I was only poking fun at ALL of us and our obsession with firewood. I'm guilty of it myself. The post was totally in jest.
I read years ago that "hoarding" is genetic or intrinsic to human nature. Those who stored more went on to produce more children. Last I looked, this site was called "Firewood Hoarders Club" and so a nod to our intrinsic human nature. I am at 5 years of firewood inventory but downed sugar maple, hop hornbeam, white oak, and bitternut hickory draw me like a "bear to honey". Leaving premium wood on the ground feels like a sin and I never know when the supply will fail. Besides, I like being outside and in the woods. I tried the gym membership and not my thing. The local gym charges $600 per year and that covers the cost of a lot of saw batteries, gasoline, bar oil, tarps... As to those with $$$$$$$..., ego seems to rule those. I suppose the "victor" or winner went on to produce more children eons ago. I am a hoarder not a victor and happy to say so. I just need to avoid those victor types...
In that case, sorry for jumpin' your $hit. The funny thing is, I'm not trying or even want to be one of those people. In fact I don't consider myself one at all. Hoarding to me are those who disrupt the whole supply/demand balance by buying up the supply side due to some crazy paranoia of possibly being without said item. All this does is make the supply side worse and increase prices for everyone else! I've never been -that- person. Harvesting dead trees of a renewable resource is not hoarding in my book. Exactly, and I see it as money rotting away if I don't get to use it as my temporary exercise object.
I have (when friends were looking at my fire wood stash and rolling their eyes) said the same exact thing, that, that firewood stash is the same thing as a bank account. That's money stacked up there and I can draw from it as needed. This winter, a cold one for us, I am going to withdraw from my extra. Just like a bank fund for emergencies.
I'm here to listen if anyone needs to talk or vent. I just like cutting firewood, like many here. Sometimes I have a bad day and just need to get some things off my chest.
I have five Stihls. 4 presently running. I was looking at the chinese clone saws last night. A 71cc saw. Do I really need another one? Of course not but that doesn't matter...
It falls into a different category if you can justify the "need vs want" into something you can use as a tool for work!
I have no idea how much I've burned, but I do know I burned about half of it just in January. It was a slow start to winter and then it got cold for a long time.
Just took another measurement and believe I will end up using about 3 cords or maybe just a smidge over.
That sounds like a pretty reasonable amount given your location. Are you close enough for the lake to affect your weather? I used 4 cord here in southern Indiana at 39°N. We had some extended single digit temperatures and I heat an uninsulated basement so I don't feel too bad about the amount.
I did some calculating yesterday and figured I burned about 2 cords so far. That is just supplemental heat with our insert. I have plenty of wood split and stacked with more unspilt. Some of which might get split after work today.
We started burning about the same time as the previous season, We've gone through probably 7 cord, where 6.5 is normal. But,, with wood handy, I see no reason not to be fairly comfortable. We used Ash primarily, and so perhaps used more than if it was all oak. If I ever settle again, I will absolutely go for the 5 year supply again. Nothing like having plenty of wood should the chill set in early or go longer or deeper. The Ash burned well though. SCA
Its been a mild winter I'm in the 15ish cords. Hard to tell this year with selling firewood. We bring all the ugly wood we won't sell to the boiler. And all the chaff that created from the splitting. Burning the waste wood/sawdust/chaff we get 10-12 hour burns daily. Easily can see the stack diminish less fast.
Looks like Ill be around 2.5-3 cord at most for this year. Burning alot of white oak def kept the usage down.
