How do you build a fire?

[Summer2Go]

I've built fires for years, but I know I'm not good at it. My kids don't complain, but maybe they would enjoy the fireplace more if I was better at it!


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[nomad297]

I do it the old fashioned way. I never use fire starters or accelerants. I have cheated a time or two by using Fatwood, but generally I start with fine fibers of wood or bark, then gradually add larger and larger pieces of freshly split kindling. Then I begin to build a log cabin style fire around my fire. My fires start fast and burn hot.

Bruce

[Ford Idaho]

White Phosphorus and Napalm are always fun.




Seriously, a fire is a fire what's not cool about that?

[scootingranny]

Never thought of it as cheating but we start with part of a duraflame firelog. Once it's started, we just put wood on top. We can start a fire with glycerine and potassium Permanganate when it's not too cold but why not make it easy and just use 1/4 of a firelog?

[trbomax]

Just lite up a road flare,throw it in the pit,then put your small pieces on top of it.

[doc73]

Originally Posted by scootingranny

Never thought of it as cheating but we start with part of a duraflame firelog. Once it's started, we just put wood on top. We can start a fire with glycerine and potassium Permanganate when it's not too cold but why not make it easy and just use 1/4 of a firelog?

Yeah just do not try to cook over it or have it in a large tent for warmth... Did that with a Duraflame log and we all had black snot for a week and all our food was covered in soot!! LOL

[Flybob]

Coat a few cotton balls with Petroleum Jelly and put them is a small container. Throw one of them in as a fire starter. Small, light, inexpensive, clean burning and easy to carry.

[mjones12]

Don't consider fatwood cheating. It's completely natural from stumps of pine trees. Good stuff and good use of wood that otherwise might go to waste.

[Papa GLS]

Fat lighter (wood) only way to go. Takes very little to start a fire.

[propbndr]

I admit that I don't want to fight starting a campfire so, I cheat. I use small pieces of scrap lumber and a campfire starter.

[crunchman12001]

Dry logs and charcol lighter fluid. I prefer the pyramid approach for starting the logs.
crunchman

[Summer2Go]

Fat wood is the same as a fire starter log?



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[Grif76040]

I prefer a good chunk of a dura flame log.


Randy from Texas
TV - 2014 Chevy Silverado
TT - 2014 Palomino Puma 28DSBS

[propbndr]

Fat wood comes from the center of pine tree stumps, joints for big limbs and, scar tissue. It has heavy concentration of pine sap. I think it smells heavenly.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Flybob

Coat a few cotton balls with Petroleum Jelly and put them is a small container. Throw one of them in as a fire starter. Small, light, inexpensive, clean burning and easy to carry.

Have a Altoids tin of these in my Go Bag.

Fatwood http://www.plowhearth.com/10-lb-box-...8tuxoCYzXw_wcB

[nomad297]

Originally Posted by propbndr

I think it smells heavenly.

X2

Bruce

[vinmaker]

I definitely cheat a bit when I start my fires at the campground.

The first thing I do is chop up wood to make a small pile of wooden ruler shaped pieces. then I make a pile of slightly thinker rulers, then finally a third pile of even thinker rulers.

I then make meatballs out of newspaper and place on the bottom of the firepit. I then begin to build a Lincoln log structure with the small pile of rulers, then a layer of the next size ruler, and finally the next size up from that. I then stuff paper inside the log cabin.

I use a wooden match to start it up.

It should start every time.

Vin.

[kdot]

Flybob has it right. Cotton balls rubbed in Vaseline. Simple, easy to pack and carry. Put 'em in a zip-lock bag and they're ready to go.

Kent

[5er_tom]

We normally start our fire after dinner. I pour the hot charcoal over the fire wood. Off it goes and no mess in the BBQ.


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[RPAspey]

I guess I cheat..I make a starter from bee's wax and wood chips from my planer & jointer. I press the wood chips into a cardboard egg carton, then pour the melted bees wax over it all til soaked. I make 36 at a time in about 30 minutes. All natural and burns a long time.