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Calcimator

Campfire BTU Calculator

Calculate how much firewood you need for your desired heat output and burn time. Compares softwood, hardwood, and kiln-dried options.

Inputs

BTU/hr
hrs
°F

Results

Wood Needed

294.1 lbs

≈ 13 car tires

Bundles Needed

15

Total Useful BTU Output300,000 BTU
Fire Efficiency12%
Estimated Wood Cost$105
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter your planned burn duration (hours).
  2. Select wood type (hardwood like oak: ~8,600 BTU/lb, softwood: ~6,400 BTU/lb).
  3. Enter ambient temperature to estimate heat output needed to raise camp temperature.
  4. Review total BTU output, wood needed (lbs), and estimated bundles required.
  5. Use wood needed to pack appropriately for remote sites without available firewood.

How the result changes with Target Heat Output

Target Heat OutputWood NeededBundles Needed
59,000173.5 lbs9
181,500533.8 lbs27
328,500966.2 lbs49
451,0001,326.5 lbs67

What each input means

Target Heat Output
Desired useful heat output per hour. A cozy campfire is ~80,000-120,000 BTU/hr.
Burn Duration
How long you want the campfire to burn.
Wood Type
0 = Softwood (pine, fir ~7,000 BTU/lb), 1 = Hardwood (oak, maple ~8,500 BTU/lb), 2 = Kiln-Dried (~9,500 BTU/lb).
Ambient Temperature
Outside air temperature. Very cold temps slightly reduce combustion efficiency.

What each result means

Wood Needed
Total weight of firewood needed for your target heat and duration.
Bundles Needed
Number of standard ~20-pound firewood bundles to purchase.
Total Useful BTU Output
Total useful heat delivered over the entire burn.
Fire Efficiency
Percentage of wood energy that becomes useful heat. Open campfires are 10-15% efficient.
Estimated Wood Cost
Approximate cost at ~$7 per bundle from a campground store.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Target Heat Output = 100000, Burn Duration = 3, Wood Type = 1, Ambient Temperature = 55 = 4 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Bundles Needed
    Bundles Needed
    15 = 15
  3. Calculate Total Useful BTU Output
    300000 = 300000
  4. Calculate Fire Efficiency
    Fire Efficiency
    12 = 12%

Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.

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