Homemade DIY Firestarters (pics)

[Hunt'nFish]

Well just finished a new batch of Hunt'nFish fire starters.

This is the old egg carton/dryer lint/wax method. Some with & w/o magnesium chips.
(Our machine shop at work did some magnesium milling work, so I saved a bag of chips.)

I also decided to try stuffing a cardboard tube and slicing it into wafers. (w/o the mag chips.)

Heat up wax using the good ol boiling water trick.


Then stuff tube with a little lint, pour in some wax...more lint, more wax...until full.


Slice into 1/4" wafers while still warm. (each wafer burns for ~5min)



Next was the egg carton starters. I mixed up some magnesium chips with some lint and stuffed 1/4 full, a good pile of mag chips on top of that, with more lint, chips, lint until full. Pour full of hot wax. Let cool. Cut into individuals.


These burned for 15min on only the wax.


It wasn't until the flame went out that the magnesium chips started and then I got 5min more of intense white hot burn.


Anyway, for those that havent' made these...that's how it done.
Toss a couple in the pack and a few more in the truck.
(of course a quart of 50/50 oil/gas is always in the truck anyway.)
Hunt'nFish

[baltz526]

i use cupcake pan and paper skins. take chainsaw and cut pitch pine with grain to pull long chips. fill cupcake skins with chips, pour hot wax into chips. this equals fire starters. i use them mostly in wall tent wood stove. i used to use egg cartons, but everyone is going to plastic

[Bait O' Eggs]

I have been using the dryer lint around a candle wick, dipped in wax for years and thought they were the cats meow for fire starter. They burn long and are light, not to hard to make.

My sons hunters ed class this year included the local county search and rescue guru coming in and giving a survival section. Which included a whole bunch of fire starting techniques.

I have to admit I was impressed watching this guy build fire from everthing from steel wool, cotton balls, chap stick, hand sanitizer, .... I expected him to show me how to burn a glass of water He was building fires quicker than one a minute while talking thru what he was doing in the rain. His Ferrocerrium sticks (metal match) were so impressive I ordered up a few and we have practiced with them with no brought tinder. Nothing is quicker than steel wool for quick fire, he lit it with a 9 volt battery, a pair of AA batteries, his cell phone battery, his metal match .......

I have dumped a lot of gas on a fire getting it to burn, his cutting the top of a pop can off and pouring it 1/4 full of gasoline, burying it flush with the ground, and watching it burn for 20 minutes show me how silly it was how I always threw gas on the fire by the gallons and it lasted a few seconds.

I love building fires.

[Chesapeake]

A 15 minute road flare kept in a plastic bag (so it stays pretty dry) will light about any pile of wet wood in a down pour even if your fingers are too numb to flick a lighter.

Of course the wax fire starters are great also!

Vasaline soaked cotton balls kept in a film canister are pretty nice to have.

[StickFish]

In scouts we used sugar pine shavings, horse hair and steel wool. Combed the hair and steel wool and wadded it back up covered that with the sugar pine shavings to get it burning

Metal file and a piece of flint and we placed 2nd in fire starting at the national jamboree in 1977. Two strikes from the flint and blow and it almost exploded.

[stlhdr1]

Very cool idea, never thought of that before....

Keith

[Mad Mikey]

I just bring my Tim Allen, model 5000 super duper propane blow-torch that throws a flame 50 yards. I can burn ice cubes with that thing....

Seriously though, good stuff Mike. That beats the old tuna can with cardboard/parafin trick.

Now, how do I get magnesium chips in NEO?

[nakoa]

i have used the drier sheet,egg carton and wax before and it works real good.

[Old Goat]

I buy fire starters for my shop woodstove from BiMart. Cheap and I can spend time hunting of fishing instead of making starters.

[Fshklr]

1 stick of right gaurd deodorant......rub it liberally on anything and light

you can also cut off chunks and place pinecones etc around and light....excellent firestarter, stays dry, lights in the rain.

