The purpose of kindling is to act as a bridge between your fire starter and the bigger wooden logs. It does this by amplifying the flame to a level big enough to ignite your chunks of fire wood.
Pine is good for kindling as it is readily available and burns hot. One thing to keep in mind with pine though is that it tends to burn with a lot of black smoke and soot because of the high levels of resin inside it – sometimes more than what the fire pit can compensate for.
Therefore it is recommended not to use pine as your main fuel source and only for the kindling. For your main firewood our favourite choice is Manuka, a great hardwood that burns hot, long and slow with an excellent smokeless flame.
Now let’s talk about how to lay your kindling … please know you will be totally fine with any of the methods below!
|
Method |
Description |
Pros |
Cons |
Unique Difference |
|
Teepee |
Kindling stacked in a cone shape around the fire starter |
Quick ignition, efficient burning |
May collapse as the fire grows |
Circular arrangement promotes airflow |
|
Log Cabin |
Kindling stacked in a crisscross pattern like a cabin |
Even burn, good airflow |
Requires careful stacking |
Crisscross pattern aids airflow and stability |
|
Upside-Down Fire |
Larger logs at the bottom, progressively smaller kindling on top, fire starter at the topmost |
Long lasting, less maintenance |
Requires larger initial logs |
Inverted arrangement for sustained burn |
|
Parallel Sticks |
Kindling arranged in parallel sticks, resembling a bundle of pencils |
Dense fuel bed, steady burn |
May limit airflow |
Shields flames from wind |
|
Starburst |
Kindling arranged radially from the centre, maximising surface area exposure |
Rapid ignition, even burn |
Requires careful arrangement |
Maximises exposure to heat and airflow |
|
Random |
Kindling thrown randomly into a fire |
Quick |
Less efficient, uneven burn |
Minimal control, less predictable |
Our favourite is the log cabin, why? It works easily inside the Wizard Fire Pit ash pan and allows a bit of space for you to put your fire starters underneath.
