Wilderness Guide series - starting a fire

Hi guys, this is post #1 in my Wilderness series. I wanted to write these posts so that we can all see that it doesn’t take much to be prepared for any emergencies. I was thinking and decided to start with Firestarter just because I feel these are the easiest to prep ahead of time. I did lots of research to find these, and most I have tested out and they do work. I am sorry that this is a long post but I wanted a variety of options. I am not writing this series to scare anyone but to try and reinforce being prepared is the key to survival. So without further ado lets begin:

1- Alcohol prep pads

Most people have a first aid component in their survival kits and they usually contain some of the smaller Alcohol Prep Pads. These can be used to start a fire. Simply cut a small "X" in one side of the package and pull some of the alcohol pad up and out through the "X." Light the alcohol pad, which can be accomplished with a lighter or even the sparks from a Ferrocerium Rod. You now have fire which can be used to build a larger fire. Make sure you have your other tinder, kindling, and fuel ready to go before you light the alcohol prep pad.

2- Pinecone Fire Starter

Pinecone fire starters not only smell and look good, they also work well and make great gifts. You can usually find pinecones in the spring or late summer. I picked mine from the ground in early August this year.

All you need to make these is some string, wax (use tea light candles or some old candle stumps), wax paper and some pine cones of course.

Step 1: Start by tying a short piece of string around the top of the pinecones. This will be used to hold the pinecones while dipping them in the hot wax and also serves as a wick to light them.

Step 2: Melt the wax using a double boiler setup. You can use wax dye, to give the pinecones some beautiful colors. Pinecones do smell great of course, but you can always add some fragrance oil if you prefer a different smell.

Step 3: Dip the pinecones in the melted wax, you can use a spoon to help cover them. You will probably find that you can’t get a thick enough layer by just dipping them once. Let the pinecones cool down on a sheet of wax paper for roughly 15 minutes. Then come back to add a second layer, by dipping them in the wax again. You can do this 2-4 times, to build up a good layer. If you want the final layer to be shiny, make sure the wax is extra hot.

3- Cotton pads dipped in wax

This is probably one of the easiest ways to make fire starters at home and it’s surprisingly effective. These are the materials you will need:

Material list:

• Cotton pads (make-up remover pads)

• Tea light candles (or other wax candles)

• Wax paper

• Long tweezers, or a spoon

• Safety goggles

• A double boiler set up or Presto Pot to melt wax I used a large pan filled with 2 inches of water and an old smaller pan from the thrift shop to melt the wax in.

Step 1: Start by taking out the wick and remove the metal casing from the tea light candle. We only want to use the wax.

Step 2: Melt the wax using a double boiler set up, or use a specialized melting pot for making candles. Wear some safety goggles and protect yourself and your clothing with an apron, as melted wax is very hot and can be hard to get out of clothes. For safety, wax should always be melted in a double boiler setup so it doesn’t exceed 212ºF / 100ºC.

Step 3: Once the wax is melted, place a cotton pad on the bottom of the pan. Leave it in there for a couple seconds so it can soak up some of the wax. Next, take it out with a spoon or long tweezers and place it on a sheet of wax paper to cool down.

You’re all done! To light it, simply break the pad open a bit to expose the cotton fibers and light it with a match or fire steel. It will burn for roughly 5 min.

You can store the pads in a waterproof bag or box and take them with you on your next outdoor adventure.

4- Vaseline and Cotton Balls Fire Starter

Don’t feel like messing with hot candle wax? Try this super easy method: vaseline + cotton balls. This simple fire starter is great to make with kids and it only takes about 30 seconds. The magic ingredient, petroleum jelly turns an ordinary cotton ball into a lightweight fire starter that burns for roughly 4 minutes and only costs a few pennies to make.

Material list:

• Cotton balls

• Vaseline (petroleum jelly)

• Small container

All you have to do to make these is the following: Take a cotton ball, scoop up some Vaseline and roll the ball between your hands. You want the ball to be well covered. If you put on enough Vaseline, the cotton balls will actually become waterproof. That’s it, your fire starter is done! Just store them in a small container, so you can easily take them with you without everything getting covered in Vaseline.

This fire starter burns about as long as the cotton pad method mentioned above but does produce a slightly smaller flame. To light it with a fire steel, you will have to pry the ball open a bit, to expose some dry fibers.

