Best Wood Stove For Preparedness

A wood stove may be one of the most important preps for the winter, especially for us northern preppers. Whether or not a wood stove is your primary or backup source of heat, it’s simplicity and readily available fuel source makes it a no-brainer for preppers in a colder climate.

Not long ago we moved to northern New Hampshire, and while our home’s heat source is a propane furnace, I will be adding a secondary heat source to not only supplement the existing system, but also to provide peace-of-mind should the furnace break down, should our propane run out, should the power go out, or even if the SHTF…

My question to you is this – what is your experience or recommendations regarding a wood stove – lessons learned, things to look for, or avoid, etc.?

 
By the way, I considered a pellet stove (because they’re more efficient, clean burning, automatic pellet feed, thermostat controlled, simpler exhaust) however with regards to real SHTF preparedness – they are not the best choice. They require electricity, they have moving parts, they have electronics built-in, ignitors to go bad, ‘motherboards’!, and they require purpose-made manufactured pellets.

While I do have a generator, and I could stock up on pellets and spare parts, I’m not entirely comfortable with having to rely on it’s electronics, electricity, and an external supply of pellets out of my control (SHTF).

Instead, a wood stove is simple, they do make them more efficient these days, and I can draw off the wood on my property for fuel.

As an aside, for your interest I wrote an article awhile back which points out the available BTU’s in various types of wood for heating:
Best Wood For Heating

 
While ‘any’ wood stove may be a good choice for winter preparedness (rather than none), I’m hoping to gain some insight from you regarding your experience with a wood stove, preferred brands?, styles, issues, what to look for, installation do’s and don’ts, etc. – before I choose one and get it installed…