July 2022 - Woodabrix

How to use firelighters for survival and camping

Have you ever considered using a Firelighters for camping or survival? We are making the most of the outdoors and finding fun ways to enjoy it now more than ever. Fires have been used to survive for thousands of years and have evolved based on the wood and materials available. We now have many tools to assist us, such as flint and steel or, if you want to cheat, matches.

No matter how great they are, matches can get wet and become completely useless. Waterproof matches are expensive and frequently tricky to light. As a result, the moral of the story is that matches are not very reliable for survival. We prefer our firelighters as a survival tool because they are lightweight, odourless, natural, and most importantly, water-resistant.

Because fire allows you to enjoy the outdoors all year, it is arguably an essential skill to master, and is there anything more satisfying than building your own fire? Whatever your level of experience with lighting fires, our Natural firelighters are the ideal companion for your adventure. Here are the detailed instructions on how to do it properly.

Starting a Campfire With Our Natural Firelighters

Lighting a campfire requires little skill. However, you must exercise caution to avoid accidentally burning yourself or others. To start your campfire, take a Firelighter and ignite it in several places, allowing it to catch fire.

Never light a fire with a charcoal lighter, gasoline, or any other flammable substance. It is both unnecessary and dangerous. Also, never leave a fire unattended, and keep extinguishing materials (dirt, a shovel, and plenty of water) nearby in case you need them.

The following are the five steps to starting a fire with a lighter:

Select a Site to Start the Fire
Build a Fire Pit
Collect Fuel for the Fire
Arrange the Fuel
Light the Fire

Now, let’s go over the steps quickly so you can get that fire going!

How to Light a Fire Using a Firelighter

You should have brought tools and materials to help with the process.

Components to Consider

Shovel- Firepit preparation, safety
Bucket- Safety, disperse water, sand
Paper- Newsprint, brown bags, etc. to act as tinder
Lighter- Heat component of the fire equation

1. Site Selection

Here are some points to consider when deciding where to start your fire:

Near water, surrounded by trees
Flat ground
Accessible firewood to collect
Absence of fire hazards susceptible to embers
Assess breeze

The campsite is the ultimate source for two of the three fire components. Even when the air is still, oxygen is present, but a slight breeze helps the campfire. As a result, try to construct a fire in an area with good airflow.

2. Build Fire Pit

Guidelines for building a fire pit:

Clear a space 3 feet in diameter
If possible, excavate the pit to a depth of 6 inches
Make a border around the pit with large (softball-sized) rocks.

3. Collect Fuel

Here are the combustible items you will want to gather to optimize the fire-starting process:

Tinder- Tinder consists of easily flammable materials such as paper, twigs, dry moss, bark, pine needles, and so on.
Kindling- Twigs and small sticks that will catch fire from the tinder
Fuel-Stack larger logs upwind from the fire pit to provide a longer sustained flame.

4. Arrange the Fuel

This step is critical to the success of the fire. To be successful, you must get this part right.

Loosely arrange a good amount of tinder
Determine a few locations where you will light the tinder.
Arrange to kindle around and over the tinder, crisscrossing pieces
Keep additional kindling handy to grow fire
Have logs in reserve to add once the fire has taken hold

5. Light It!

Know your lighter, and make sure it can hold a flame for an extended period of time.
Ignite the tinder at multiple points

After you’ve finished enjoying your campfire for the evening, make sure to completely extinguish it before retiring to bed. Begin by breaking up any larger logs to expose the fireballs. Pour a large amount of water on the fire and continue to add water until no smoke is rising. Cover the ashes with dirt after they have been extinguished.

For best firelighters go to: www.woodabrix.co.uk

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There is no BBQ without good Smoke

Woodabrix BBQ Wood Chips, Recipes, Guides / admin

Smoke is a necessary component of both fire and delicious bbq. Smoke unites people, and bbq is a life-enhancing pleasure! Barbecuing and “outside cooking” are distinguished. It’s what differentiates BBQ cooking and makes the whole thing a wonderful experience.

Over time, what began with logs and open holes evolved into something far more complex. Despite all the advancements in technology that pellet and charcoal smokers have undergone over the past several decades, mastering the basics of smoke is essential to improving your performance and getting the most out of whatever you cook on your grill.

Smoke is a fascinating and wonderful thing. While some may only see oxygen and flames, learning to control smoke takes time, practice, and some research.

What’s a “good smoke”?

Do you recall the last time a steak reminded you of a camping trip? That is what occurs when you cook with poor smoke, yes. Controlling a few various factors, such as wood density, humidity, and combustion temperature, will produce good smoke. In other words, you need to be knowledgeable.

You should use freshly chopped, dry and flavoured wood chips and smoke between 105C and 135C to “burn clean.” Paying attention to the colour of the smoke might be a good sign of its quality. White smoke is frequently an indication that your fire is running too little and is about to go out, while thick, dark smoke shows that the temperature is rising but that it is still too cool to burn the wood’s oils. Creosote is known to emit a dark smoke that has been shown to be harmful.

