How to Make Campfire Starters

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posted on 19 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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When on a camping or hiking trip, it's important to be prepared if you need to start a campfire (even in snow). Here are various methods to consider. They're easy to prepare, cheap to make, and will consistently build great fires.

Steps

Cotton balls and alcohol or spirits

Purchase a bag of cotton balls and a bottle of methylated spirits or denatured alcohol.

Collect an old glass jar with a tight lid from your kitchen cupboard.

Fill the jar one-third full with spirits.

Place cotton balls into spirits to soak thoroughly.

Transfer prepared balls into a zip lock bag.

Take this bag camping and hiking with you. Simply use one or two of the spirit-soaked cotton balls to start your kindling burning.

Bring strike anywhere matches with the tips dipped in wax, to start your fire. Take a candle and let it burn until melted wax surrounds the lit wick. Blow the flame out and then dip the tip into the hot wax. To light the match, peel the To make the match even more water resistant, melt wax in a small bowl and dip the entire match in.

Dryer lint

Take a cardboard egg carton and fill each pocket with dryer lint.

Carefully melt paraffin wax and pour it into the lint filled pockets.

Cut the pockets apart and carry them in your fire starting kit.

Wax in a cup

Melt wax and pour into a paper cup, halfway up, leaving enough of paper to light.

Allow wax to harden and place in your fire starting kit. (Note: Burns for about 5 minutes which is often more than enough time to start your fire.)

Resin

Gather some resin from pine or spruce trees by breaking the bubbles that ooze from the bark.

Put the resin on a twig. This will light like gasoline.

Potassium permanganate

Make a small pile of potassium permanganate (available on the Internet) under a piece of kindling. Make the pile into a volcano shape with a depression in the center.

Pour a tablespoon or so of glycerin in the depression of the powder. You'll have fire within 15 seconds or so.

Cotton balls and Petroleum Jelly

Purchase a bag of cotton balls and a jar of Petroleum Jelly.

Take a cotton ball and slightly separate the cotton.

Open the jar of Petroleum Jelly. With your finger, scoop out a small amount a little larger than the size of a pea. (Wearing latex gloves keeps the mess contained.)

Work the Petroleum Jelly into the cotton ball until evenly spread out.

Store the Petroleum Jelly soaked cotton balls in a resealable bag or other suitable sealed container. (You can compact them for maximum storage space savings.)