View Full Version : Do you use white gas to start your campfires?
Hikes with a stick
10-18-2009, 22:54
I was out camping this past weekend, and was in an area that recently had rain, and this weekend got some snow. Everything was wet. The previous campers had laid out a bunch of small kindling, but that was all wet too.
I tried to get a fire started with cotton balls rubbed with vaseline, but that did not work. After 3 failed trys with the cotton balls, I decided to use whitegas.
It worked great! It was a bit more explosive than I anticipated, but I was ready for it. I was just about to give up on getting a fire going.
Anyone else ever use white gas in a pinch? Or rely on it as firestarter?
Disclaimer: I don't recommend white gas as a camp firestarter unless you take safety precautions(every time)...
Magic boyscout water.
That's what we called it when I was a 12 yr old Boyscout. :)
MikenSalem
10-18-2009, 23:25
I don't ever recommend you use gas for a fire starter unless you're simply tired of living a pain free unscarred life. Way to easy to have an oops with tragic results. Besides it don't really work that good anyway :eek:
mkmangold
10-19-2009, 01:05
Anyone else ever use white gas in a pinch? Or rely on it as firestarter?
Just one time. 7 degrees. Despite losing all of the hairs on my hands and some singed eyebrows, it was a life-saver.
Trailweaver
10-19-2009, 01:11
I think that's a great way to end up in a burn unit, or worse. And think how painful it's going to be when you're hours away from that burn unit, and have to hike out (or be carried out) to get there!
harryfred
10-19-2009, 02:10
I'm not a big fan of camp fires. I do make one if it is really cold or I have to dry gear out. Having said that I carry a at least 1 stick of fire starter even in my fanny pack as a just in case. During the colder months I carry as much as I think I will need plus a stick. You only need 1/3 of a stick on a good day, If your trying to build a fire in the rain use a whole stick, and maybe some twigs smeared in vaseline or hand sanitizer to help progress the fire. Hand sanitizer btw starts and burns really well. I have never gotten vaseline soaked cotton balls to light unless the weather has been good enough to not need a fire:D White gas as a fire starter:eek: Dud the burns you could get and the weather you described It would kill you. I would write this off something you got away with and look at other ways to start a fire in the worse conditions and plan accordingly. Last note before the survivorest chime in. I have built a nice toasty roaring fire in a cold drizzly rain using a flint and steel sparker and nothing else out of my pack. That's why I carry the fire starter!:D
Hey 12 yr olds and flammable substances go together well..like matches and Coleman fuel. :p Then there's the flame throwers we made... ( a lighter and aerosol bug spray) I am sure the scouters on this BBS have similar cringe inducing stories. ;)
harryfred
10-19-2009, 03:13
Hey 12 yr olds and flammable substances go together well..like matches and Coleman fuel. :p Then there's the flame throwers we made... ( a lighter and aerosol bug spray) I am sure the scouters on this BBS have similar cringe inducing stories. ;)
LOL dud I know your right:D Why the good Lord let me live ths long:-? I've done my share of gotta way with its.
MintakaCat
10-19-2009, 05:07
I do a lot of winter hiking and for a fire starter I use Esbit fuel tablets.
Without actually answering the question, let's just say I am surprised I'm alive. :eek:
nitewalker
10-19-2009, 07:37
Hey 12 yr olds and flammable substances go together well..like matches and Coleman fuel. :p Then there's the flame throwers we made... ( a lighter and aerosol bug spray) I am sure the scouters on this BBS have similar cringe inducing stories. ;)
carry a small dry bag of twigs and you will always have fire, also you need to watch man vs wild or survivor man. no white gas . its like cheating on a test..:eek:
flame throwers !!! haa, i used to do the same. did u ever lite up one of those gypsy moths and watch it do the worm??? lol
p.s. only in rhode island:D:D
warraghiyagey
10-19-2009, 07:51
I've used some here and there to get a fire going. . . it's like anything else that could be 'dangerous' if you don't use a little care and respect. . .
