Out here in the northwest about the only 'hard wood' encountered is that big dry limb from a pine, spruce, etc. that wacks you on the head as you are working below. As for starting a wood stove fire every morning: two split pieces of softwood, 1 back & the other in front of firebox, 2-3 full sheets of old newspaper lightly crumpled between 'logs' and 3-4 pieces of kindling on top of paper - damper opened. Add a 3rd piece of split wood in the middle within the next 5-10 minutes. Wet camping trip fires are typically easily started by gathering lower twigs from the pines, etc. as the kindling wood.
Hi, this is my first post on this forum and i'd like to add that good ol kerosine works a treat in a combustion heater, may smell in an open fire, but hey works a treat and is cheap.
Out doors you can't go past old car/truck tire filled with a little diesel, the rubber burns real hot, smokes like a freight train though and will burn the greenest wood, no worries!
Its best done at night as the EPA will frown on that one.. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]