Alternative Ideas

[Britesea]

We have our wood stove, followed by campstove (as long as we have some propane) followed by the grill which can use either charcoal or wood. To start fires we have lighters, matches, and steels. A fire piston is on my list since it's one of the easier "primitive" ways to start a fire.

 

[Hinotori]

Small amounts of char cloth are easy to make poke a hole in the top of an altoids tin. Put in squares of cotton. Put in fire until smoke quits coming out hole. Cool fully before opening.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I tried my Swedish fire starter today. It took a few tries. I tried paper and then tiny wood shavings and couldn’t get it to catch. I kind of feel like I cheated because I resorted to a q-tip dipped in petroleum jelly and voila!

 

[flowerbug]

since this does fit under this topic, i'd just want to add that we often have a lot of small jars here and old lids that can be reused and rusty rings that would otherwise go to the recycler anyways so it wouldn't hurt much at all to pack those small jars full of good wood stick matches and then crank the lid and ring on tight and then keep those at various places around the house so that if you ever need some in a pinch you'll have 'em.

i've been trying to figure out how to get rid of some of these small jars i have on hand that no longer get used and that's what i'm going to do.

don't forget a few strike boards as that makes life easier too.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Don't forget the charcloth ( easy to make ) and tinder

I told DH that we should start saving the dryer lint.

 

[Hinotori]

I have actual flint and steel. We also have a couple fire pistons that we have practiced with. They do take practice.

 

[Okiepan]

Old cotton t shirts cut into pieces and easy to make into char cloth , which really helps when you use the tinder .

 

[baymule]

I haven’t had to start a fire without an accelerant in so long….
But gas grill until that ran out. Charcoal starter until that ran out.
Not for food fire-lighter pine slivers. Lighter pine is everywhere. If you don’t have any, cut a pine tree in October or when the sap is running, and you’ll have lighter pine shortly.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Boys and magnifying glasses! DH says the same thing and there wasn't a safe magnifying glass anywhere when DS was young.

 

[flowerbug]

magnifying glass was my favorite as a kid.