Kindling Storage

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Status
Not open for further replies.

jadm

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Dec 31, 2007
918
colorado
I just got a whole tree load of twigs that, in the past I have cut into 12" lengths and stored in plastic trash bags until ready to use...

I have never had this volume to deal with before and plastic bags don't really work that well.

Wondering if any of you use twigs as kindling and if you have any better ways to store it????

Thanks :coolsmile:
 
The best idea I've seen for twigs are those heavy brown paper bags the liquor store uses for single bottles.
 
I put that stuff in garbage cans that are dying, but still have lids. That way, when they die, I don't feel so bad ;-P

I keep the cans in the shed, so they're out of sight. I can squeeze 3 cans in the shed, good sized ones, too.

I refill as needed. Plus I pick up the bigger chunks left over from splitting. That stuff is wonderful!! :coolsmile:
 
Don't know about the paper bag idea....makes me think of a soggy mess when it rains. No dry space here to store in.

I had thought of trash cans but don't have any dying ones so I'll have to get some new ones and find somewhere to put them. Makes sense but I just hate getting more 'stuff' for storage but I just can't pass up any kind of burnable wood which means storing it until it is ready to burn......and, as we all know, then the whole cycle begins again. ;-)

Thanks for the input.
 
I recently got a plastic 55 gallon drum from my uncle's work. I put the wood that I want to use for kindling in the drum put the plastic lid on it and let it sit next to the wood pile so the sun can hit the drum. When I take the lid off I can see all the water from the wood condensing on the underside of the lid, and it does not take very long at all to dry the wood enough to burn. Sitting it next to the wood pile makes finding wood to use as kindling easy because I use the small pieces of wood that falls off the wood or the bark.
 
Seriously.. I just leave them on the ground. I bring a weeks worth up in an old cardboard box and keep in on the porch. The twigs dry real fast so even if they've been in the snow they still work fine after a day on the porch.
 
I use a lot of cardboard paint boxes. They normally hold 4 of the gallon size cans of paint. They're about 5 inches tall, with hand grips in the ends. If filled evenly, they'll stack a few levels high. I have found these to be just incredibly practical and reusable. I keep anything from small 3-4in splits to kindling to tinder in them. If I find a better method, I'll let you know- but I think this is it. ;-)
 
I use old garbage cans and recycling bins. I keep a 5 gallon bucket near my splitting area and after splitting I pick up the scraps and put in the bucket, when it gets full I dump into a bigger container. Pretty amazing how much accumulates when your doing alot of splitting.
 
I once found a old cheapo tent in the woods one day (Ozark trail) and hiked the thing out, it was missing stakes and had a broken pole but is now kindling storage. I keep the small pieces of chunks left from splitting and all the bark in 28-25lb cat litter pails and they dry in my basement all year long til I use it on the shoulder seasons (like now).

Jay
 
old trash cans. I stick them in the garage during the burning season, and behind the shed all summer. Refill your kindling supply as you clean up the limbs in the yard.
 
I got my cans from the SO, he was replacing his.

Ask friends & neighbors for dying cans, J !!
 
My question is, why are you storing all of this kindling? Is it used to start fires or do you have another use for it?

For me, I will use a little to start a fire if I happen to have some laying around, other than that, I use a 1/4 of a fire-starter. I usually just burn the twigs and bark in the outdoor fireplace and throw the ash on the lawn. But maybe I am missing out on something.
 
Idont use twigs for kindling but I typically bundle up individual loads with ballingtwine and stack. when I need more kindling in the house I simply go grab another bundle. but, I mostly use kindling in the early fall and late spring. come prime heating season I rarely need kindling
 
mike1234 said:
My question is, why are you storing all of this kindling? Is it used to start fires or do you have another use for it?

For me, I will use a little to start a fire if I happen to have some laying around, other than that, I use a 1/4 of a fire-starter. I usually just burn the twigs and bark in the outdoor fireplace and throw the ash on the lawn. But maybe I am missing out on something.

Twigs make excellent fire starters and are free and easy to come by. They catch almost instantly and throw out enough heat to get things going while building a good coal bed to keep things going.
 
Adirondackwoodburner said:
Idont use twigs for kindling but I typically bundle up individual loads with ballingtwine and stack. when I need more kindling in the house I simply go grab another bundle. but, I mostly use kindling in the early fall and late spring. come prime heating season I rarely need kindling

Never thought of individual bundles. They are all bundled now but the bundles are huge and all about 4 feet long. I just might try your idea. Would make it really easy to bring in in the fall and easy to store with the rest of my wood - can put it on top of the stacks which would save having to have more storage equipment around.
 
I split Black Ash for kin'lin and store them in 5 gal buckets until they are ready to bring in the house.
 

Attachments

  • [Hearth.com] Kindling Storage
    100_0294 (Medium).webp
    48.4 KB · Views: 1,449
55 gallon plastic barrels, split pine, nice and clean, sittin' in my basement, bring up a bucket at a time...
 
LLigetfa said:
The best idea I've seen for twigs are those heavy brown paper bags the liquor store uses for single bottles.


Durn, I don't think I can drink that much! :sick:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.