Fire it up

[Former Easy]

Whats the best flame to take on the trail?

Is one lighter better then others?

Do you just carry matches?

Do you carry c4?

do you carry drier lint?

Wax balls to

How do you fire it up?

[firefly]

I carry a lighter...waterproof storm matches for a backup...Esbit tablets for a firestarter. My snowpeak stove has auto iginition-worth every penney :)

[Peaks]

I use a bic lighter, and carry a spare. You never know when the flint is going to crap out.

I tried waterproof matches. They didn't light well when I wanted them to. So, I now carry a second lighter.

I don't have campfires often, so don't carry the other aids to starting a wood fire.

[DebW]

The Solo Candle Lighter (size of a Bic but with a retractable flame extension to reach the bottom of my alcohol stove)
[see http://www.camcor.com/cgi-bin/bcatalog.cgi/area=gif&id=993502793] and REI stormproof matches for backup.

[steve hiker]

In the winter I carry stick matches as a backup to lighters. Tear the striker off the kitchen matches box and put some along with the lighters in a plastic baggie. Ive had butane lighters refuse to work in freezing weather.

[Jaybird]

i use the always trusty...water-proof matches!
light weight & always gets the fire roarin'!



see ya'll UP the trail (with or without fires) in 2004!

[uscgretired]

I use a bic lighter, Ohio Blue Strike Anywhere Matches. 1/2 Dz. of Vasoline soaked cotton balls stuffed in a plastic film canister. I keep my lighter and matches in a small boat key and registration container that has an "O" ring seal (very light weight and flourescent green in color). I have used the cotton balls on several occasions and they work great and burn long enough to build the fire.

[Rain Man]

I use a bic lighter, and carry a spare. You never know when the flint is going to crap out.

I tried waterproof matches. They didn't light well when I wanted them to. So, I now carry a second lighter.

ABSOLUTELY. On my mini-section hike in GA in November, my waterproof matches refused to strike on their own box. Then my lighter got real flaky... must have been low on gas. WOW... I thought I had done good planning by having TWO fire sources, ... and they both failed me. I learned a lesson about old matches and lighters.

Fortunately, I was meeting a hiking partner later that day and he had a good lighter.

Rain Man

.

[smokymtnsteve]

I always carry two of the kiddie sized bic lighters,,,and even then I carry an extra in my emergency bag/first aid sack..for a total of three.

[attroll]

I use a bic lighter. In cold weather it needs to be warmed up to work sometimes.

[Doctari]

2 mini bics & a few books of matches (freebees from assorted places) kept dry in a zip lock.

I dont usually need to "cheat" to start a camp fire so don't carry any fire starter like C4 or greasy cotton balls.

So far, I have never had a problem starting my stove.

Doctari.

[Jack Tarlin]

I've carried a Zippo for years. Maybe a bit heavy but they work in the wind, always flame, and never fail. I carry one ounce of Zippo/Ronson fuel with me, but in a pinch, they work fine with Coleman or white gas.

[Streamweaver]

I've carried a Zippo for years. Maybe a bit heavy but they work in the wind, always flame, and never fail. I carry one ounce of Zippo/Ronson fuel with me, but in a pinch, they work fine with Coleman or white gas.

I wonder if denatured alcohol would work in a zippo??!! Or HEET. Anybody ever try it?

Ive been using waterproof matches for lighting my stoves and building fires and they work ok but the strikers always wear out fast!! I cant find strike anywhere matches around here. I carry a bic lighter for backup. Streamweaver

[mdjeeper]

I carry two mini-bics and some strike-um anywhere matches. Occasionally when I am weekending it I will take along some dryer lint to get a fire going quicker.