Being able to start a fire indoors (or outdoors) is often part of the experience and, in emergency situations, can be a vital component of survival.
Here are a variety of ways to kindle your fire at home or use on-the-fly when a situation arises where you need a fire. Some of the best fire starters (kindling) are made from simple items that you can find at home or in nature, so you do not have to buy fire starters.
1. Cotton balls take a spark easily and burn well, but don’t burn for long. Add some petroleum jelly and it will burn hotter and longer, allowing time to add whatever tinder bundle and kindling you have waiting.
2. Dryer Lint usually contains a lot of cotton, is light and plentiful, and takes a spark well. You can also dip this in petroleum jelly or another type of fuel to make the flame last longer or stuff it into a used-up toilet paper roll. Fluff up one end to catch a spark or flame, cover in kindling and light for instant fire.
3. Dryer Lint and Egg Cartons. The classic homemade fire starter is a wad of dryer lint placed in each empty storage department of a cardboard egg carton, with melted wax, or better yet, melted paraffin wax poured over the top. It’s an easy project and brings back days of making crafts in public school.
4. Steel Wool burns hot, fast, and makes a great ember to add to a tinder bundle. Light with any sort of flame, ferro rod, or flint and steel. You can even light it with a dead lighter: repeatedly scrape the lighting end against a flat rock with steel wood fibers in between.
5. Hand Sanitizer containing alcohol burns well, but be very careful! The flame can be hard to see. It doesn’t burn hot and once the alcohol is burned off, it simply makes things wet. Still, it can be used in a pinch to produce a flame to light tinder with.
6. Wood Shavings – this may sound obvious, but if you have a knife and dry wood, you can make fine shavings that catch fire easily with a flame or, with luck, a ferro rod, and burn hot and long. Even pencil shavings works
7. Snacks – be sure to check your cupboard. There are certain snacks that make for good fire starters. Fritos, Cheetos, Doritos, Hickory Sticks, think potato chips, rice cakes and veggie straws. But popcorn is probably one of the best fire-starting foods.
These are just some of the many household and DIY items you can use to start a roaring fire, whether in the backcountry or in your backyard, or wood-burning stove.
Remember to always follow safe fire practices. Enjoy these fine tips and feel free to share others that you have found to be valuable!
