I've been saving my splitter trash to use as kindling, but with a good firestarter(I make my own), no kindling required. Just stuff the stove full of logs, drop a firestarter in the middle and it lights up even faster than with kindling. I got to show off my fire making skills today with Christmas guests over. Everyone questioned and doubted my method of stuffing the box with big chunks of wood, then with just one match and a small piece of my sawdust and wax starter, I'm turning the air down to half way in under ten minutes.
No kindling here. Two Ponderosa pine cones and a blast from the matchless propane inferno and we have fire. Are pine cones kindling?
I can start a full load no problem with 1/4 super ceder if I am starting a 1/2+ full load. Thing is that only happens about 2 times per year as the only time I am not starting off coals is when the stove burns down for more than 16-18 hours. And that only happens in shoulder season at which time I am pretty much only burning kindling with a couple splits anyway. Next time I will be lighting my stove barring some freak weather will be in March or April. Having to relight your stove in December or January is for amateurs.
>>Having to relight your stove in December or January is for amateurs. << We're having a heat wave here in NorCal, mid 60's for highs, high 30's for lows, after 2 weeks of below freezing lows and 40's highs. I only have to start a fire in the late afternoon, and use a hot coals to start a small fire early morning next day to take the chill off.
I start my boiler 2x a day when its cold... never use any kindling. A piece of cardboard is all it takes if the wood is dry. Wax starters is cheating.
Depends on the situation, With dry wood and a firestarter its not a problem, But if your stove went cold And you are freezing your booty off, You want a fast fire quick, Chuck some kindling in
You must always use kindling when starting a fire in a cold stove, that's how we have always done it.
I use combination of slivers from splitting,scraps from the shop & jobsites,corn cobs,twigs from the yard,shavings from ripping with the big saws & a 1/4 of SuperCedar. I have tons of the stuff & it would overwhelm me if it wasn't kept under control...
Yup, here at 4000' it was in the low 60's yesterday. I actually let the fire die. In this year's lodgepole harvest I found a couple of rounds of fat wood. I split it all up into small pieces for fire starters. Actually got to use a piece to restart. Flame-on!
