15 replies to this topic

[logcabinmama]

How to make fire starters, you will find how to make fire starters and a lot more at:

http://www.ehow.com/ehow/ehowPrintable.jsp?id=18193

How to Make Fire Starters
Though the foundation of a fire ' and the wood used ' is very important, so is your choice of fire starter. And instead of buying the waxy blocks sold in stores, you can make your own. A fire starter assures that you can get a fire going quickly in any type of conditions.



Steps:
1. Use a cotton ball covered in petroleum jelly to make a great fire starter. Simply roll each cotton ball in the jelly until completely covered, then put it in a plastic film canister. Each canister will hold about 30 balls. To start a fire, put two or three cotton balls under your dry kindling and light.

2. Make another excellent fire starter by cutting an old, worn web belt or hiking compression strap into 8 cm strips. Soak them in wax and let dry. Next time you want to start a fire quickly, use one.

3. Make fire starters by filling paper condiment cups with sawdust and pouring paraffin into the cup.

4. Use a ball of dryer lint soaked with candle wax to make a very good fire starter.

5. Go back to basics by using flint and steel. Flint is a stone found in much of the world. If it is struck vigorously with a piece of steel, hot sparks fly off which will ignite dry tinder. The flint and steel method is the most reliable of the direct spark methods.

6. To make a decorative fire starter, use the following steps:

7. Place wax in double boiler and heat until melted. The double boiler should be used only for candlemaking / fire starter making.

8. Put paper cupcake cups into cupcake pan.

9. Let wax cool to 140 degree Fahrenheit. Pour to within 3/8 of the top of cupcake paper.

10. Place a wick into each cup and allow to finish cooling.

11. Press a pine cone into each cup once the wax is firm to the touch.

12. Bond the top of each cup to the pine cone by adding a bit of hot wax. The wicks should be about ½ inch long.
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[Washkeeton]

For those of us up in the great white north of AK, I take birch bark and package with dry leaves, and some dried spruce and put in a sack. I usually smash it flat and put it in individual baggie bags then lay it on the bottom of what ever I am taking with me. Most of the time I just use birch bark. Green or dry it works great. Green birch wood burns great and with a nice hot fire. Unlike most woods it also doesnt leave heavy creasote in your chimney wheather it is green or dry burnt. When I am splitting my logs for the winter wood pile I use a small hatchet and start loosening the bark. I take it off in sheets and leave it by my fire place to dry as much as it will. I continue to split the wood down to useable pieces.

[Cat]

[Washkeeton]

I have never noticed any more creepy crawlies here when I do it seperate it. Mostly this past winter I split wood in the living room by the stove. In ak I do know that the skeeters live in the bark somewhere but I really dont know of many other creetures that do. In the summer I get my flys, skeeters, skeeter eaters, and spiders. That is really about all the creepy crawley critters we have. I live here cause there is no cocroaches and snakes Not really but I thought I would say that for fun.

[kritterwood]

i can add that one cotton ball dipped in hot wax and dried will burn for 30 or more minutes in which you can boil a cup a soup with instant rice and still have some warmth to boot, i havent tried boiling in a pan yet but a big stainless steel cup works great and i figure a stainless pan woudl be the same, if you wrap a little foil around this to make a cup it will last even longer. makes a great fire starter cause it keeps on burning with a big flame and is water proof, and good instant meal cooker.

[Ogre]

My family's emergency kits each contain a tin of charcloth. I bought 4 novelty tobacco tins, used one as a cooker/template and the rest to hold the charcloth.

Take an old tea towel or hand towel, cut it into squares to fit your 'cooking tin'. Fill the tin until almost bursting then pierce a small hole on the top (maybe from a 1" nail). Slow cook the tin until the fumes stop coming out of the hole at the top. (this can be noxious, so I cook ours on the BBQ in summer months) Take it off the heat and leave to cool (or throw it into a bucket of water). Release the lid carefully in case of ignition. You should have lovely cooked squares of charcloth that will ignite even when damp (I've seen it burn on wet cloth)

Repeat as necessary and Store until needed

Ogre

[Mysticdream44]

I also make firestarters for my fireplace. I use pinecones and dip them in wax, put on wax paper and let them dry, then I dip them again. I repeat 4 or 5 times.

I also pack dryer lint in toliet paper rolls and paper towel rolls if I want bigger ones, packing the lint as tightly as I can, then dip them in melted wax, dry and repeat 4 or 5 times. They work great.

This year I'm going to try packing some of that lint into the pine cones and dipping in wax to see how they do.

[suzyq322]

This year, we've had an abundance of cattail, So I,ve gathered many heads. Very light to carry and a little fluff goes a long way.


Suzy

[Maineiac]

Mine may sound funny, but one firestarter I use is save the paper core of toilet paper or paper towels and the waxy paper butter or margarine quarters are wrapped in. I stuff the tube full of the waxy paper and roll up one end. One of these lit and stuck under the kindling of my woodstove or furnace will get the fire going. Can't save too many ahead as the butter gets a bit funky smelling after bit, but they never last long around here.

[Crazy4Canning]

Logcabinmama,

I can't tell you what spurned my creation, but my DH thinks it's fabulous.

I cut up an egg carton into pieces.
Save my dryer lint and used dryer sheets.

Wrap a handful or so of lint into a sheet and twist it closed or tie it with some old, ratty thread and place in the egg sections of the torn carton. Place on tin foil.

I heat nibs of candles, remnants of wax, etc, and pour over the stuffed egg cartons. I let this dry and add more if I need to.

These work REALLY WELL! They aren't all that bulky and the wax can seep down into the cracks of wood to help it burn.

P.S. Wax releases very easy from tin foil and protects your counter or cookie sheets.

[FunkyPioneer]

Adding reply to bump. A sure fire(hahaha) way to get a good fire starter is cotton balls soaked in rubbing alcohol. We stuff about 20 in a small plastic container and they are perfect for a quick start to a fire.

[Fullpantry]

Can also take heavy cotton string, cut into two inch sections, dip in wax and let dry. These are tiny and therefore don't take up much space. You can pack 50 or more in a film canister. 50 fires for the space of a film canister - pretty good.

[Philbe]

All these are great! Can also cut up small strips of bicycle inner tubes, store them in an metal mint box, and light with a bic lighter. Works for us

[Mt_Rider]

great find! I just copied this thread to my word program....to print later.

MtRider

[Philbe]

All these are great! Can also cut up small strips of bicycle inner tubes, store them in an metal mint box, and light with a bic lighter. Works for us

Added note...this is totally waterproof!

[Gunplumber]

Bic Lighter + Corn Chips.

I've taught all sorts of primitive fire starting procedures for Boy Scouts & Wilderness Survival. I carry a couple of BIC Lighters and candles. Corn Chips (And cashews) were new to me, but they burn the same as a candle.

In the old days of pencil sharpeners and pencils actually made from wood, I'd save that as kindling, but If my life depends on it, I Pop a road flare. Save the bow drill for amazing the peasants.