Don't overestimate your wood pile

[Britcit]

I had spent a fair bit of time last year collecting wood from a free source, with the goal of storing more than we need for a single winter. That way, with each years wood storage, the surplus would grow.

My ultimate goal is to have no less than two years worth at any one time. If tshtf we would then have sufficient to keep us going whilst I went out and started casting (digging) peat and drying it.

Days before Xmas, I noticed our oil tank was near empty (some prepper I am), so I turned off most of the rads and only used oil for hot water. The wood stove in the living room is big enough to heat most of the main part of the house.

Oil was delivered in early Jan, but I have kept the rads off and kept the stove lit to see how long my wood pile will last. Now, keeping in mind we have the fire lit for roughly 8 - 10 hours a day, and don't use it for cooking\hot water, I have discovered that my wood pile will last AT MOST - 8 weeks.

If the shtf, and this was our primary heat\hot water source, it would woefully fail in short order.

So the lesson to myself is don't overestimate the wood pile, and get way more this year.

Most of you may read this and think I'm making an obvious point, but as I made this rookie error, hopefully one person reads this and dosnt make the same mistake.

[Deeps]

As someone who stores wood for the occasional back garden soiree using the chiminea and wood pit its sound advice so its useful info for me mate. I keep a supply of wood because I'm an oddball prepper but it sounds like it wouldn't last as long as I thought. Admittedly there's more trees in Fife than there is in the Shetlands so supply isn't the same issue.

[Plymtom]

I suspect that for most of us other factors could haunt us long before fuel of any sort did in the worse of cases, but where you are you need a good long winter's worth at the very least don't you?
How reliable is the oil fired machine too?

[pseudonym]

I go through a stack of 12ft x 10ft x 8ft each year, that doesn't include cooking, or gas central heating.

I could reduce that amount if I kept the fire smaller, doors shut and didn't use the fire for effect during the summer months

[Britcit]

Admittedly there's more trees in Fife than there is in the Shetlands so supply isn't the same issue.

Yes, the few trees that are here would soon go. Even those that may last are so far away from me I wouldn't have access.
Peat is in abundance however, so long term fuel is there. You just need to plan ahead for the digging, drying and carting home.

How reliable is the oil fired machine too?

The oil boiler is only about six months old, so I'd say the oil would give out before the boiler.

[omega man]

Always a difficult one the guess, how long the wood will last!

We are lucky enough to spend time in rural Spain over the winters and the local wood is that from the Olive trees, Its a very hard wood and does seem to last on the fire, for example I can put a good sized bit on just before bed and it will still 'be in' come morning. Anyways I digress.. We should be thinking of the quality of the wood as well as the quantity, was my point. Less we'll be knee high in Balsa

OM

[Britcit]

.. We should be thinking of the quality of the wood as well as the quantity, was my point. Less we'll be knee high in Balsa

OM

A very good point omega man. Sadly, I get no choice in this matter as I can only get what's in the heap. Mostly it is timber previously used in construction eg. 4*2 studs, 4*4 posts etc.
Sometimes there are a few trees that people have felled, which I then 'log' and put aside for longer storage.

Mostly the species are spruce, redwood for the precut wood, and old pine trees for the logs. As you know, these burn hotter but faster, so we get through quite a volume. I don't mind this so much, it just means I need to put in a lot more work hauling and cutting the timber. Each trailer load equates to a 50 mile round trip for me, but I do tie it in with a trip to Tesco and, sometimes, work.

I go through a stack of 12ft x 10ft x 8ft each year, that doesn't include cooking, or gas central heating.
:

I know each situation is different, but I'll use this as a benchmark and see how I get on. Thank you.

[Brambles]

I go through a stack of 12ft x 10ft x 8ft each year, that doesn't include cooking, or gas central heating.

I could reduce that amount if I kept the fire smaller, doors shut and didn't use the fire for effect during the summer months

Yep, when I had an open fire, I would use about the same.

[sethorly]

I was looking at this the other day. It's about 4 cords of wood for winter for British longitude and climate isn't it? More if you're using it for cooking.

Regardless, it's a literal shed load it seems. One of the reasons I'm looking at external frame backpacks is if TEOTWAWKI I can more easily rig up a fuel-carrying frame.

[Brambles]

I was looking at this the other day. It's about 4 cords of wood for winter for British longitude and climate isn't it? More if you're using it for cooking.

Regardless, it's a literal shed load it seems. One of the reasons I'm looking at external frame backpacks is if TEOTWAWKI I can more easily rig up a fuel-carrying frame.

Over here, wood is sold 'by the load' The trick is the find a supplier of quality wood with the biggest load for least money.