Campfire Starter Gadget

[brokenaxle]

I do wood work in my spare time as a hobby and have an endless supply of hardwood kindling. And to get the kiln dried kindling going I just crinkle up a piece of newspaper.

[Brother Les]

Originally Posted by bradnailer

All these suggestions are cool but I'm sort of fond of the WHOOSH you get when throwing a match on kindling and logs drenched in Coleman fuel. Never was a very good Boy Scout. ha!

However, I normally use the fire starter bricks.

Right idea.... wrong fuel source.

I change my own oil and filters and reuse the oil for several things. One thing is to help start my camp fire. Driving a Diesel, I always have a full 5 gal can in the truck.

I was a very good Boy Scout and the idea is not to work hard, but to work smart. I will Teepee my camp fire the way I want with an 'all nighter log on one side, mixing green and dry wood. I will pull back several dry logs and pour a little oil on the underside of the log/branch. Then I will pour a little Diesel on the top side of the dry wood. (DO NOT USE GAS OR Coleman fuel. Gas ((vapor)) will burn fast and will explode, Diesel has no vapor and will burn slow and hot.)) I then stuff a little paper in the middle of my Teepee and light it. The flame will move up to the Diesel, lighting it and the Diesel will get good and hot and light the oil. In less than two minutes a perfect camp fire. The dry wood will burn hot and the green wood will slow down the burning process. Depending on how the fire is burning will dictate what combination of dry and green wood is added through the 'camp fire time'.

To have a 'colorful' blue/green/purple/orange flicking fire, I will take two 6 inch copper pipes, drilled full of holes and stuffed with a short length of old water hose and shove into opposite sides of the fire.

[Phil57]

Lots of good ideas. I use hamster bedding. It cedar and burns well and is cheap.I buy a bale and just carry Some in a bag. I like the idea of the lint and wax. I'll have to try that. Don't like the black smoke form the oil.

[MMattox]

Brother Les,
A good Boy Scout is environmentally friendly, leave no trace, ect. Seems to me that burning used engine oil in a camp fire is not the best use of old oil or really healthy for everyone around the camp fire. But as you stated it is really important to NOT use GAS on a fire, explosions are all to real and kill or disfigure people every year.

[jtintx]

Used this when backpacking and it works great:

Cover cotton balls with petroleum jelly and stuff in an old film canister. Pull one out as needed, separate it a bit and light. It burns long enough to get your kindling going and the wind won't blow it out.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Phil57

Lots of good ideas. I use hamster bedding. It cedar and burns well and is cheap.

That's a great idea. This past weekend I ended up using an old bird's nest that someone had already pulled out of a tree. Burnt really nicely!

[bobcrowder]

A lighter, a little news paper, some cardboard, and shavings from my log splitter kept dry in a tote works for me. I like things simple I guess.

[Phil57]

Originally Posted by bobcrowder

A lighter, a little news paper, some cardboard, and shavings from my log splitter kept dry in a tote works for me. I like things simple I guess.

I don't think there is anything simple about a log splitter. I have been there done that and it's hard work. Sure beats doing it by hand.

[slide5r4fun]

I guess I'm lazy, I use one of these. A handful of small twigs, 4 or 5 thumb size limbs and 2 or 3 pieces of firewood and I've got fire within a minute or two.

[Toad Haul]

Nacho Doritos make a great starter. They burn like crazy when lit

[jkklops]

all you need is firewood that has been cut for a year and couple of pages of newspaper and it will start let the firewwod go for a year and you will be fine

[F and E Damp]

We grew up in the UK in the 1950's, where home heating was by coal fires. It's relatively easy to start a fire if you have the right stuff, even if it's coal. Wood is a LOT easier.

We carry wood kindling - sticks of dry wood that have been cut to length (about 12") and split to be fairly slender (maybe 3/4 " square or so. We make up starters out of last Sunday's newspaper by rolling about 8 of the double pages and tying them into a loose knot.

Put the paper starters in the fireplace, lay the kindling in a "tent" shape over them and light the paper. Once the kindling starts to burn, add your logs, initially also in a pyramid shape. Within 10 minutes you'll have a good fire and can rearrange the logs for best effect.

It doesn't take any dangerous flammables and it's very reliable. Since the method will light a coal fire, wood doesn't present a problem. I've always wondered what the rangers would say if I started a coal fire in a CG fire pit! The initial smoke is pretty obnoxious for the first 10 minutes (lots of sulfur), but once it's going, it's pretty clean. It also burns for about 90 minutes on a single load of coal and doesn't need a lot of rearranging like a log fire does.

[Ford Idaho]

Fire starter jel.

Google

[DKRGoods]

I just roll four to five sheets of paper diagonally (make sure paper is tight as possible) then I just tied them in a knot as many times as possible (usually two or three). Put three or four under kindling, lit and BAMMM!!!!!!!!!!! nice fire.

I stack my wood by laying two pieces down then two more the opposite way. I then add kindling in the middle with tightly knoted paper.

Works like a champ....

[force]

Originally Posted by slide5r4fun

I guess I'm lazy, I use one of these. A handful of small twigs, 4 or 5 thumb size limbs and 2 or 3 pieces of firewood and I've got fire within a minute or two.

You're not lazy, you've just taken a lot of the difficulty out of it. I have been using one of these for years:

[tanddc]

I use pieces of a duraflame fire starter log along with some kindling (as described above). I enjoy starting the fire and working with it...usually. When I am not in the mood, I have found charcoal lighter fluid to be an excellent replacement for patients and hard work

[Phil57]

I just picked this up. Can't wait to try it out. Might be a little over the top but I like a fast fire starter.

[slide5r4fun]

Originally Posted by force

You're not lazy, you've just taken a lot of the difficulty out of it. I have been using one of these for years:

Nothing wrong with taking some of the work out of it. I can always revert to matches and kindling etc. if I'm feeling ambitious.

[slide5r4fun]

Originally Posted by Phil57

I just picked this up. Can't wait to try it out. Might be a little over the top but I like a fast fire starter.

Attachment 39581

You might wanna make sure there is no burn ban in effect when you break that big boy out.

[rb56]

rich pine. a walk in the woods will take you to pine stumps galore that are rotted out. usually a stiff kick to the center and the "heart" is the hardest part and hottest. old pine logs that are rotted also if you simply kick the dead wood off you come to the heart, core of the pine and it is distinctive orangish color and strong odor of turpentine...that's the source for it. burns very hot, starts in a blizzard or flood.