The steelwool and 9v is the shizzle as well, as an ignition source.

[Sled Dog]

cotton balls soaked in vaseline then sealed (6-10 per) with the foodsaver into little packets work great, weighs nothing, take up little to no room and when hit with sparks from a metal match burn, even wet, for up to five minutes easy. I'm guessing dryer lint would work just as well in place off the cotton balls.

[Chug]

Originally Posted by Bait O' Eggs

I have been using the dryer lint around a candle wick, dipped in wax for years and thought they were the cats meow for fire starter. They burn long and are light, not to hard to make.

My sons hunters ed class this year included the local county search and rescue guru coming in and giving a survival section. Which included a whole bunch of fire starting techniques.

I have to admit I was impressed watching this guy build fire from everthing from steel wool, cotton balls, chap stick, hand sanitizer, .... I expected him to show me how to burn a glass of water He was building fires quicker than one a minute while talking thru what he was doing in the rain. His Ferrocerrium sticks (metal match) were so impressive I ordered up a few and we have practiced with them with no brought tinder. Nothing is quicker than steel wool for quick fire, he lit it with a 9 volt battery, a pair of AA batteries, his cell phone battery, his metal match .......

I have dumped a lot of gas on a fire getting it to burn, his cutting the top of a pop can off and pouring it 1/4 full of gasoline, burying it flush with the ground, and watching it burn for 20 minutes show me how silly it was how I always threw gas on the fire by the gallons and it lasted a few seconds.

I love building fires.

I know him well.. he is my SAR unit. Good Speaker for crowds.

[Chug]

have not tried the Right guard for fire starter.. Will try that next rain storm hitting the coast.

good stuff,

With being in SAR.. one thing want to stress.. TRY THIS STUFF AT HOME!!.. go out side try it out in the rain, use tinder that you find in the woods that is exposed to weather your hunting in.. MAKE FIRE. Will safe your bun's when the real time comes!!.

not waiting to be in the woods & night time with down pour, to find if it will work?. Or not!!...

Hate waking up at 2 am, to go Find yea & build a fire for yea


Oh yea.. Road flares are cheap & 15 minutes Of good HOT bright fire!!!.

Now, make sure its not fire season!!

[scottishsetter]

Pyrophoric metals have a way of biting you when you're least expecting it. And they burn real HOT!

[Headhunter]

Now I am a guy who loves the prep as much as the hunt & fish itself. In the duck off season I am tweaking, painting, grassing, looking, talking, ok obsessing....but I am with Old Salt on this one. 50 fire starters for $9.99 ( search Magic Fire Starter on the "Worlds Foremost Outfitter" Heck for less than $0.20 a piece I have more fire starter than I need in a few years. It leaves more time to repack my blind bag in JUNE....hahaha

Originally Posted by Old Salt

I buy fire starters for my shop woodstove from BiMart. Cheap and I can spend time hunting of fishing instead of making starters.

[Legend21]

Originally Posted by nakoa

i have used the drier sheet,egg carton and wax before and it works real good.

This method works awesome!

[monoman]

Ping pong balls! My kid told me about this one, it works long enough to get tinder started.

[MarlinMark]

I guess you rub the ping pong balls together?

[pathfinder]

Steel wool and a 9 Volt battery

[Cliff D.]

Flares.

[lentz]

You can carry a small tube of hair gel. Some of them work just as good as fire paste.

[scottishsetter]

Albertson's sells Sweet Wood(pitch sticks).

[Headhunter]

While elk hunting this year I stumbled across a super pitchy stump and had to chip off some of this golden fire starter and add it to the pack. Smells like turpentine! Just thought I would share.

[kaymen]

That for sure is one of the best fire starters. That stuff will take off.

Kaymen

[HntnFsh]

I have a pretty large stack of pitch wood that I cut from old stumps.I split it into 1/8 inch or thinner strips and put it in my pack for just that purpose.

I also use it for fire starter in the wood stove at home.
Works great.

