What fire starter should go in my pack?

[The Counselor]

Gonna do a three day shakedown hike on the Pinhoti beginning Sunday. I want to experiment with two different ways to start/accelerate a fire in the event of wet wood, and then pack the best option when I do my AT section in May.

Fire starting/accelerant options. What say ye?

[Mountain Wildman]

WetFire, I haven't tried them but I plan to.

http://www.basegear.com/wetfiretinder.html

I carry a misch metal but it requires dry tinder.
http://www.knivesshipfree.com/product_info.php?cPath=496_684&products_id=7246

[Llama Legs]

navel lint. easy to pack and always with you. :rolleyes:

[Bags4266]

Cotton Balls and vaseline, burn a long time. Poor rabbits....

[yaduck9]

cotton balls marinated in petroleum jelly

[flemdawg1]

Incendiary Grenade, to save weight pack it without the pin.

[WingedMonkey]

navel lint. easy to pack and always with you. :rolleyes:

In case you are an "outie", you can use clothes drier lint, with or with out Vaseline or paraffin .
:sun

[vamelungeon]

Like the others said, cotton balls impregnated with vaseline.

[johnnyblisters]

A Bic lighter...

[brian039]

I've seen alcohol stoves used several times to get fires started. Set the wet wood up like a teepee around it and light the stove. Once the fire is going just use a stick to retrieve your stove.

[Panzer1]

A Bic lighter...

+1

Panzer

[pfann]

Alcohol based hand sanitizer can be used in a pinch. Squeeze some on your target and light away. Two uses for one product.

[Hikes in Rain]

One of those birthday candles you can't blow out.

[Rocket Jones]

Fritos. Seriously.

[Wise Old Owl]

unbelivable.....

Yea you could do all the above,,,,

In Bushcraft, you walk up to a pine tree remove all the nodes, burles, and sap with a large amout of twig from underneath. The sap is loaded with turpentine, a highly flamable fuel. On the larger pine peices use a knife to strip open the bark, making a fuzz stick that opens more of the dry pitch underneath... then teepee the stuff and light.

[Bare Bear]

LOL. I have taught a few classes on wilderness surival and always show them the easy way last, BIC (I carry 3 separately, always.)

[endubyu]

another vote for the cotton ball and vaseline. Need a match just ram a stick through the cotton ball. A spark from a magnesium starter is enough to ignite it. Works when wet, works in wind. Cotton and vaseline have multiple uses.

WOO's pine tree thing is cool too. My son told me about it but I personally haven't tried it.

Also remember wood is seldom wet though and through. A good knife can strip the wet outer wood down to the dry inner wood :)

[endubyu]

and hand sanitizer is a good accelerant

[tnwolf51]

pine sap and a zippo

[Sierra Echo]

I want a magnesium flint striker. I could get into so much trouble with one of those!

[Joshuatree]

Road flares and Gasoline

[Sickmont]

What? No thermite? Of course the only serious bitch about thermite is putting it out......

[Hikes in Rain]

That, and the liquid iron by-product.....

[harryfred]

Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline) I carry a small jar for more than just fire starter. Don't need the cotton ball will burn just fine on it's own. Soaked a sock in it once to get a fire going when I was desperate.
Hand sanitizer, burns great and we all carry, Right?
I actually carry fire starter sticks in the winter (I'm lazy).
Kerosene, many hikers carry a small bottle for just this purpose.
Bic lighters suck! go with any cheap butane lighter at the check out counter that has a clear body where you can see the fuel and has an adjustable flame.
The trick isn't the accelerant but how you set up your fire.
I have gotten fires going in pouring rain and had a hard time getting one going in what should have been perfect conditions (stop laughing Panzer)
Oh yeah us alky stove users the fuel is a perfect fire starter and as has been mentioned you can use the stove itself to get a fire going.

[Penguin]

Why do you need to start a fire, you some kind of arsonist?

[harryfred]

Fire is good, Fire is my friend:sun

[jlb2012]

olive oil and toilet paper

[woodstock64]

I want a magnesium flint striker. I could get into so much trouble with one of those!

Harbor Frieght near me has magnesium fire starters for $2.50.

[Rain Man]

cotton balls marinated in petroleum jelly

DITTO. Best thing I've found so far. Many things work, for better or worse, but marinated cotton balls are great for my purposes.

Now, I'm still trying to find a good, lightweight lighter (that will shoot the flame down... any flame will go UP, that's no help).

