How Much Firewood Do I Need for Camping?

If you’re new to camping, you’re probably wondering how much firewood is needed to bring on your camping trip.

We’ll break down a good estimate based on the duration of your camping trip as well as other factors you need to keep in mind.

Don’t get left in the dark (literally)

Let’s get to it.

General Rule Of Thumb

To help simplify things, the general rule of thumb is:

You should have at least one bundle of firewood per hour when camping.

For example, let’s say you’re going on a camping trip for one night. If you plan on having a campfire from 8pm – 11pm, then you will need 3 bundles of firewood for that one night (3 hours at one bundle of firewood per hour). If you’re on a 3 day (2 nights) camping trip, then you’ll need to double the amount of firewood based on our example of 3 hours per night of use.

As a general rule of thumb, there are many caveats to this. However, this is the baseline amount that you should follow.

Caveats

A few caveats that you will need to consider:

Weather Conditions

High winds will burn your firewood faster because of the increased rate of oxygen supply to the fuel.

Check the forecast of your campsite beforehand, if there are high winds, you should bring at least 2 bundles of firewood per hour.

Caution: If wind speeds are past 40 mph, it’s not recommended to have an open fire near your campgrounds as embers are prone to fly everywhere and increases the chance of starting other fires around your campsite.

Fuel For Cooking

How you’re using your fire is also something to consider. Aside from warmth, if you plan to cook all your meals over a fire and a campfire cooking kit, you will need to plan accordingly.

At the bare minimum, have two bundles of firewood per hour.

Larger Fires

For all you pyros who are looking to have epic fires when camping, have at least 2 bundles of firewood per hour and more importantly, always follow standard safety rules when camping.

Summary

Here’s a quick summary of how much firewood to bring:

• When using fire for warmth – Bring one bundle of firewood per hour
• When using fire for cooking – bring two bundles of firewood per hour
• Windy weather conditions – bring two bundles of firewood per hour

When camping, you will need to bring a bundle of firewood for every hour that you plan to have a campfire.

It’s important to consider the weather conditions and how you will be using the fire when planning how much firewood to bring.

If there are high winds, it’s recommended to bring at least 2 bundles of firewood per hour.

If you’re using the fire for cooking, also consider bringing two bundles of firewood per hour.

Lastly, if you’re looking to have larger fires, always follow standard campfire safety rules and bring at least two bundles of firewood per hour. Also, don’t forget the tinder!