5- Dryer Lint Fire Starter

Go check your dryer now and see if you can find some dryer lint because we will need it for this fire starter. Not all people like this method, as it’s quite messy and produces a fire starter that’s a bit heavier compared to other methods. You won’t be able to light this one with just a spark, so be sure to bring some matches or a lighter in your survival kit. It does have some advantages though. This dryer lint fire starter is waterproof and will burn for 10+ minutes!

Material list:

• Dryer lint (check the lint trap of your dryer)

• Egg carton

• Tea light candles (free if you use old candle stumps)

• Wax paper (to protect your table)

• Safety goggles

• A double boiler set up or Presto Pot to melt wax I used a large pan filled with 2 inches of water and an old smaller pan from the thrift shop to melt the wax in.

Step 1: Fill up your egg carton with balls of dryer lint. I only had enough for two compartments this time.

Step 2: Take out the wick and remove the metal casing from the tea light candle. We only want to use the wax.

Step 3: Use the same double boiler method as we used for the cotton pad fire starters to melt the wax.

Step 4: Pour the melted wax over the dryer lint and fill up the compartments. It’s best to place your egg carton on some wax paper to protect your countertop. Let the wax cool down.

Step 5: When the wax has completely hardened, use a knife or some scissors to cut the egg carton into cubes. You can also leave it together if you want to bring multiple fire starters on your trip.

Light the edges of the carton to start the fire starter burning. The paper will help to ignite the wax and dryer lint. This dryer lint fire starter produces quite a large flame and will burn between 10-20 min, depending on how much wax and dryer lint you used.

6- Sawdust Muffin Fire Starter

These cupcake/muffin sawdust fire starters are great for camping or starting a fire in your fireplace at home. They are not really lightweight, but can burn for roughly 15 minutes! That should be long enough for anyone to get a fire going.

We will be needing some baking supplies, namely a muffin pan and paper liners and some sawdust. For wax, you can use some old candle stumps or just melt some cheap tea light candles like I did. Don’t have any sawdust? Try asking your local woodworker/carpentry shop. Shredded paper will probably also work fine, but might not burn as long.

Material list:

• Muffin Pan

• Paper cupcake liners

• Sawdust (a mix of fine and larger wood chips is best)

• Tea light candles (any type/source of wax will work)

• Safety goggles

• A double boiler set up or Presto Pot to melt wax I used a large pan filled with 2 inches of water and an old smaller pan from the thrift shop to melt the wax in.

Step 1: Start by placing the paper cupcake liners in the non-stick muffin pan. Fill them up roughly 3/4 with sawdust.

Step 2: Next we will need to disassemble the tealight candles and melt them in the same way as we did before: with a double boiler setup. (see above for more details).

Step 3: Once the wax has melted, place the muffin pan on a sheet of wax paper (for accidental spills) and slowly pour the wax over the sawdust. The sawdust will soak up quite a lot of wax.

Another way to make these is by adding the sawdust directly to the melted wax in the pan. This way the sawdust and wax get mixed a bit better, but I find it a bit messy. Filling the paper liners with the sawdust/wax paste is also a bit more work.

Step 4: Put the muffin pan in the fridge or let them sit for roughly 15 minutes to cool down.

You can light these sawdust muffin fire starters with a lighter or matches. Light the edge of the paper, this will ignite the rest of the sawdust/wax mixture.

7- Doritos

As it turns out, you can use a Doritos fire starter. That's right, that tasty chip you love to hate is one of the finest options to have to help you get a fire going in a pinch. It turns out that the chemicals, powdered flavors, and oil in the chips make the perfect combination for combustion and snack.

8- Guitar pick Firestarter

take and slide the guitar pick into a piece of wood and scrap off some shavings of the pick and using flint light the pick and it will light then add dry grass

9- AA BATTERY AND FOIL GUM WRAPPER

Using a battery and gum wrapper to get a fire going is a great technique to know since it’s generally easy to get your hands on both items.

AA batteries are found in nearly all common battery powered devices these days and someone is almost always nearby with gum on hand.

With this technique, you don’t have quite as much time to transfer your flame to your tinder, but it’s still effective as long as you’ve prepared your tinder materials in advance.

