How to Start a Fire - Collected Wisdom

[IronPercheron]

What is your favorite gear? tips and tricks?

Of course you can use a trangia/spirit stove, propane whatever..... lol

Im talkin "we are up shite creek without a paddle its cold as balls out here for the love of christ we need a fire"... fire.

I ALWAYS have a but load of bucket load of bic lighters stuck EVERYWHERE for this purpose... and in each ziploc wit the bic is a lil tiny unscented flat candle, i call em biscuit candles. Wicked easy way to get things going.

I recently started using flat round cotton facial wipes (like a cotton ball but flat - 2 inches around and 1/8 inch thick) i use them to soak up bacon grease while the pan is still HOT after cooking... pull bacon out, toss pads in... stir around till they are soaked, pull em out n let em cool, then vaccuum bag em and you got yourself one mean fire starter lol AND it smells like bacon!, burns good in wet materials conditions and dont take up alot of space.

Best part

This idea was shared with me! I read it somewhere that i cant for the life of me remember... may even be here on OB... whoever it was... he changed camping life for this Texan forever. I am grateful. I think he said "you may be lost, cold, and alone but you can smell bacon."

My wife and i tried it and loved it. The poncho tent was like a slice of home when we could smell bacon in the cold n wet it really lightened the mood :-)

Lets hear what ya got folks!



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[Overland-Indiana]

I use cotton balls, dip them in vaseline and then stuff them in the oversized straws..they kinda look like slushy/icee straws. Then I seal both ends with a heated up metal rod. It makes it air tight and then when i need to start a fire I just cut off one end, fluff the cotton out a little and light it. Burns for probably 5min or so. The straw case keeps it from burning up too fast.

 

[IronPercheron]

I use cotton balls, dip them in vaseline and then stuff them in the oversized straws..they kinda look like slushy/icee straws. Then I seal both ends with a heated up metal rod. It makes it air tight and then when i need to start a fire I just cut off one end, fluff the cotton out a little and light it. Burns for probably 5min or so. The straw case keeps it from burning up too fast.

Thats genius...... vaseline is a petroleum... well done sir

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[MA_Trooper]

I soak cotton balls in bacon grease. Lights up quick and burns hot. Also makes the first few minutes of fire smell like bacon. Cold, alone, afraid, but hey, at least it smells like bacon...

Usually a lighter somewhere in my vehicle. My day pack has a basic first aid kit and magnesium / flint stone. I have used two sticks and a shoelace before. Patience and calm is key. Lose your cool and your worst fears will almost always come true.

Edit:
@IronPercheron I totally missed the part you said about seeing that tip here.
Hahahaha. That was me. Glad you liked that tip. Been doin it since I was a kid in NH. Saved me once when I got stuck in a blizzard in the Presidentials. Learned it from my uncle who was rescued once because the search and rescue folks could smell bacon. My favorite "war story" of his. SAR shows up laughing and asking for a slice of bacon. bahahaha.

 

[IronPercheron]

I soak cotton balls in bacon grease. Lights up quick and burns hot. Also makes the first few minutes of fire smell like bacon. Cold, alone, afraid, but hey, at least it smells like bacon...

Usually a lighter somewhere in my vehicle. My day pack has a basic first aid kit and magnesium / flint stone. I have used two sticks and a shoelace before. Patience and calm is key. Lose your cool and your worst fears will almost always come true.

Edit:
@IronPercheron I totally missed the part you said about seeing that tip here.
Hahahaha. That was me. Glad you liked that tip. Been doin it since I was a kid in NH. Saved me once when I got stuck in a blizzard in the Presidentials. Learned it from my uncle who was rescued once because the search and rescue folks could smell bacon. My favorite "war story" of his. SAR shows up laughing and asking for a slice of bacon. bahahaha.