Any fire burning at less than 100 degrees will produce white smoke that is overly composed of wood particles and has little to no vapour; this smoke will adhere to the meat rather than pass through it. White smoke can overshadow practically anything and leave you with an unpleasant aftertaste.

Wood Types And Flavours

The wrong kind of hardwood chips may turn your ideal meal into a nightmare while you’re smoking a £100 hunk of meat. The flavour of the smoke should be enhanced and added to the other flavours.

Different types of wood have distinctive flavour qualities. Softwoods should never be used since they contain a lot of resin, which produces smoke with a harsh and bitter flavour that will spoil any meal it comes into touch with. Hardwood chips will provide you with a variety of flavours that, when paired with the ideal cuts of meat transform into pitmaster’s dream kitchen.

One of the essentials of smoking is knowing which type to smoke with which meat.

Since they pair nicely with meats such as poultry, pork, vegetables, seafood, and cheeses, alder and maple are frequently regarded as entry level, “all-purpose” light wood types to utilise.

Pork, poultry, and lamb pair well with the milder, sweeter flavour of fruity woods like Apple, Cherry, Peach, and Oak.

The flavour profiles of mesquite, pecan, and walnut are stronger and frequently go better with steak and wild game.

What kind of wood chips is the most preferred?

Oak wood chips are often one of the most popular types for grilling and smoking since they offer food with an amazing, deep flavour.

By exposing food to smoke while the fire slowly burns through the wood chips, such as Oak, we get the flavour of smoke. You cook the meat for a long time at a lower temperature than usual to allow the smoke to permeate it without overcooking it. The food may absorb the smoke because the grill heat is just enough to destroy bacteria without being too hot.

The wood chips from Woodabrix are produced expressly to provide a smoky flavour to your meat. The longevity and mouthwatering flavour of Oak wood chips make them a popular choice. They work well when mixed with other wood essences as well.

You will soon realise that smoking is a continuous learning process and that it plays a significant role in why BBQ is such a love for many people worldwide since you now know what makes a good smoke, what to look for, what to do, and how to get the most out of any smoking sessions. Try, record, and fine-tune every cookout until you have enough mastery of your art to be able to give consistent service with every mouthful.

For best firelighters and chips go to: www.woodabrix.co.uk

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7 Great Ways to Use Wood Chips

Woodabrix BBQ Wood Chips, Recipes, Guides / admin

It is a major undertaking to have a tree removed, a large tree pruning, or a tree stump ground out. You’ll probably notice how different the area where the tree or stump used to look now.

The wood chips will then become apparent. MANY WOOD CHIPS!

Tree removal and pruning generate a large amount of wood that must be dealt with. When a tree is felled or large branches are removed, the branches and trunks are usually fed into a chipper, which turns them into wood chips. You’re left with a large pile of chipped or shredded wood likely a much larger pile than you anticipated.

Recycling old and unused trees, branches, and bushes with a chipper shredder is an easy way to add a new feature to your garden or backyard. Chipping the wood into smaller pieces and then using them in a variety of ways is a great idea that is both environmentally friendly and looks great!

Mulch

Cover your flower beds with wood chips to give your garden an attractive and functional look. Adding apple wood chips around the soil and up to the roots and stems of plants and flowers will not only bring out the colour of the petals and leaves, but will also act as a natural barrier against frost, insects, and the elements. The apple wood chip will also help trap moisture close to the roots of the plants, which will help feed them. In the same way that apple wood chips benefit plants when spread around the soil where they grow, flower pots and hanging baskets can benefit from the same treatment. If you want to go all out, you can dye the wood chip with a wood stain or watered down environmentally safe paint, which will add a wow factor to your garden

Play Area Cover

Oak Wood chip is ideal for use in play areas where children and teenagers can let off steam without fear of injuring themselves. Spread approximately 4-5 inches of wood chipping on the ground near any play equipment to help prevent too many bumps and bangs.

If you don’t want to pay for bags and bags of gravel, laying down wood chips on paths is a great way to save money. Just make sure to use finely chipped wood for this because it will look more tidy and neat.

Fuel

Whereas most people use logs and traditional firewood to build fires, wood chips can also be useful. Because of their size and flammability, wood chips make an excellent fire starter and can help keep a fire going for hours. They can be used as fuel or to start small, controlled fires. Cherry Wood chips are also an excellent fuel source for biomass reactors, which can be used to power engines or provide heat.

Food Preparation

The wood chips that come from fruit or nut trees can be used for food preparation and food smoking. Using wood chips for smoking is a great way to play around with loads of interesting new flavors.

