A lot of guests arrive at the cabins having never used a wood-burning stove before. That is completely fine. The stoves in the Larch, Spruce, and Fir are all straightforward once you understand a few basics. This guide covers what we tell every first-time guest, written down so you can refer back to it during your stay.
Starting the fire: the first twenty minutes ¶
Open the air vent fully before you light anything. Use two or three firelighters from the basket beside the stove, not newspaper, which burns too fast and leaves ash that blocks the grate. Stack three or four small pieces of kindling over the firelighters in a loose cross pattern. Light the firelighters, leave the stove door slightly ajar for the first five minutes to draw air, then close it once the kindling is properly caught. Do not add a large log until the kindling has been burning for at least ten minutes.
Loading the stove once it is going ¶
Add one or two medium logs once the kindling bed is glowing. Do not pack the stove full. A stove that is too full burns inefficiently and produces more smoke. Two logs with space between them burn better than four logs crammed in. The cast-iron stoves in the cabins hold heat well, so once the body of the stove is warm, you need less wood than you expect to maintain temperature.
Overnight and morning ¶
If you want the cabin warm in the morning, load two large logs before bed and close the air vent to about a quarter open. The fire will burn slowly through the night and the stove body will hold warmth for several hours after the flame dies. In the morning, open the vent fully, add kindling to the embers if any remain, and the fire will usually catch again without starting from scratch. This works reliably in the Larch and Spruce. The Fir's stove runs slightly hotter and may need a fresh start in the morning.
What not to do ¶
Do not burn anything other than the wood we provide. Treated timber, cardboard, and rubbish produce toxic smoke and damage the flue. Do not leave the stove door open when the fire is going, except for the first few minutes of lighting. And do not leave a fire burning unattended if you are going out for the day. The stoves are safe when used correctly. If anything seems wrong, call us.
The stoves are one of the best things about staying in the cabins. Once you have used one for a night or two, it becomes second nature. We are always happy to walk you through it in person when you arrive.