Step #1: Locate your AA battery and gum wrapper

As with any of these field expedient techniques, the first step is locating your materials.

Finding a AA battery shouldn’t be a problem if there are any electronics in your vicinity.

Whether it’s a remote control, headphones, flashlight, or any of these other 20 common items using AA batteries, you’re bound to find at least one.

If you can only get your hands on an AAA, D, or C battery, don’t sweat it, those will work too.

Now that you have your battery, it’s time to find a gum wrapper.

For this to work, you’re looking for a foil gum wrapper lined with paper.

These types of wrappers have become less common, but there are still common brands which use them including 5 Gum which is America’s fifth favorite brand of gum.

Step #2: Shape your gum wrapper

Once you’ve located your gum wrapper and battery, it’s time to shape the gum wrapper so it can easily catch fire.

For this step, I recommend using a pair of scissors if you have a pair handy, but you can use also use your survival knife or carefully tear the wrapper if necessary.

From a single gum wrapper, you can create three opportunities to start fire.

Start by evenly cutting your wrapper lengthwise into three strips.

Next, you want to cut the thin strips into an hour-glass shape approximately 1/16th of an inch at the center.

The thin section in the center is the point that will spark into a flame acting as a flammable bridge to the other sides of the gum wrapper.

Step #3: Start your fire

The gum wrapper and battery technique while effective, has less margin for error than the first two methods.

You only have a few seconds to transfer the flame created by the battery to your tinder so it’s even more important you have your tinder close by and ready to light before you spark the gum wrapper.

Once you’re ready to get your fire started, carefully touch the foil side of each end of the gum wrapper to the positive and negative ends of the battery.

I have found sometimes it slightly burns your fingers on this step, so if you have a glove or rag nearby you can use to protect your fingers, I recommend using it.

As soon as the center of the gum wrapper sparks into a fire, quickly light your tinder. You will only have a couple of seconds so you need to act quickly.

If you can’t get the fire going on the first try, diagnose what went wrong and use one of the other pieces of the gum wrapper you prepared in the first step.

I have found the most common issue people have is getting the wrapper to spark into a flame.

This is nearly always the result of the hour glass shape not being thin enough at the center.

If you don’t get a flame on your first attempt, try making the center of the wrapper even thinner and trying again.

10- Waterproof matches

Use Turpentine

Pour 2 to 3 large tablespoons of turpentine into a small (tumbler sized) glass.

Place the matches, (head down) into the turpentine and allow the matches to soak for 5 minutes. During that time the turpentine will soak into the head as well as the stem. All the water will be driven off by the turpentine.

Remove the matches and spread them out to dry out on a sheet of newspaper. Generally, 20 minutes for excess turpentine to evaporate is recommended. Matches treated in this way remain waterproof for several months or longer.

Method2

Use Nail Polish

Dip the head end of the match into clear nail polish far enough to cover at least an eighth of an inch (3 millimeters) of the stick below the head.

Hold the match for a few seconds to allow the polish to dry and then place the match on a table or counter so that the head is suspended off the edge of the surface.

Place a sheet of newsprint below to catch anything that may drop off.

Method3

Use a Candle

Light a candle and let it burn down until you have a good amount of liquid wax (about a half of an inch or 1 centimeter).

Extinguish the candle.

Dip the head end of the match into the wax far enough to cover at least an eighth of an inch (3 millimeters) of the stick below the head.

Hold the match for a few seconds to allow the wax to harden slightly and then place the match on a table or counter so that the head is suspended off the edge of the surface.

When the wax has cooled, but not completely hardened, pinch the end of the wax coating (towards the stick), forming a tight seal.

Method4

Using Paraffin Wax

1Melt enough paraffin wax in a double boiler to be able to coat with wax about a half of an inch (1 centimeter) deep.

Wrap some twine or jute string around several matches from the bottom, to just below the wax quickly. This makes a torch that can burn for 10 or more minutes.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next post in this series, and thanks to these websites for providing the instructions for these starters

https://www.survivalresources.com/survival-kit-fire-starter-tips.html

https://www.marthastewart.com/867096/pinecone-fire-starter

https://compareoutdoorgear.com/fire-starter/

https://www.gotimegear.com/blogs/survival-skills/3-hacks-to-start-a-fire-using-a-battery