I'll pick up birch bark along the way. I also have some alcohol hand sanitizer for post-poop washing that'll double up as a firestarter.
rpenczek
10-19-2009, 09:01
Thing is with White Gas (or regular old unleaded gas) is you never know how it will light up. The vapor is what will get you, so lets say you put it on a pile of wood you plan to use as a fire and its windy, no problem, it lights up, you get the "heat" portion of the triangle and "you have made fire" without burning yourself.
But, lets say its just before dark, the wind has totally died down, all is still. You drop on your white gas and the vapor hangs in the air (all around you), you light the match and wooph, you are a human fire starter.
There are much better (read safer) ways. Contrary to the BSA references in prior posts, you can learn a thing or two from the BSA. Check out a BSA Handbook for Field Manual. Having said that, I did as a youth use the white gas a time or two, but it had nothing to do with being a Boy Scout and everything to do with being an inexperienced youth.
The Weasel
10-19-2009, 10:35
Actually, gasoline (white or otherwise) isn't even that good for starting difficult fires: Gasoline is heavier than air, so when you pour it, as it starts to vaporize, the vapor 'flows' at ground level, about 1" high. So it doesn't stay concentrated at the site where it is actually poured. This is why nearby stoves will often explode, as well as other nearby gear getting burnt. Even if lit quickly, before it flows away, only the first bit of liquid really ignites, quickly heating most of the rest into vapor - not flame - which burns off quickly in the 'boom' cloud, which is far above your fire. Very little of the gasoline actually burns in the area where the wood fuel is, and only for a few moments until it, too, vaporizes. That's why firestarters (usually sawdust with wax/paraffin binder) are far better.
TW
Fiddleback
10-19-2009, 10:38
Magic boyscout water.
That's what we called it when I was a 12 yr old Boyscout. :)
Ahhh...memories!:) Though, we called it "Girl Scout water."
But it's not the safest procedure and I was appalled a few years ago when, in the Mission Mountain Wilderness, my adult trail partners used the same 'technique' with seemingly no concern. Serious burns would have been a serious matter with help so distant and I wasn't too pleased with the thought that I'd be the one to make things right after they disabled themselves.
That and a few other shortfalls in trail safety and common sense has resulted in no more trips with those two...
FB
it's like anything else that could be 'dangerous' if you don't use a little care and respect. . .
That about sums it up perfect...
Having said that, I did as a youth use the white gas a time or two, but it had nothing to do with being a Boy Scout and everything to do with being an inexperienced youth.
..it also has a lot to do with how scouts brings together MANY inexperienced youths at once with access to flammable substances. :D
(I'm not slamming BSA...just taking a trip down memory lane. It is also a memory similar to many people also in BSA at ~12 yrs old. Cheers! :sun)
sheepdog
10-19-2009, 13:35
poof !!!!! no eyebrows
Doughnut
10-19-2009, 13:59
White gas works fine if you lightly apply it to a piece of wood, sort of like a torch; not dump it in the middel and fling matches at it.
Denatured Alcohol works great too, though it tends to evaporate quickly. Alcohol works great for bug bites and minor skin rashes, too.
gravy4601
10-19-2009, 14:04
even in a downpour ive been able to find dry wood you just need to no what to look for i.e. cedar or pine branches on the lower section of trees even wet will light also the ones that are just turning brown will cache and any wood off the ground is most likly dry on the inside you just need a knife to split it open and shave some for tinder
take-a-knee
10-19-2009, 15:17
Starting a fire with gasoline is problematic, yeah it'll burn really fast but that is the problem, if your tinder sucks to begin with, it'll flame up and promptly go out before anything catches fire well enough to keep burning. I've burned trash in military base camps, I used a mix (about 50/50) of gas/diesel. I'd pour a "fuse" of gas out away from my intended conflagration, light it and promptly step away. The diesel would burn long enough for everything to catch fire.
sheepdog
10-19-2009, 15:24
even in a downpour ive been able to find dry wood you just need to no what to look for i.e. cedar or pine branches on the lower section of trees even wet will light also the ones that are just turning brown will cache and any wood off the ground is most likly dry on the inside you just need a knife to split it open and shave some for tinder
Building a fire in all kinds of conditions is a skill all outdoors people should have.