[Silver Eagle]

My Son works for a Tree Service they call those stumps "Black Gold" I ran onto two old fellows in Ukiah once that were gathering that and that was there extra money to live on. Really works but is a little heavy after a few hundred miles, I like the old Fire Starters soaked in Wax and cheap, but in the "River of No Return" in Idaho a couple years ago I had to start a fire in freezing weather Snow on the Ground, it was a challenge, but first find the biggest rotten and hopefully not soaked old tree you can find or big Rock because what I have found mostly is you need the ground under your fire to be as dry as possible, It really stops your fire if you burn thru your fire starter and the ground is wet. I will agree with any and all try it before it becomes a necessity, you'll be thinking about all those Boy Scout moments......LOL ........Ray

[Hunt'nFish]

ttt, w/ report.
Was up in the high country backpack hunting w/ Headhunter recently and got the opprotunity to use a couple of the wax/lint/magnesium firestarters. Fire in nothing flat.
Hunt'nFish

[Cathunter1]

Cotton balls and vaseline, or sub floor glue(construction adhesive squirtted into a ziplock bag,easy to start in rain,snow etc,burns a long time,make a few of these ,put them in your pack,they lay flat,try it they work.

[jlg]

Originally Posted by Sled Dog

cotton balls soaked in vaseline then sealed (6-10 per) with the foodsaver into little packets work great, weighs nothing, take up little to no room and when hit with sparks from a metal match burn, even wet, for up to five minutes easy. I'm guessing dryer lint would work just as well in place off the cotton balls.

Cotton balls and vaseline. Perfect. Works great, weighs nothing, cheap as dirt.

[trout bum]

Frito's

[StevenB]

I understand steelwool makes a hot fire starter.

[gatherfishandgame]

i prefer the foil wrapped military surplus stuff.you light it and it burns anything ,are light ,easy to start .

[baltz526]

Thanks for the reminder, just finished making a batch. Should last a couple years made about 120-150

[de_fishmon]

Originally Posted by baltz526

i use cupcake pan and paper skins. take chainsaw and cut pitch pine with grain to pull long chips. fill cupcake skins with chips, pour hot wax into chips. this equals fire starters. i use them mostly in wall tent wood stove. i used to use egg cartons, but everyone is going to plastic

Same basic idea:

I use the wood shavings and chips from wood working projects, place it into the paper egg cartons (we still get them when we buy from Costco). Mix them with canning wax. Light the egg crate and you have perfect fire starters.

[Hunt'nFish]

I will say this, the addition of the magnesium shavings really ensured a hot start.

I'm sorry but, something about vaseline in the hunt pack just isn't right. I'll pass.

Baltz, Hum, fat wood sawed w/ grain huh. Interesting.
Hunt'nFish

[lovdasnow]

don't knock the Vaseline/cotton ball thing till you tried it.

i used them last year. couldn't believe how cheap, easy they are. they work great. keep them in a zip lock or film container and you'll be fine.

[Tmhunter]

Originally Posted by trout bum

Frito's

Yes those corn chips work really good.

[baltz526]

Originally Posted by Hunt'nFish

I will say this, the addition of the magnesium shavings really ensured a hot start.

I'm sorry but, something about vaseline in the hunt pack just isn't right. I'll pass.

Baltz, Hum, fat wood sawed w/ grain huh. Interesting.
Hunt'nFish

Yes, then if you use stump wood you get pitch pine shavings mixed with wax. Very effective. I made 132 egg carton ones, 1 per fire in the tent stove or 2 for outside campfire, They will last a long time.

[pdxjon]

Ive read that tattoo artists will melt clear deodorant in a microwave to make single use applicators. I wonder if you could do this and mix it with lint, shavings or whatever in the egg carton?

[Old Coot]

If you discover you left your fire starters in your other pack, (don't even ask), remember that if you are in fir country the blisters on young fir trunks are filled with pitch. Jab a few with a couple of twigs and you have a dandy little fire assist.

