Camp fires

upnover

upnover

Grumpy, decrepit Old Man
Moderator
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Morganton NC
What are your tricks ?

I have a few.
Leslie came up with the idea that if we can get it started, it will burn. One trick is to use fire logs. You can take one and break it into several pieces and make it last a good while. The cheap ones from discount stores work just fine. You can also use charcoal(match light), and of course starter fluid sure helps a lot.
A good friend and forum member Larry Smith showed me a trick one year at the Dixie run. Many years of being a Boy Scout, I always got down and blew on the fire to act as a human bellows. Anyone has done this knows the draw backs, but it effective. Larry showed me a simple paper plate or foam, as long as it's rigid. Just fan the fire and get it some O2, one of the key elements for a fire.
Another good friend of mine Robbie Mozely usually always carries a chain saw. Many times I have seen him drag an old dead log back to camp and saw it up, giving us plenty of fire wood. This is a good idea especially since some states have laws about bringing wood across state lines(due to bring in wood/tree diseases.
Having a Friend like Steve Brush who always brings a couple boxes of dried wood blocks with him. By products of packing material from his work. The are very dry and will just about light without any additive mentioned above.

So what are your tips?
 
My problem with fires was always getting them lit in the wind. So instead of fooling around with a bic or grill lighter, or paying some hefty bucks for a windproof/all condition lighter...I went to Lowe's and picked up a $25 mini torch, and it's worked flawlessly the last two years.
 
Bear Gryls says... Drink your own urine from a rattle snake hide, jump in a icy creek buck naked, dry off with snow, then rub a stick against your forehead to start a fire fueled with skunk spray.:lol: That guy is nuts!
 
2 dollar charcoal starter fluid rocks.


If you need to light up the entire valley, and are not nessassarily interested in standing by the fire...bring a magnesium vw motor..lol once the fire is hot enough, add the motor and stand down wind. They'll be enough light to see the fire from space. But you shouldnt plan on roasting marshmellows!
 
i always just bring some dry chunks and card board with a map gas tourch does the trick for me. i also have a friend that goes by the local pallet plant and buys the scrap oak chunks of 4x4 and pays next to nothing for it
 
I use little wick chafing fuel cans i start fires in rain, snow, hail really dont matter as long as ya get ya kindle hot enough to dry out the rest I also was boyscout for many years and learned that there all all kinds of tricks but the best ones are the ones that take the less amount of energy... hope this helps
 
For the minimalist a good homemade fire aid is:

Wash a load of cotton towels or something at home. Collect the lint from the drier and mix it with a little vaseline in a film canister.

A little ball of that makes a great fire starter.
 
Never had terrible issue getting a fire started, usually we use a little gas to get it going, but I've done it many ways, usually when I'm very cold I come up with crackpot ideas.

Grab about 20 sheets of paper, twist them up tight, set in milk jug, light end of paper, put at base of fire, now I knew burning plastic was bad, but it was about 10 degrees and I was getting desperate. The twisted paper burns slower than just tossing it in, and the milk jug seems to burn stupid hot. Fire was lit almost immediately.

These days I usually just make sure I have enough wood, an axe, occasionally a saw, and usually a few pallets.
 
trioxane (sp?) bars bought from army surplus stores. they're lightweight, small and burn long enough to get a big pile of twigs going. then add on the bigger stuff.
 
frankenyoter said:
For the minimalist a good homemade fire aid is:
Wash a load of cotton towels or something at home. Collect the lint from the drier and mix it with a little vaseline in a film canister.
A little ball of that makes a great fire starter.
Click to expand...
Now that is a new one I have never heard
I didnt know vaseline was flammable
Do you think a lil cricso would be better?

O btw where do u get film canisters at these days..... Jk
 
frankenyoter said:
For the minimalist a good homemade fire aid is:
Wash a load of cotton towels or something at home. Collect the lint from the drier and mix it with a little vaseline in a film canister.
A little ball of that makes a great fire starter.
Click to expand...

