Mar152010
20 Comments
Survival Survey: Attention Firebugs!
image by stacirl
What’s your favorite way to start fires? I’ve heard and seen a lot of firestarting methods, from the vaseline/cotton ball technique to stuffing empty toilet paper rolls with dryer lint. Our family will be joining thousands of others this spring and summer on camp-outs, and building a campfire at the end of the day is nearly required. Knowing several different ways to get a fire started is a good idea. So, what is your favorite firestarting method?
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Dustin
Dryer lint is an excellent (free) source. I pack ziploc bags full of it, store it in a can, whatever. Pack it tight, you pull off a small amount (large marble size and fluff it up. People rave about the cotton balls and petroleum jelly combo – since the components are so pack-able and have multiple uses, why not just pack a small jar of petroleum jelly AND a waterproof bag of cotton balls?
It's hard to beat the ubiquitous bic lighter… if Daniel Boone could have carried one he would. IHere is a demo of REI matches (http://apathways.blogspot.com/2009/12/survival-fi… – like the trick birthday candles that won't go out. I carry a ferro rod, magnesium rod and striker in my leatherman pouch.
Some methods of starting fire require good technique! Fire pistons, friction fire, making a fireboard, etc. should all be practiced skills before you find yourself trying to light a fire in the dark, damp night surrounded by your cold, wet, cranky family! Learn as many ways to start fire as possible, and carry/pack/have available at least 3 methods to do so.
MicheleinMA
I just learned the coolest way to start a fire – hand sanitizer. I was taking a Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshop in MA and one of the leaders started a fire on the snow with a fire starting paste (fast but pricy) and then he used a small bottle of hand sanitizer. It worked really well. WOW – love that it is double duty.
TheSurvivalMom
How did he do that, exactly? Did he just pour some out on the ground and light it with a match? I'll have to give that a try.
Dustin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RScbHFQMZoY
MicheleinMA
Hi – He put a pile of kindling on the snow, poured the hand santizer on the twigs and touched a match to it. And the fire started. It was pretty neat.
Dustin
The alchohol can make a decent, slow burn, but it won't necessarily ignite what it touches – fire starting paste can help wet material burn, but alchohol will just burn itself out, usually. Survivorman (Les Stroub) started a fire using a frito… yep – the yummy frito is cooked in flammable oil. I tried it at home… disturbing, yet I still love them.
TheSurvivalMom
I saw a video of the burning Frito but have never tried it. In my opinion, Fritos belong in a can of bean dip, NOT surrounded by flames!
Lucas_SurvCache
Hey SurvivalMom,
First, I'm a big fan of your. There are very few women-prepper-survival-bloggers out there and you do a great job.
Second, I think maybe you should consider clarifying your question in this post a little bit because you are asking two questions at once.
There is a big difference between methods to make fire (matches, lighters, steel and flint, etc) and fire tinder (dryer lint, cotton balls, etc) You are going to have a fire without some of both.
My favorite way to make fire is probably a fire steel because it is reliable, but I also really like the 9V and steel wool method.
The best homemade fire tinders have already been mentioned, but a few natural ones that work really good are cedar bark (make a fluff ball of the stringy bark and it will spark instantly) and birch bark (nature's paper).
I actually have written a full article on both of these topics of your interested.
http://survivalcache.com/survival-fire-starters/
http://survivalcache.com/fire-tinder/
Keep up the good work,
Lucas @SurvivalCache
TheSurvivalMom
Lucas, you're right. I often see the term, "firestarter" used for both making the actual fire and the tinder used. I haven't tried the 9V/steel wood method! See what I mean? There must be fifty different ways out there to get/keep a fire burning. This past weekend at a class I taught, a woman said she uses empty tissue boxes filled with shredded paper. She stuffs it full, puts it in her fireplace or wood-burning oven, and that's her tinder. Very creative people out there! Thanks for visiting and commenting. You're welcome anytime!
Andrea
Ack, my favorite fire starter…that would be my husband. Did I ever tell you about the time I came home and he had set my front porch on fire? That nightmare aside, I use a propane torch for everything. Propane torch+tinder=big fire!
