignum vitae, Linden, Mahogany, Maple, Oak, Padauk, Plum, Poplar, Teak, Totara, Walnut and also Willow. For all of the trees I have listed you can find their bark here.

 

      My favourite way of starting a fire is the log cabin method. In this video on the side the man making the fire uses sticks but I personally prefer using cedar kindling. He also fills his cabin with leaves and other things, I prefer using newspaper but if you have a lot of dryer lint that is a good fire starter as well.