Second that. Lights easily with just a little flint/sparker and magnesium. I use cotton balls stretched out mixed with vaseline and twigs/wood shavings to get a good fire rolling. I them in a zip loc bag.
 
frankenyoter said:
For the minimalist a good homemade fire aid is:
Wash a load of cotton towels or something at home. Collect the lint from the drier and mix it with a little vaseline in a film canister.
A little ball of that makes a great fire starter.
Click to expand...

^This or take the lint and pack it in a cardboard eggbox. Makes great firestarter that burns a long time.
 
I save dryer lint and a couple of pieces of split lightard.The key is to start small and then build up.Also remember a fire for cooking is different than a fire for heating/light so build accordingly.
 
Citronella oil. Burns like napalm and smells like a lemon.
Works good for daughter's ex boyfriends disposal problem also.
:Rockon:
 
I cheat. I place s starter log on top of a a bed of kindling and lose paper then build s kindling tepee over that with a split wood tepee over that. A little spritz with lighter fluid throw in a match and POOF..instant fire. In just a few minutes I have 4 foot flames.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
 
GrnRanger said:
trioxane (sp?) bars bought from army surplus stores. they're lightweight, small and burn long enough to get a big pile of twigs going. then add on the bigger stuff.
Click to expand...

X2 I start all my fires using these bars, maybe $0.36 per fire.
 
I just like to get the fire starter logs and use it to start the fire. When I was in college we used to throw an old tire on the fire to get it good and hot, I think this was kinda illegal though, if trying it I'd definately reccomend trying to stay away from the nasty black smoke it puts off
 
Burning tires is illegal. I see it done sometimes still, and they burn insanely hot, and cover everything with black soot.
 
We keep a small trash can in the laundry room just for dryer lint.
Then every now and then I take one of the pulp paper egg cartons, stuff the lint in the holes and pour melted parrafin wax.

When lighting if I see a lot of fibers it's good to go, if not, rough it up a bit on a rock, firepit etc.
Add small twigs or tender in a tent shape over this and light ... as the twigs catch, add bigger sticks and so on until you up to firewood.
I also cut thin strips of old scrap wood I have.
The cheap, big chunky garbage plywood works great.


Matt
 
t-frady said:
Now that is a new one I have never heard
I didnt know vaseline was flammable
Do you think a lil cricso would be better?
O btw where do u get film canisters at these days..... Jk
Click to expand...

Film canisters can be had at any photo processing place, like Wally world. Folks bring in the 35 MM film and get pics, the canisters just go in the garbage

The vaseline thing is a new one for me.

The dryer lint is something I have done when in scouts.

The best "tendor, to start a fire the old fassion way is up under a pine tree. Simply get up under where the tiny twigs are dead. If they snap or pop when you bend them, that's what you want. Get enough of these, even in the rain, the will pretty much light with a single match.
 
You got it Chip. With one match and a pocket knife a man should be able to build a fire in any weather condition. The worse the weather, the longer the prep time. Have everything ready (tener, kindling, and progressively larger twings sticks and logs) before you strike the match.

The cool part of the vaseline and lint combo is it keeps and it is waterproof. You can also easily light it with the oldschool striker set.

When in windy conitions place an upright flat rock (log or whatever) on the side the wind is primarily coming from. The wind will pass around the rock and create an eddy where the fire is thus feeding it oxygen. Pretty sweet to see the fire driving into a strong wind!
 
I cut an old pine about seven or eight years ago that was absolutely full of sap even down to the 14'' dia. base. I can almost look at it and it will catch on fire. All it takes is a couple little pieces split w/ a hatchet and a match. It has layed in the weather on the ground all this time and is rotten mostly around the edges but the center is still hard as can be and I call that the sweet meat. Sure wish I could find another tree like that cause won't be long I'll be out.
 
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