How Dry Should Kindling Be?
Why moisture content matters for kindling and how it affects how easily a fire catches.
Why moisture matters
Wet or even slightly damp wood wastes a large share of its potential heat simply evaporating water before it can burn — that's heat that isn't going into lighting your fire. For kindling specifically, even a small amount of excess moisture can be the difference between a piece catching on the first match and needing three attempts.
What to check for
Dry kindling typically feels light for its size, sounds hollow when two pieces are tapped together, and shows visible cracking (checking) along the grain at the cut ends. Damp wood feels noticeably heavier and often smells musty or earthy rather than resinous.
Our kindling
Our verified moisture readings will go here once testing is recorded — add them from Admin → Settings.