It's not recommended to use white gas to start a camp fire. But if you do:
Don't use too much, that's what gets people get into trouble,
Keep your face well away from the "flash" when you light it
Also: Keep your fuel bottle well away from the flame at all times
Never pour white gas on a already lit camp fire.
Good luck :D
Panzer
1 Esbit tab can do wonders for starting damp wood on fire ... I've even started fires with wet wood in a steady rain using an esbit tab and some bark.
A piece of your synthetic shirt can be a great emergency fire starter as well ... it's scary how well that stuff burns.
You can carry a small bottle of zippo/ronsonall cigarette lighter fuel ... it has a high percentage of naphtha in it so it burns longer than white gas and just as hot.
Lastly, those paper cups you get drinks in from McDonalds and the like are actually wax coated paper .... makes a great fire starter ... just crush one cup and carry it with you .. tear off a piece and start your fire! I used that trick just this weekend.
Flames can/will climb the stream if you pour or squirt it into a fire (or what you think is a smoldering fire). Not saying how I know this - just sayin'. It is a lot more reactive than the kerosene we light out BBQ's with. If people could see this once they just wouldn't mess with it period.
man,what a bunch of rookies! All you do is get a little flame going and toss fuel at the fire and jump back each time.Why would anyone try to light gas and vapors that have been thrown on the ground? I was doing that at the age of 10 or earlier,in scouts we used emergency flares. Damn sheep.
Feral Bill
10-19-2009, 21:42
That's one of the few things so stupid that even I haven't done it. TOO SCARY!
Just one time. 7 degrees. Despite losing all of the hairs on my hands and some singed eyebrows, it was a life-saver.
hair grows back quick enough
I do a lot of winter hiking and for a fire starter I use Esbit fuel tablets.
I turned believer this year - great stuff when birch bark is not available
Without actually answering the question, let's just say I am surprised I'm alive. :eek:
ahem :o
I'll pick up birch bark along the way. I also have some alcohol hand sanitizer for post-poop washing that'll double up as a firestarter.
birch bark is the best natural, pick it up where you hike, fire starter that i have used
There are much better (read safer) ways. Contrary to the BSA references in prior posts, you can learn a thing or two from the BSA. Check out a BSA Handbook for Field Manual. Having said that, I did as a youth use the white gas a time or two, but it had nothing to do with being a Boy Scout and everything to do with being an inexperienced youth.
I was at a camporee this past weekend where 2 thirteen-year-old boy scouts demonstrated the rubbing-stick on a board to create a coal and dump it into some cotton fire starting trick. Amazing to see it work so quickly.
even in a downpour ive been able to find dry wood you just need to no what to look for i.e. cedar or pine branches on the lower section of trees even wet will light also the ones that are just turning brown will cache and any wood off the ground is most likly dry on the inside you just need a knife to split it open and shave some for tinder
my scoutmaster taught me that stuff when i was a scout. he could start a fire under any conditions. i hide in my tent when it is pouring, but i could start a fire if i needed to.
Building a fire in all kinds of conditions is a skill all outdoors people should have.
agreed. that's why i harp it into our scout troops.
Never pour white gas on a already lit camp fire.
Good luck :D
Panzer
unless you are stuck in a taliban camp and need a distraction to get away :)
That's one of the few things so stupid that even I haven't done it. TOO SCARY!
well, fortunately i have access to a helmet :o
Buzz_Lightfoot
10-20-2009, 13:07
Without actually answering the question, let's just say I am surprised I'm alive. :eek:
I belive you answered the question perfectly.
I'm surprised that I seem to be the only one that knows about that old "Indian" trick for lighting fires with white gas. Just fill a cup (preferably paper, not your plastic cup) with sand. Pour in white gas until it just barely shows on the surface of the sand. Touch the sand-gas mixture with a match. No eye-brow burning puff ensues. Just a slow burn, that lasts for minites. Certainly long enough to start most wood fires.
Sand is ideal. But gravel works, or any substance that won't collect pockets of unmized gasoline that could trigger those hair searing explosions.
Weary
thomas533
10-20-2009, 16:30
White gas fire starting was common in my scout troop. The adults always told us not to, and we always ignored them, until...
