Easy fire while camping--Kindling boxes!

[mikmurphy]

For years, while building fires in our home's wood burning stove, I've relied on what I call "kindling boxes." They're always left-over cardboard boxes from shipping that seem to accumulate. Only criteria is that the box must fit inside our stove.

To build one, I take the box, wad up several sheets of newspaper and wander outside to find kindling to put inside. We always have a plethora of small oak/juniper pieces, so it doesn't take long to fill the box, starting with very small stuff on the bottom and layering medium and bigger kindling on top.

I usually build these boxes one at a time, but can make as many as I a) have boxes for and b) wish to have.

Once the box is ready, I stick it in the stove and use my Leatherman Wave saw blade to cut a small window in the side facing me. Once it's open, I stick a lit match into the window and light the newspaper on fire. Within minutes, a good blaze is going and then I feed firewood in as necessary.

I've modified this for camping to include longer-burning wood on the top, so once we arrive at a CG and want to start a fire, I just pull a box out and light it up.

I did this recently and a nearby camper came up and inquired how I'd gotten a fire going so quickly. Once I showed him the concept, he thought it really a neat thing.

Anyway, just in case you sometimes struggle to get a fire going, a kindling box is a very easy solution. You can also plastic bag them just in case you're worried about rain. As always, YMMV!

[lx22f/c]

Good idea. Thanks for sharing.

[Threebutchers]

Originally Posted by lx22f/c

Good idea. Thanks for sharing.

X2

[mcfarmall]

That's a good idea. I generate a small amount of waste mineral spirits in my woodshop from the finishing process. I have an empty square plastic paint can that I fill with pellet stove fuel and then pour my waste solvent into the can. The pellets absorb the mineral spirits and I use them for starting my campfires. The pellets allow a safe, controlled way to dispose of my mineral spirits. There is no vapor cloud to flash over like you would have if you poured an accelerant directly on the firewood, an act that I and many of you would consider unsafe practice.

Recently I cut up some compressed wood "bricks" that I bought at Menards and threw them in the can to soak up the solvent. They might be easier to pluck out and place in your kindling stack. We'll find out here in a couple of months when campfire season opens up.

[s1njin]

My DW and DD came back from Girl Scouts with a great fire starter idea.

Take two or three crayons, roll them in wax paper. Spin the ends so lit looks like a big fat/white Tootsie Roll. Insert into bottom of fire pit, and light. Acts like a disposable candle !!!!

If you have kids, you likely have crayons all over the place. Now you have a good use for them.

[Ryetye]

I use a handfull of fritos they burn for about 15 minutes and it's dual purpose so no extra weight to carry in the trailer!

[Tex1961]

Some really great ideas.

We plan at least 1 charcoal meal when we go camping so I just buy a big bag of match light (yea I know...). This gives me enough extra to place into the fire ring and cover with logs. Works every time.

[jdorant]

We have been saving our dryer lint and toilet paper rolls and making fire staters all winter. If they work well I have enough to last the summer. If they don't work well... then we'll have 1 really big fire once and then they'll be gone.

[Ryetye]

Originally Posted by Tex1961

Some really great ideas.

We plan at least 1 charcoal meal when we go camping so I just buy a big bag of match light (yea I know...). This gives me enough extra to place into the fire ring and cover with logs. Works every time.

Instead of match light try regular charcoal I use a weber starter cube to light the charcoal for the Dutch oven! It is a lot safer than match light!

[Crabman]

Great idea! Crabman uses old broken crab baskets for kindling. The thin dry wood works everytime, and they would just get thrown away if not used for this. Of course not everyone in North America has ready access to these.

[Bird Dawg]

I saw a video where they used dryer lint and paper egg cartons. They cut the egg cartons to a single egg and filled with dryer lint and/or sawdust. They than carefully dripped candle wax on top. 1 or 2 make for a great campfire starter and they don't take up much room.

Fred

[glsimms]

I had trouble with getting a fire started and the fellow next to me says he had just the thing I need. A little later he came back with some safety flares. Worked like a charm and they burn for about 15 minutes, long enough to get a big fire goin'........

[Old Blue]

The Forest service fire crews have been using Flares for years to start fires or back fires they use what they call fusees and they do work real well.

[Jagiven]

I like the tip! I have a small bag of birch bark I haul around with me. That usually does the job. This winter I make up a bunch of egg carton fire starters. Melt a lot of candle wax (double boiler). Dip the egg cartons into the wax, let cool and harden. Add large wood shavings to each egg location. I like shavings from wood turnings. Then pour hot wax over the wood. Let cool. Burns nice’n long and hot.

[RoyBraddy]

I always carry a good supply of these COLEMAN BRAND "STRIKE-A-FIRE" Fire Starters... These are made by DIAMOND...
These come 8 to a pack and can be foound in the camping section of most WALMARTS... Gives me a big edge on getting the camp fires started in quick order. I light these with a propane torch...



Roy Ken

[Big Sky]

These are all great ideas! I've done the standard rolled up newspaper, use a torch for quick lighting,and then sit there with a bellows until I have the fire going good. I like all of these ideas much better!

[sask934]

All good ideas and using items that you already have....I'm going to use these ideas to start a fire as you want to enjoy your fires while camping.

[glsimms]

Yep.... Nothin' beats sitting around a nice warm, cozy ........

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by RoyBraddy

I always carry a good supply of these COLEMAN BRAND "STRIKE-A-FIRE" Fire Starters... These are made by DIAMOND...
These come 8 to a pack and can be foound in the camping section of most WALMARTS... Gives me a big edge on getting the camp fires started in quick order. I light these with a propane torch...



Roy Ken

I use these too. And I have some of the ones without the "strike anywhere" feature. Been using them since I can remember and I always have some hanging around somewhere. It's one of those things I pack into the bottom of a bag or tote or drawer and forget they're there, so I buy more, and the cycle continues... I also carry a couple old newspapers. Sometimes I don't get a chance to read them and they stay in the plastic sleeve, so I just toss the ones I don't recycle in the camping box...

Never thought of using a propane torch though, I might have to get one of those. Lord knows I have enough of the little 1lb propane cylinders running around!

[3'senough]

I carry the dura flame fire starter bricks with me with newspaper or cardboard from some packaged products we accrue from the trip. They come in a 48 pack and run about $15.00 for the case. There are 4 per package so I only carry a few packs a time to keep the weight down. A case usually gets me through an entire summer season.

Sometimes the chimney starter with leftover coals from my DO gets it going too.

All good ideas above.