Walkways

When planning a new or improved landscape design for your front, back, or side yard, consider using wood chips. Wood chips make an excellent walkway substrate for heavily trodded or lightly used walkways. They even out uneven surfaces and, as previously mentioned, suppress weeds in lawns and gardens. If you have a walkway with a dirt or soil surface, wood chips are an excellent way to keep it neat and visible while requiring far less weeding and maintenance than a bare surface walkway. Remove any large debris from the path and use a weed barrier, such as a tarp, between the dirt and wood chips to keep it looking its best for years to come to increase the longevity and usefulness of a wood chip walkway.

Erosion Control

Wood chips are not a long-term solution for preventing or stopping heavy erosion, but they can be a useful temporary fix for an area of your yard experiencing this problem until a long-term solution is developed. You can prevent further soil loss during heavy rain or melt events by applying a layer of wood chips over an eroding surface.

Decor

Aside from outdoor applications, wood chips are used in a variety of useful household tips and tricks. Use them in vases to stabilise dry or artificial flowers, keeping them upright and tall regardless of the vessel. Wood chips can also be used to add visual and textual interest to a piece of furniture or art by providing variable colour, shape, and pattern.

For best smoking wood chips go to: www.woodabrix.co.uk

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Best Barbeque Wood Chip Types

Woodabrix BBQ Wood Chips, Recipes, Guides / admin

The best wood smoking chips come from deciduous trees, particularly nut trees like hickory, pecan, and oak, as well as fruit trees like apple and cherry. Mesquite, a popular smoking wood in the Southwest and Hawaii, imparts a robust smoke flavour that complements red meat. Avoid pine and other softwoods, which impart a bitter, tar-like flavour to foods.

For smoking, wood comes in many different forms: logs, which are used in “stick-burners” (the offset barrel smokers used in restaurants and on the competition barbecue circuit); fist-sized wood chunks; and wood chips (the most common form of smoking fuel—available at supermarkets and hardware stores). Pellet smokers use compressed hardwood wood chips pellets; electric smokers use coarse wood chips or sawdust discs, and stovetop and handheld smokers use straight hardwood wood chips.

The Woodabrix’s BBQ Wood Chips are highly compatible with all types of smoking wood. When it comes to smoking foods, the type of wood chip you use has a big impact on the flavour. Experimenting with different flavours to find the perfect combination is enjoyable. If you’re new to food smoking, check out our website to choose the best Barbeque Wood Chips for your smoked foods.

Below is a list of the best combinations of wood chips for smoking:

Apple Wood Chips

Applewood smoking wood chip is a traditional wood chip. It has a distinct aroma as well as a sweet, mild flavour that can add much-needed depth to poultry. If you’re sick of plain old chicken or foul, try smoking it with applewood for a slightly fruity flavour. However, don’t over-smoke your poultry because the sweetness can become too overpowering. Moreover, applewood smoking chips can add a lot of depth to pork!

Hickory Wood Chips

Hickory is a simple wood to work with and can be used to smoke almost any meat. It’s especially good for enhancing the flavour of red meats. If you want a rich, bacony flavour, use hickory wood chips for smoking. It can impart a smoky, hearty flavour to poultry, red meat, and even fish. Again, don’t over-smoke, as it can turn your food bitter and chalky.

Cherry Wood Chips

As your smoking skills improve, you can experiment with different woods such as cherry.

Cherry has a mild, sweet, and rich flavour that pairs well with meats like turkey, ham, or chicken. This sweetness can help to enhance the meat’s savoury flavour. Cherry works well when combined with other wood chips for smoking, such as oak. Cherry wood chips for smoking are an absolute must for fans of bold, layered flavours.

Oak Wood Chips

Without oak, no list of wood chips for smoking would be complete. This is the go-to wood for making mistakes. If you like rich, red meats like brisket, beef, or sausages, oak wood chips for smoking can add a strong, smoky flavour without being overpowering. However, the strong smoke of oak wood chips can be too much for poultry. Furthermore, oak is a great wood for layering. To get the most out of your alder, cherry, or applewood, layer it with oak for a much more robust flavour profile.

Apple Wood Chunks

Apple wood chunks will undoubtedly become a favourite in your backyard cooking arsenal. Innovative smoking chunks enhance the flavour of your charcoal grill, barrel smoker, or pit smoker creations. And, like all of our cooking wood products, they go through our special drying process and are hand-inspected by our expert team to ensure they meet our stringent quality standards, so you know you’re getting an unrivalled product.

Thoughts on Smoking Wood Chips

Using wood chips for smoking is a great way to experiment with a variety of new flavours. Because of the various types of wood that can be used, this technique is ideal for infusing extra flavour into your meat dishes.

The sweetness, fruitiness, or intense smoke can help elevate any barbeque to the gourmet level. Keep in mind not to over-smoke your meat, and don’t soak your wood either. Smoking is also an excellent way to elevate any grilled meat, and it can make any meal memorable. Layer your smoking wood chips with various meats to find the flavour combinations that work best for you.

For best firelighters go to: www.woodabrix.co.uk

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