Rain:sunMan

.

[Graywolf]

Esbit tabs... You can cook with them too.. I was always told that teh best backpack equipment has at least 2 uses.. So Esbit tabs. Make a fire and cook...

[Tinker]

Esbit tabs... You can cook with them too.. I was always told that teh best backpack equipment has at least 2 uses.. So Esbit tabs. Make a fire and cook...
Mariano from this site told me about Wetfire fire starting cubes. I introduced him to Esbit and he found these and said they are smaller and lighter and burn just as long and hotter than Esbit without the residue and smell. They're more expensive, though. I will be trying some this year.
http://www.rei.com/product/775078

[veteran]

You could carry one of these: :D


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Usafl_notes_.jpg

[Sierra Echo]

Harbor Frieght near me has magnesium fire starters for $2.50.

Thats cheap!

[Egads]

lighter w/ water proof matches for backup

[randyg45]

Old Boy Scout question.

A lost boy came across an unlocked, old trappers cabin deep in the woods. Inside he found a table with a matchbox, and inside the box he found just one, lonely, solitary match. Looking around he found a Coleman lantern full of fuel. He also found that the previous occupant had left tinder, kindling and logs- the perfect makings for a fire, just waiting. He also found a candle on the mantelpiece.

Alright. What should he light first?

[Sierra Echo]

I say the candle!

[WingedMonkey]

Old Boy Scout question.

A lost boy came across an unlocked, old trappers cabin deep in the woods. Inside he found a table with a matchbox, and inside the box he found just one, lonely, solitary match. Looking around he found a Coleman lantern full of fuel. He also found that the previous occupant had left tinder, kindling and logs- the perfect makings for a fire, just waiting. He also found a candle on the mantelpiece.

Alright. What should he light first?
The match, then the candle.
:sun

[randyg45]

We have a winner!

[Grinder]

unless you carry cotton balls anyway, use toilet paper and vaseline. works just as well and it's dual use.

[AndyPandy]

Mariano from this site told me about Wetfire fire starting cubes. I introduced him to Esbit and he found these and said they are smaller and lighter and burn just as long and hotter than Esbit without the residue and smell. They're more expensive, though. I will be trying some this year.
http://www.rei.com/product/775078


I've used the wetfire and it does leave a residue. Cotton balls work better for starting fire and esbit is much better for cooking; that puts the wetfire in a weird middle ground and its expensive. I do like the company that makes wetfire though, I used their mini BlastMatch for my fire starting needs. Its tiny, easy to use, can get it in orange so it doesn't get lost, and even if it breaks apart (which mine has not come close too) you can still use the core to make spark.

[mcskinney]

its not uncommon for me to grab a handful of dry grass whilst walking in the final hour or so before camp. I always carry a Bic, but the last few years have taken to carring a small firesteel as well (lite my fire mini). Thats in Colorado mind you, In humid climates I'd imagine I'd still be able to find dry grass, but if not frayed bark works excellent.

So to answer your question. Bic + firesteel would be my preference.

I cook on alcohol but like to have a fire where permissible

[mcskinney]

Old Boy Scout question.

A lost boy came across an unlocked, old trappers cabin deep in the woods. Inside he found a table with a matchbox, and inside the box he found just one, lonely, solitary match. Looking around he found a Coleman lantern full of fuel. He also found that the previous occupant had left tinder, kindling and logs- the perfect makings for a fire, just waiting. He also found a candle on the mantelpiece.

Alright. What should he light first?

the joint!

[mkmangold]

I just tried paper butter wrappers to start my WoodGas stove. They worked. Take a few half sheets and bunch them up into loose balls. Separate pieces and flat pieced do not.

[Jim Adams]

Ramen...just light the whole brick...burns along time from the oil they are made with...turns red with flame, looks just like an electric heater coil.

geek

[Newb]

I use the boiled, rendered fat of my victims as an accelerant.

[middle to middle]

paper matches in a sandwich bag.

[trailangelbronco]

I carry det cord. Can also come inn handy for firewood, and bears. And to clear out a noisy shelter.

[chiefiepoo]

Fritos. Seriously.
Wondering how many here on WB ran to the pantry to see if there was some stale Frito's to test this out on.

[Bare Bear]

BIC, three of em, in separate Freezer Zip Locks (Brand name) kept in three different places. If your wood pieces are bigger than your finger they are too big.