Leon
Hi Lisa – What firestarting method to use is a good question. Here's a story about the different methods and how to use them: http://survivalcommonsense.com/2010/01/18/best-ig…
Cindy
I use the dryer lint a bit differently. I take an empty toilet paper roll, smear vaseline on the inside and then stuff it with lint. We used this method to start the fire in our burn barrel and it works well. I also like that it is re-using stuff I already have on hand. Can't wait to try it on the campfire!
rightwingmom
Cardboard egg cartons stuffed w/ lint and soaked with melted paraffin wax. When the wax hardens they burn clean and slow.
BTW ~ My husband votes for gasoline.
Le Loup
Flint, steel and tinderbox using natural plant fibre tinders, but the fire-bow is pretty easy to use also, just takes a little longer to make the parts.
Primitive methods teach you a lot more than just how to make fire with that particular method, learning improves your ability with any fire making tool.
Regards, Le Loup.
TheSurvivalMom
I like the way you think, Le Loup! I've seen the firebow used several times but haven't attempted it myself. I didn't think I had the patience, but you make a good point about learning more than just how to get a spark.
Pingback: Things I Learned From Long Term Camping « Preparedness Daily
mysihaya
This might not quite fit in with fire starting but in reading this thread I was reminded of the little camp stoves we used to make when I was a Girl Scout;. Cut a door in a large coffee can, fill a tuna can with a curled strip of corregated cardboard and melted wax, using a coathanger as a handle. It makes a usable, although primitive little stove. We were taught to keep it all in one package with matches in a waterproof container.
TheSurvivalMom
Yes! That's the old hobo stove! It's easily made with a #10 can or large coffee can. You can find some really great instructions for making one over at motherearthnews.com. Just do a search there for 'hobo stove.' The candle I've used is the Nu-Wick candle because it burns very cleanly and hot!
ReadyMom
I also use TP rolls and dryer lint. BUT … in yet another way:
My kids use them to start their fires in our fire-pit, in the summer/fall. Here's what I do:
You need:
-TP rolls OR Paper Towel Rolls that you cut in half or thirds.
-The wax paper bag from cereal boxes, cake boxes, frozen waffle boxes (basically any wax paper bags you can can reuse)
-Dryer Lint
*Used Fabric Softener sheets, if you use them
For large wax paper bags, cut the bags in half. (you'll have a bottom half that has one sealed end and a top half that has both ends open and that's oke!)
(1) Take enough dryer lint that would lightly-moderatley fill a TP roll and place it on one of the *fabric softener sheets. Stretch the lint out on the dryer sheet and roll it up, so that it will be a little log shape.
*If you don't have a dryer sheet to use, just go to the next step
(2) Place the little wrapped lint log into the wax paper bag (1/2 bag). Roll it Fold up the sides of the wax paper bag so it
(3) Wrap the wax bag around the lint to make a little log that you slip into the TP roll: Fold your sides in first, then roll the bag around the lint. (This is why is oke having two open ends on one of the bags, when you cut a big bag in half).
(4) Slip your wax paper/lint log into the TP roll, so the TP roll is a sleeve around the wax paper/lint log.
The combination of the paper TP roll that quickly catches fire from your match, the wax on the paper and the flammable lint makes a nice combination that has never let us down in getting those fires started quickly.
Plus, I like the fact that I'm 'recycling' three or four different things I'd usually be throwing in the trash!
** I'm thinking that, if you wanted to, you could pop a vaseline-cotton ball into one end, too. We've had good luck w/out doing that, but it's an option.
We store the fire starter logs in the long plastic bags that our newspaper gets delivered in. It's just the right width.
TheSurvivalMom
Great information! Thanks! One woman I know uses old Kleenex boxes and shredded paper as a firestarter in her fireplace. She just stuffs the box full of shredded paper, direct from her paper shredder, places it in her fireplace with kindling, and lights the whole thing with a match. I've been amazed at the variety of ways people start fire and the tinder used! There are a lot of creative people out there!