!!!! THANKS MAN lol

P.S. did he ever get them some bacon? LOL

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[Steve]

I have redundant sources of fire available, but don't always have all in the vehicle with me. These have been accumulated ideas from years of backpacking, car camping, hiking, etc.

steel wool and a 9-volt battery
dryer lint in old medicine bottle
vaseline soaked cotton balls
Crisco soaked cotton patches (from my blackpowder days)
waterproof matches in a waterproof case
Bic lighters and CountryComm mini lighters
BlastMatch fire starter
Esbit solid fuel tabs and pocket stove
Jetboil stove
MSR WhisperLite stove
Coleman stove

 

[SLO Rob]

I saw a guy post on a youtube vid that had dryer lint and vaseline in a waterproof ziplock bag. I thought that was a great idea. You could have that deep in your rig and I imagine it would be useful "forever".

 

[RescueRangers]

I recently started using flat round cotton facial wipes (like a cotton ball but flat - 2 inches around and 1/8 inch thick) i use them to soak up bacon grease while the pan is still HOT after cooking... pull bacon out, toss pads in... stir around till they are soaked, pull em out n let em cool, then vaccuum bag em and . . .

Actually sounds like an after dinner snack.

 

[ShawnR]

I save all my dryer lint. I put it in baggies and always have a ferro rod when out on trails.

 

[Lars]

Is it wrong to suggest..... the bottom 1/3 of an aluminum can, filled with a few ounces of fuel from your jerry can.... lit with the end of a twig?

 

[Steve]

I forgot to add belly button lint...

 

[roamingtimber]

I use cotton balls, dip them in vaseline and then stuff them in the oversized straws..they kinda look like slushy/icee straws. Then I seal both ends with a heated up metal rod. It makes it air tight and then when i need to start a fire I just cut off one end, fluff the cotton out a little and light it. Burns for probably 5min or so. The straw case keeps it from burning up too fast.

I also use cotton balls and gasoline, I just keep them in an old pill bottle. One cotton ball still burns for like 5 minutes, burns pretty hot too. Cheap and easy to make, super effective.

 

[Steve]

I also use cotton balls and gasoline, I just keep them in an old pill bottle. One cotton ball still burns for like 5 minutes, burns pretty hot too. Cheap and easy to make, super effective.

Vasoline, not gasoline, correct? ;)

 

[roamingtimber]

Vasoline, not gasoline, correct? ;)

Yes, vasoline. I think I was the victim of iPad auto correct. Or I suck at typing.

 

[IronPercheron]

Yes, vasoline. I think I was the victim of iPad auto correct. Or I suck at typing.

voice text is the devil

 

[jdunk]

Is it wrong to suggest..... the bottom 1/3 of an aluminum can, filled with a few ounces of fuel from your jerry can.... lit with the end of a twig?

It's only wrong if you fail to start the fire, or you burn your eyebrows off in the process!

 

[HangryMachinist]

I use cotton balls, dip them in vaseline and then stuff them in the oversized straws..they kinda look like slushy/icee straws. Then I seal both ends with a heated up metal rod. It makes it air tight and then when i need to start a fire I just cut off one end, fluff the cotton out a little and light it. Burns for probably 5min or so. The straw case keeps it from burning up too fast.

That bring me back to my Boy Scouting days.

 

[maktruk]

Last year, we went camping (popup on a cliff over ocean, technically overland, since I drove over the Santa Cruz mountains!) and I was up late Friday night. A young surfer couple came in way late and started trying to make a fire. Failed miserably. I waited 30 minutes until they started to fight over it, then lit a dorito on fire and walked to the edge of their camp and hailed them. I then dropped the dorito in the firepit and instructed them to feed it small pieces of tinder for the next 5 minutes. They got fire.

Doritos are evil, one will burn for ten minutes, literally. They are right up there with Subway bread that's declared hazardous material when a tractor trailer hauling it overturns.

 

[Lifestyle Overland]

We use a Bic lighter or waterproof matches to light the propane fire pit... yeah that was anti-climatic.
SHTF situation though? Same methods. Just throw in some toilet paper if the twigs are wet.
In the past I used to keep a baggy of dried out pine sap pieces... now that stuff burns for a long time.

 

[murps]

Did someone already mention this?