…on the prepper fora and elsewhere, it’s actually possible to internalize the notion that lighting a fire the easy way is somehow a violation of principle. Against the prepper code, or something.
When I moved into the Lair and heated with wood for the first time, I developed an elaborate assortment of natural or easily-acquired materials for starting my fire. Painstakingly assembled it in the woodstove…paper under cured juniper needles under shredded bark under twigs under finely hand-crafted artisanal tinder. It took for reeking ever and it only got me a sustained fire about 75% of the time. Kind of tedious, to be honest, but that’s what ya gotta do.
One day two winters ago I was in the Wal-Mart in the big town about 50 miles away, buying glaucoma meds. I had some other items on my shopping list which led me to the hardware department. And there was a wide selection of sinfully bourgeois fire-starting materials. I actually looked from side to side before yielding to the devil on my shoulder, and I snuck the box I’d bought into the truck so D&L wouldn’t see it. I am not making that up. It was like a kid from a religious family sneaking around the rack with the skin mags.
The product I purchased on that transgressive day was this:
It corrupted me completely. I can never show my virtual face at a prepper forum again. But I figured, I live in an actual house now. Why am I improvising something as important as heat in the morning?
You actually can strike one of these things alight on the box; one end is coated like a wooden match. Other than proving it can be done I can’t think of a single reason to do it. But that feature is why I keep coming back to these fire starters. Your average fire starter is just pressed sawdust and wax and these are no different. But that coating on one end means you can get it lit very quickly even on a very cold morning when wax would normally resist melting.
So away with all the elaborate tinder preparations. I just lay a fire starter across the grate with the match coating sticking out so I can get at it with a kitchen match. Then I stack split pallet boards on it, drop a few more on the stove floor, and lay a couple of 2X4s on top. Most evenings I don’t burn the fire so I can have all this set up ready when I come shivering down from the loft in the morning. One match, 100% successful fire start.
🙂 Too much purity is bad for you. BTW, if the quick-start feature isn’t important to you, the cheapest way to make a shit-ton of fire starters is to buy a $5 fire log, slice it with a chop saw, then cut it into sections with a boxcutter. That’ll make nearly a whole winter’s worth for cheap, as good as anything else you can buy. I don’t remember which TUAK commenter told me that, but it does work.
I don’t give a crap what the prepper weenies say, as far as I am concerned the only proper wood stove lighter is:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Bernzomatic-Premium-Torch-Head-328626/203718633
Especially when it hits minus 20 deg F and it is blowing 40 mph.
No need to bother with the news paper and all that fuss. Couple of split pieces of 3/4 inch thick pine and and that sucker is making heat full-tilt-buggy in about two minutes flat.
Also useful to pre-heat the stove pipe and get that plug of cold dense air rising fast to get a good draft on your fire.
Better living through chemistry.
Show your face without shame, Joel. You’re livin’ the vida loca… libre… lucha…something.
Tried a bow drill once in an attempt at authenticiity or somesuch thing. Liquid petroleum product and/or a propane torch is much easier. I used to heat almost exclusively with wood; now I marvel at the electric thermostat.
My go to fire starter for the stove is plain old charcoal starting fluid. I don’t have to do kindling or anything else. Just throw some chunks in the stove, wet it down with starter, and strike a match. It’s not so volatile that it flashes. It just takes off slowly and builds to a nice fire. Been doing it that way for years.
A plain old self igniting propane torch (like you’d sweat copper pipes with) do a great job lighting kindling too.
Just because we know how to start a fire primatively,doesn’t mean that we have to do it that way every time.I would vote for the propane torch,if it’s possible.
Years ago ,when I was at a hunting ranch in Texas,I was trying to start a fire in the fire place in my cabin,and a Mexican hired hand walked by the cabin.He came back a minute later,with a plastic gallon milk jug full of kerosene,he said “you want fire,this makes fire” Wise words.
Crumpled up paper or torn up card board, card board boxes etc works well. Put it on the bottom, put your wood on top, light. Start fire like that every day.
Melt a block of canning parrafin, and dip curtain cotton sash cord into it, saturating it. Carefully remove (hot HOT!!) and hang until cold. Cut into 1″ lengths. Done. One end lit with flame, will burn about 4 minutes, plenty of time to light tinder / kindling above it.
My personal flame of choice – standard BIC. Lasts a good long time if used only for this purpose.
Joel,
I’m with Michael. I’ve been using a Bernzomatic torch for years, and there’s nothing better for starting a campfire in the rain/wet. I’ll bet if you added it to your Amazon wishlist, you wouldn’t have to hide them…
I have to say I feel guilty whenever I use any modern fire-making method. I’ll do it, but I feel like I’m cheating. Nothing makes you appreciate a lighter or a match more than learning to do without such modern things. And making a flame into a fire is just a matter of layering- but my dad can’t light a fire even with gasoline.
https://youtu.be/sP78UGVl7Ak
There’s a YouTube channel, Primitive Technology, with a whole series of videos about making stuff starting with nothing but natural materials and know-how. One of the videos is about making fire sticks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9n9rqb-lvY&feature=youtu.be
I recommend the whole series.
Huh, kentmcmanical’s comment didn’t include the video when I saw it in my e-mail. Oh well, at least I’m not linking to the *same* fire-making video:-).
Yes, I love his videos. That guy puts me to SHAME and leaves me in awe.
The trick is to never have only one…or even two ways to start a fire. I do not know exactly how many of those self lighting torches I have but there is one in every vehicle tool box. And I always have several methods on me including a bic.
I was just counting, and on my person right this moment I have 4 separate ways to start a fire. Plus, things to help make a bow drill fire if all those fail.