Firestarters

[StagLefty]

*********************************************
try this
Get a metal coffee can
put a whole roll of toilet paper in it..(not unrolled)
soak with Isopropyl rubbing alcohol
light it
you can use the plastic coffee can lid to extinguish when done

We did this in Scouts for an emergency heater-pull out the cardboard insert. Be careful while it's burning-flame is just about invisible.

[Irving]

I completely missed out on Boy Scouts. Is there a Boy Scouts for adults? Well, besides enlisting I guess.

[Krasni]

From my boy scout days... simple 1,000 strike flint & steel with a zip lock bag of dryer lint (only takes about a fanned out quarter size of lint). Tender/Kindling as appropriate. I've had a bag of lint tucked in my go bag for years. It regularly burns homes down, highly flammable. (Lint, not MY lint)

May have already been mentioned, eyes crossed on page 3.

[Ranger]

I take a lot of pride in my fire starting. I make batches of char cloth and keep some in every emergency bag I have, from there I use my Fire Stick and throw a spark on the the char cloth, bury it in pine needles or dead grass or whatever and work like a dog to get it going. Last resort, magnesium (only if very wet or very cold).

I also have a really cool fire piston that I use from time to time as well. Other tools: make my own wax/sawdust/egg carton firestarters, cotton balls in Vaseline, dryer lint, sawdust by itself, fire bow, heavy praying - whatever it takes!

Fire starting is an art for me, I really love trying every possible way to do it. Did the 9 volt plus steel wool a while ago, that was pretty impressive!

[StagLefty]

+1 on cotton and petroleum jelly-cheap and can carry a lot in a small container.

[Ranger]

+1 on cotton and petroleum jelly-cheap and can carry a lot in a small container.

Actually, aside from a fire bow, this is my least favorite method. It's great if you have a flame and want to keep it going for a while, but not so easy to simply drop a spark on it and have it go - the char cloth is the best method for me, then if it's wet out and I need a bit more staying power on that flame then the petroleum jelly cotton balls are a welcome sight.

[BigBear]

Firestarters?.. Let's see. Bob. Likes to use a good soaking in kerosene before lighting from his zippo... Oh wait, you mean we aren't talking about arsonists?... crap... Let me go lock my doors.

[StagLefty]

Actually, aside from a fire bow, this is my least favorite method. It's great if you have a flame and want to keep it going for a while, but not so easy to simply drop a spark on it and have it go - the char cloth is the best method for me, then if it's wet out and I need a bit more staying power on that flame then the petroleum jelly cotton balls are a welcome sight.

I have an ESEE fire kit that has a misch rod-just messing around the other day with it and 1 spark lighting with cotton/pj balls.I like them because once lit they give you a good enough burn time to get your tinder going and build from there.JMHO