A kid named Sirus had managed to unknowingly spill some gas on his nylon pants while starting his fire. Once he lit the main fire, the blow back ignited his pants. As you can imagine, by the time we put it out, his entire shin was covered in melted nylon and was severely burned.
It was about two hours to the nearest town with medical facilities.
We all learned why not to use gas to start a fire that day.
With that in mine, I've learned to start fires in the freezing cold and pouring rain (I live in the Pacific Northwest). It takes practice, but its worth it just so you know that you can do it in the worst of conditions.
The Weasel
10-20-2009, 16:39
If you're going to use white gas for starting campfires, keep in mind you have a chance to win a really neat award, too!
http://www.darwinawards.com/
TW
No. An esbit tab is a lot easier.
atraildreamer
10-20-2009, 19:49
Magic boyscout water.
That's what we called it when I was a 12 yr old Boyscout. :)
Our "Boy Scout Water" was Ronson Lighter Fuel. Easy to carry, easy to light...never failed to work without flareups. The scoutmaster even borrowed it one damp day to get a fire going! :rolleyes:
Jack Tarlin
10-20-2009, 20:06
As several folks have already pointed out, using an accelerant like white gas to start a campfire might indeed work, but it's a dangerous thing to do.
And what's even riskier is to toss an accelerant onto an already burning fire.
If you're gonna do this, please be really careful.
Wise Old Owl
10-20-2009, 20:06
Yes Esbit is easy with wet wood.
Yes with a bunch of rookie Men at a cub & father weekend I pulled a propane trigger torch with a "That's not a light.......... This is a torch!" and started the campfire.... Needless to say i was popular with the kids afta that.
Yes I have started a campfire with white gas & gasoline and proud of it. No I stlll have eyebrows and wings.....
Folk's there is no secret here, you have to let it soak in past the bark into the wood. This clearly takes a minute of WAITING, then toss a match or light a fat stick and push it in...
Has anyone used this product by Ultimate Survival Technologies called WetFire?
I just bought some. Small, individually packed. A few of these and some matches will make a very light weight emergancy fire starting kit.
http://www.ultimatesurvival.com/product_view.cfm?product_line_ID=157
Has anyone used this product by Ultimate Survival Technologies called WetFire?
I just bought some. Small, individually packed. A few of these and some matches will make a very light weight emergancy fire starting kit.
http://www.ultimatesurvival.com/product_view.cfm?product_line_ID=157
Looks very similar to esbit to me?
Yup. This is just like the esbit wing stove I bought from Backpackinglight.com.
http://www.ultimatesurvival.com/product_category.cfm?category_ID=728
DaveJohns
10-22-2009, 10:31
I have never had any problem with using cotten balls/vaseline, even in very cold/wet weather. Am I just lucky? I use a woodburning stove, and if the weather is bad I will pack in a handful of tinder just in case. Once the stove gets going I can pretty much burn anything, wet or no.
warraghiyagey
10-22-2009, 21:02
In a word, no...
wuss. . . . .
Its too expensive to use it that way. Right now I am paying 9.70 per gallon (tax incl). That is too expensive to splash on wood for fire starting.
Wise Old Owl
10-28-2009, 20:45
Has anyone used this product by Ultimate Survival Technologies called WetFire?
I just bought some. Small, individually packed. A few of these and some matches will make a very light weight emergancy fire starting kit.
http://www.ultimatesurvival.com/product_view.cfm?product_line_ID=157
it appears to be Esbit again.....
it appears to be Esbit again.....
Yup. Sure does.
Kerosene or lamp oil work better than an equivalent volume of white gas. They both burn longer. Also, both are less volatile and less likely to end up singing your eyebrows or beard. Heating oil, diesel fuel, etc. - basically all work the same. If you have a camp stove that burns kerosene, you have a dual purpose fuel. If not, you'll be carrying any of the above liquids (heavy) only for starting a fire in an emergency. Refer to threads containing the words "fire starter" for better options for lightweight hiking (Esbit is my choice).
Wise Old Owl
10-28-2009, 23:42
I have never had any problem with using cotten balls/vaseline, even in very cold/wet weather. Am I just lucky? I use a woodburning stove, and if the weather is bad I will pack in a handful of tinder just in case. Once the stove gets going I can pretty much burn anything, wet or no.
