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People have asked: "If the SHTF, how do you cook without being detected?"
If you find it necessary to cook or heat with wood when you won't want to be detected then it may be prudent to use the most smokeless wood you can find. I've heard old time moonshiners used ASH or BEECH wood to keep their stills from being found because of it's low smoke properties. Here's a great guide on Wood!
Firewood: Choosing the right wood, splitting, and seasoning
Choosing the right wood
Not all wood is created equally for burning. Some are naturally smoky, some are harder to split, and some are perfectly suited for fireplace burning. Below is a list of different types of wood along with a description of how they burn. Different types of wood will be available in different parts of the country, so find the best wood accessible for you. Generally speaking, hardwoods make better firewood than softwoods.
Hardwoods
Black or White Ash burn at medium to high heat and are very easily burned. They emit very little smoke and sparks and are also easily split. Ash is an excellent choice for firewood.
Red or White Oak burn at a high heat level and are less easily burned than Ash firewood. They emit little smoke or sparks but are not easy to split. With so much heat emitted, this is still an excellent choice for firewood.
Beech is an excellent choice for high heat levels; it doesn't smoke much or spark. It doesn't burn as easily as other hardwoods, but it is easy to split.
White, Yellow, or Paper or Gray Birch burn at medium to high heat levels and burn fairly well. These woods are easy to split, do not smoke much or release many sparks. All birches are an excellent choice for burning as firewood.
Hickory and Hard Maple are easy to burn at very high heat levels. In fact, Hickory is the hottest burning commonly used firewood. Both are very difficult to split, however they do not smoke or spark heavily.
Pecan and Dogwood are both an excellent choice as firewood. Both burn hot and easily, are easy to split and do not smoke or spark much.
Red or Soft Maple both burn at a medium heat level. These woods are easy to burn but not split and do not smoke or spark excessively.
Cherry or Black Cherry also burn at medium heat level, though do not burn quite as well as the other hardwoods. Cherry wood does not smoke much but sparks a moderate amount. This is an excellent choice if aroma is important to you in firewood.
Walnut burns at medium heat level, is easy to burn and does not throw sparks or smoke much.
White or American Elm burn at medium heat levels but are not quite as easy to burn. They are not easy to split and they do emit some heavy smoke, though they do not throw any sparks. Elms are not ideally used as firewood, however they are not the worst of the hardwoods to burn.
Sycamore and Gum both burn at medium heat levels with medium amounts of smoke but no sparks. Neither are easy to split and are a both fair sources of fire fuel.
Aspen is an easy to burn, low heat firewood that emits some smoke but no sparks. It's not the best fuel for fires but it is easy to split and readily available in many areas.
Cottonwood and Basswood burn at low heat levels but are both easily burned. They are both easy to split and also both emit some heavy smoke
Chestnut is the worst of the hardwoods to burn for firewood. It burns at low heat and though it is easy to burn and split, it smokes somewhat heavily and throws a good amount of sparks.
Hardwoods are very dense and therefore make the best firewood as opposed to softwoods. The best hardwoods for firewood are White Oak, Ash, Birch, and Beech. Their overall ratings are the best for burnability, smoke and spark emission and how easy they are to split.
Softwoods
Yellow Poplar is a poor wood for fire fuel. Though it burns and splits easily, it emits some heavy smoke and many sparks.
Southern Yellow Pine easily burns at varying heat levels and is easy to split. It emits some smoke and sparks but makes a relatively good firewood.
Douglas Fir is easy to burn and burns at a high heat level. It is easy to split and doesn't throw many sparks, but because of its smokiness Douglas Fir is just rated as a good source of fire fuel.
Cypress and Redwood are fair softwood sources of fuel. They are both somewhat easy to burn and burn at medium heat levels with some smoke and no sparks.
White Cedar or Western and Eastern Red Cedar all burn at low heat but are very easy to burn. They are easy to split, however they emit some heavy smoke and lots of sparks.
White Pine, Sugar Pine and Ponderosa Pine all easy to burn and burn at low heat levels. They are easy to burn and easy to split though they smoke some and spark a small amount.
Tamarack or Larch both burn at medium heat levels, are easy to burn and split but they both smoke and spark. They are fair sources of fire fuel, but not the best of the softwoods.
Spruce is a poor source of fire fuel because it burns at low heat, it smokes somewhat heavily and sparks considerably. Spruce wood is easy to burn and split but is not the best choice for firewood.
If softwoods are your only choice, your best options are Yellow Pine, Douglas Fir, and any of the Cedars.
