Learning a skill is never for just one purpose or occasion, so while we may not be thinking about building an outdoor fire as a winter activity, it can be essential to survival if stranded in the snow or a cold weather power outage. Fire starters can
limit the number of matches you need conserving them and conserving fuel in lighters. They are also a great help when starting a fire under windy conditions.
For wax-based fire starters you will need to melt wax, using old candles saves money. A few tips:
Place some wax in a clean tin can or that can be heated but you don’t care about as it will be ruined.
Heat up a large pot of water and place the can inside the pot.
Keep heating the water until the wax has melted. Use the wax immediately or keep it from hardening by leaving it in the hot water.
If the can begins to float use tongs or a wooden spoon to hold it in place and prevent it from tipping over. Carefully dumping out a little of the water will also help.
Be careful when removing the can from the pot. The wax and can will both be very hot. Use tongs or an old oven mitt.
Supplies for use in creating wax-based fire starters:
• Saw dust, nut shells, laundry lint, twigs, wood chips
• Candle wax from a craft store, old candles or crayons
• Cardboard egg cartons or flats or paper cup cake liners or newspaper
• 100% cotton wick or a wick salvaged from an old candle (mop heads work well or wicks can be purchased at a craft store)
Cup Cake or Egg Carton Fire Starters
Assembly:
1. Melt wax or old candles in double boiler over low heat.
2. Retrieve old wicks.
3. If using cupcake liners line an old cupcake pan with 2 liners in each cup.
4. Place saw dust, lint or other small flammable materials in egg carton or cupcake liner.
5. Place wick in center of each individual starter. Optional
6. Add just enough wax to hold together flammable materials.
7. After the wax hardens cut egg carton apart to make individual starters or pop starters out of cupcake pans.
8. Store in a cool dry place. I also store a few in my car in plastic zipped baggies. I don't really care if they melt and re-harden, they still work.
To Use: Place 1 or more starters under kindling and light. Less kindling will be needed to start your fire and if your kindling is green or wet this will give it time to ignite. This is much safer than a flammable liquid to start a fire and starters are easily stored in Five-day kits or grab and go packs.
Note. Lint fire starters are really ugly, but they work and the material is free and easily attainable.
Pinecone Starters
Pinecones also make great fire starters. Just wrap your wick around a pinecone once and dip pinecone into melted wax. Set on wax paper to harden wax. You can also add candle making scents to the wax for a scented pinecone. Be aware however, scents should not be used during a power outage as some people are very sensitive and scents may cause headache. If several scents are used at once everyone will be feeling ill. Pinecone starters also make fun gifts for those you are encouraging to be prepared.
Tree Trimming Starters
Cut the small branches trimmed from trees into uniform lengths. Place rolled up pieces of newspaper which are slightly longer than the branches in the center of 6-8 branches and tie with raffia, string or pieces of mop made from 100% cotton. The bundles can be place in a basket next to the fireplace to use as kindling or tossed in the trunk, just in case.
Wax dipped tea bags
Compared to the other wax fire starters, these are the easiest to make because you just dip the tea bag into the melted wax and set it on parchment paper to dry.
Cotton string soaked in wax
1. Cut a length of cotton string
2. Dip string melted wax.
3. Place on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.
4. Once totally dry place in plastic bag.
5. To use wrap around a flammable items and light.
These are mega lightweight and great for backpackers looking to keep their load as light as possible.
Cotton balls soaked in wax
1. Place a few cotton pads into a can of melted wax and saturate.
2. Use tongs to remove from wax.
3. Place on a tray lined with waxed paper to dry.
4. Place in plastic bag or small tin to save and add to kits.
Toilet Paper Tubes
1. When finishing a roll of toilet paper save the tube.
2. Fill tube half full with dryer lint.
3. Pour in a little melted wax, crayon or old candle.
3. Add more lint until full.
4. Place under kindling and light.
Soaked corks
Take on old jar with a lid that seals well and fill halfway with rubbing alcohol.
Place corks in the jar and leave to soak until they are needed to light a fire. Cork will need to soak for several days. Corks should be stored in a sealed container to prevent the alcohol from evaporating.
Cotton ball dipped in petroleum jelly
Both cotton and petroleum jelly are highly flammable making this a perfect combination. Add cotton balls to a resealable plastic bag and add a tube of petroleum jelly to make fire starters when needed. Perfect to store in an auto kit or Five Day kit.
Pinecone fire starters
Every fireplace should have a basket full of pinecones ready to start that crackling fire. They work well to start any fire but look pretty next to the fireplace. Pinecones need to be totally dried out before they can be used as a fire starter.
Once dry tie a piece of cotton string around each pinecone and pull one of the ends up to the top creating a wick. Melt some wax in a can over some hot water and dip each pinecone into the wax. Leave to dry and dip a second time. Dry completely before using.
Dried orange peel
Surprisingly the skin of oranges is a very effective natural fire starter. Leave orange peel out to dry on a tray or cooling rack. Store in a paper bag. When burning the peel will ignite easily and it will smell great as well.
Fire starter accelerants
There a few things that can be used to help get that fire started you probably already have on hand.
Alcohol based hand sanitizer and after shave. A few squirts on your kindling will help get a fire started quickly.
Bug spray and hairspray can be used by spraying kindling and lighting. Never spray after a fire has started or you will create a flame thrower.
The best way to store fire starters, except orange peel, is either in a resealable plastic bag or a plastic bin with a lid.
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