Lucky? I dunno, but you have a skill that most would not be able to do in wet weather.
SassyWindsor
10-28-2009, 23:54
This may sound a bit wacky but I use a spot of triple antibiotic (petrol base) first aid ointment. I get the Wal-mart house brand. Makes for a great fire starter when used with kindling. Will repel water. Also, good for chafing, and cuts, etc. I use to carry Vaseline, but this stuff really isn't that much more expensive and really helps on keeping infections down. The 1 oz squeeze tube makes for easy packing. I carry on every outing.
SunnyWalker
10-29-2009, 12:47
I'd use it if I was desperate. But it sure is dangerous.
Does WetFire have an odor?
It is not supposed to be Esbit: no odor, no residue on the cooking pot.
Have you used it?
I usually stand behind my friends and say "you should pour some gas on it, then it will light" Hehe
White gas is safe to use, as long as you know what you're doing with it. Which is usually not often the case. If you haven't done it before, you should really think about how much you really NEED a fire before using it.
Weary already put up one of the safer ways of lighting a fire with white gas. The other one that I have used with great success (with wood that was literally soaking wet) is to take any kind of container (styrofoam cup, coffee cup, coke can with the top cut off), pour about a 1/4 inch of fuel into the container, and then place a "wick" into the center of the container. The wick can be a paper towel of napkin, or even corrugated cardboard in a pinch. Place the container in the center of where you want your fire, build a ring of kindling around and OVER the container, and then light the wick. It should burn hot and steady for at least a few minutes, and be able to ignite pretty much anything.
Just remember the cardinal rule with gasoline: don't stand too close to the initial fire, or downhill from any potential burning gasoline spill.
The Weasel
10-30-2009, 02:05
Dynamite is safe to use, as long as you know what you're doing with it. Which is usually not often the case. If you haven't done it before, you should really think about how much you really NEED a fire before using it.
Weary already put up one of the safer ways of lighting a fire with white gas. The other one that I have used with great success (with wood that was literally soaking wet) is to take any kind of container (styrofoam cup, coffee cup, coke can with the top cut off), pour about a 1/4 inch of fuel into the container, and then place a "stick" of dynamite next to the container. The detonator can be a cell phone or even a digital watch in a pinch. Place the container in the center of where you want your fire, build a ring of kindling around and OVER the container, and then trigger the detonaor. It should explode powerfully and colorfully for at least a few minutes, and be able to ignite pretty much anything except for some human bodies and long-expired ammunition.
Just remember the cardinal rule with dynamite: don't stand too close to the initial explosion, or downhill from any potential counter-battery fire.
:D
TW
Oh, how I'd forgotten how you crack yourself up Weasel! :)
Well played though.
Dynamite is safe to use, as long as you know what you're doing with it. Which is usually not often the case. If you haven't done it before, you should really think about how much you really NEED a fire before using it.
Weary already put up one of the safer ways of lighting a fire with white gas. The other one that I have used with great success (with wood that was literally soaking wet) is to take any kind of container (styrofoam cup, coffee cup, coke can with the top cut off), pour about a 1/4 inch of fuel into the container, and then place a "stick" of dynamite next to the container. The detonator can be a cell phone or even a digital watch in a pinch. Place the container in the center of where you want your fire, build a ring of kindling around and OVER the container, and then trigger the detonaor. It should explode powerfully and colorfully for at least a few minutes, and be able to ignite pretty much anything except for some human bodies and long-expired ammunition.
Just remember the cardinal rule with dynamite: don't stand too close to the initial explosion, or downhill from any potential counter-battery fire.
:D
TW
Weasel, if you haven't tried it, don't knock it. I only find I need to use the old "indian" trick every decade or so. But none of the 60 experiences produced anything like a dynamite blast. Rather it produced a long lasting flame that never failed to start a wood fire regardless of the quality of the wood.
I could elaborate, but I'm "weary" after having lead 11 high school sophomores today on a trail maintaining excursion. It was great fun, a very productive day, but truly "wearying."
Weary