Article continues with Splitting Your Wood and Storing And Seasoning Your Wood, to finish reading these sections click on the link;
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/347/
If you find it necessary to cook or heat with wood when you won't want to be detected then it may be prudent to use the most smokeless wood you can find. I've heard old time moonshiners used ASH or BEECH wood to keep their stills from being found because of it's low smoke properties. Here's a great guide on Wood!
Firewood: Choosing the right wood, splitting, and seasoning
Choosing the right wood
Not all wood is created equally for burning. Some are naturally smoky, some are harder to split, and some are perfectly suited for fireplace burning. Below is a list of different types of wood along with a description of how they burn. Different types of wood will be available in different parts of the country, so find the best wood accessible for you. Generally speaking, hardwoods make better firewood than softwoods.
Hardwoods
Black or White Ash burn at medium to high heat and are very easily burned. They emit very little smoke and sparks and are also easily split. Ash is an excellent choice for firewood.
Red or White Oak burn at a high heat level and are less easily burned than Ash firewood. They emit little smoke or sparks but are not easy to split. With so much heat emitted, this is still an excellent choice for firewood.
Beech is an excellent choice for high heat levels; it doesn't smoke much or spark. It doesn't burn as easily as other hardwoods, but it is easy to split.
White, Yellow, or Paper or Gray Birch burn at medium to high heat levels and burn fairly well. These woods are easy to split, do not smoke much or release many sparks. All birches are an excellent choice for burning as firewood.
Hickory and Hard Maple are easy to burn at very high heat levels. In fact, Hickory is the hottest burning commonly used firewood. Both are very difficult to split, however they do not smoke or spark heavily.
Pecan and Dogwood are both an excellent choice as firewood. Both burn hot and easily, are easy to split and do not smoke or spark much.
Red or Soft Maple both burn at a medium heat level. These woods are easy to burn but not split and do not smoke or spark excessively.
Cherry or Black Cherry also burn at medium heat level, though do not burn quite as well as the other hardwoods. Cherry wood does not smoke much but sparks a moderate amount. This is an excellent choice if aroma is important to you in firewood.
Walnut burns at medium heat level, is easy to burn and does not throw sparks or smoke much.
White or American Elm burn at medium heat levels but are not quite as easy to burn. They are not easy to split and they do emit some heavy smoke, though they do not throw any sparks. Elms are not ideally used as firewood, however they are not the worst of the hardwoods to burn.
Sycamore and Gum both burn at medium heat levels with medium amounts of smoke but no sparks. Neither are easy to split and are a both fair sources of fire fuel.
Aspen is an easy to burn, low heat firewood that emits some smoke but no sparks. It's not the best fuel for fires but it is easy to split and readily available in many areas.
Cottonwood and Basswood burn at low heat levels but are both easily burned. They are both easy to split and also both emit some heavy smoke
Chestnut is the worst of the hardwoods to burn for firewood. It burns at low heat and though it is easy to burn and split, it smokes somewhat heavily and throws a good amount of sparks.
Hardwoods are very dense and therefore make the best firewood as opposed to softwoods. The best hardwoods for firewood are White Oak, Ash, Birch, and Beech. Their overall ratings are the best for burnability, smoke and spark emission and how easy they are to split.
Softwoods
Yellow Poplar is a poor wood for fire fuel. Though it burns and splits easily, it emits some heavy smoke and many sparks.
Southern Yellow Pine easily burns at varying heat levels and is easy to split. It emits some smoke and sparks but makes a relatively good firewood.
Douglas Fir is easy to burn and burns at a high heat level. It is easy to split and doesn't throw many sparks, but because of its smokiness Douglas Fir is just rated as a good source of fire fuel.
Cypress and Redwood are fair softwood sources of fuel. They are both somewhat easy to burn and burn at medium heat levels with some smoke and no sparks.
White Cedar or Western and Eastern Red Cedar all burn at low heat but are very easy to burn. They are easy to split, however they emit some heavy smoke and lots of sparks.
White Pine, Sugar Pine and Ponderosa Pine all easy to burn and burn at low heat levels. They are easy to burn and easy to split though they smoke some and spark a small amount.
Tamarack or Larch both burn at medium heat levels, are easy to burn and split but they both smoke and spark. They are fair sources of fire fuel, but not the best of the softwoods.
Spruce is a poor source of fire fuel because it burns at low heat, it smokes somewhat heavily and sparks considerably. Spruce wood is easy to burn and split but is not the best choice for firewood.
If softwoods are your only choice, your best options are Yellow Pine, Douglas Fir, and any of the Cedars.
Article continues with Splitting Your Wood and Storing And Seasoning Your Wood, to finish reading these sections click on the link;
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/347/
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