[StickFish]

Originally Posted by StevenB

I understand steelwool makes a hot fire starter.

My flint and steel tinder for fire starting competition was steel wool, horse hair and sugar pine planer shavings combed together, click, click puff, puff - wooosh!

Untreated magnesium shavings - those sound like the ticket

[Sgt.Slaughter]

try steel wool and a 9 volt battery...hot and compact just touch the steel wool to both terminals at the same time - it'll suprise ya

[dubl_t]

Originally Posted by Mad Mikey

Now, how do I get magnesium chips in NEO?

Concrete hand floats for finishing; shaven, or filed. Magnesium is actually a pretty soft metal. Check the pawn shops for used stuff.

[Big Unit]

Originally Posted by Chug

have not tried the Right guard for fire starter.. Will try that next rain storm hitting the coast.

good stuff,

With being in SAR.. one thing want to stress.. TRY THIS STUFF AT HOME!!.. go out side try it out in the rain, use tinder that you find in the woods that is exposed to weather your hunting in.. MAKE FIRE. Will safe your bun's when the real time comes!!.

not waiting to be in the woods & night time with down pour, to find if it will work?. Or not!!...

Hate waking up at 2 am, to go Find yea & build a fire for yea


Oh yea.. Road flares are cheap & 15 minutes Of good HOT bright fire!!!.

Now, make sure its not fire season!!

Great advice. And thanks for your help finding people.

BU

[Springer nut]

Originally Posted by Tmhunter

Yes those corn chips work really good.

[whtelk]

Originally Posted by trout bum

frito's

yup! :d

[Pan Fry]

I carry a zip lock bag of burch tree bark that I get off my property. Great fire start even when it's wet.

[Bull Hunter]

Originally Posted by dubl_t

Concrete hand floats for finishing; shaven, or filed. Magnesium is actually a pretty soft metal. Check the pawn shops for used stuff.

Old VW bug engine cases are a great source of magnesium.

[pdxjon]

Harbor Freight on McLoughlin has the flint and magnesium fire starters for 2.99

[Hunt'nFish]

Originally Posted by pdxjon

Harbor Freight on McLoughlin has the flint and magnesium fire starters for 2.99

Good observation. I think every pack should have one as a back-up for the back-up BIC lighters.
Lighters rule, but wet lighters don't work unless they are still sealed in the factory plastic.
Hunt'nFish

[StickFish]

Vacuum pack all your fire starting stuff. Put all your stuff in a zip lock freezer bag (do not zip it up), vacuum pack it and toss in your pack. When needed cut the bag open and you still have the zip lock bag to keep it dry till you get home

[No Fences]

Originally Posted by StickFish

Vacuum pack all your fire starting stuff. Put all your stuff in a zip lock freezer bag (do not zip it up), vacuum pack it and toss in your pack. When needed cut the bag open and you still have the zip lock bag to keep it dry till you get home

Good idea, thanks.

[Bait O' Eggs]

For those that dont know, there is a number of ways to light steel wool with batteries.

a 9 volt baterry touched to the wool

2 double A batteries end to end and stretch the wool around the two ends and it will spark and light

I have popped my cell phone battery out and it will light steel wool

[spottedhawk36]

Vasoline and cotton balls, pre rubbed the vasoline into a bunch of cotton balls and put in a film container or waterproof match container or something to store them in the pack. First time i saw that idea was at the sportsmans show peter kumerfelt the survival guy there had them. He took one of the cotton balls with vasoline dunked it in water and held it in there then pulled the cotton ball out fluffed it up and the thing still lit right up and had a slow burning flame about 5-7 inches tall. Reason he likes this idea over just magnisium shavings is because you get a bunch of shavings and ya they burn really hot but the flame is small and it dont burn long, plus wind can blow the shavings away ect......

[StickFish]

There was a product called safe light - it was a fire started that some guy made after almost dying in the winter. You could light the stuff and hold it under running water and it wouldnt' go out anyone know if it is still around?