BajaNomad - How do you start your fire?

How do you start your fire?

bajalearner - 1-2-2015 at 09:52 AM

No this isn't a marital question. Some years ago I figured out my favorite way of starting a campfire but wonder if someone else has a better way.

How do you get your fire on?

monoloco - 1-2-2015 at 10:08 AM

A little diesel fuel gets it going quick.

Cliffy - 1-2-2015 at 10:10 AM

The Boy Scout way- 1 match

and a cup of gasoline!!!!!!

David K - 1-2-2015 at 10:14 AM

A Presto (artificial) log... a little additional paper too.

Martyman - 1-2-2015 at 10:17 AM

The boy scout way-no gas. gather kindling.

AKgringo - 1-2-2015 at 10:30 AM

My son and I ran our Zodiac out to an island in Prince William Sound (AK) to camp for a couple of days. There was nothing dry on that island, including us!
I did have boat gasoline though, so I filled an empty beverage can with gasoline, and wedged it between the least damp pieces of drift wood that we could find and lit it. If it is not knocked over, the can will produce a jet of flame like a Bunsen burner for 10 or 15 minutes.
We then kept adding progressively larger fuel until we had a fire hot enough to burn the damp and green wood we could gather.
By the way, even green spruce boughs burn with a hot blue flame.
NEVER throw uncontained gasoline on a fire! It is dangerous, and usually a waste of gasoline.

Bob H - 1-2-2015 at 10:43 AM

Do this.... All you need is toilet paper, isopropyl alcohol, and a soup can.

http://www.sun-gazing.com/diy-homemade-air-heater-emergency-...

shari - 1-2-2015 at 11:00 AM

living in the pacific northwest for much of my life made me a fire starting expert. The trick is to start VERY small...I dig a small hole in the sand then first place a few pieces of paper ripped up in strips followed by some very small twigs with progressively larger twigs and sticks at the ready beside the fire pit. When the small twigs catch fire, I slowly add more till it is obviously burning then I start adding sticks till I can add actual wood pieces...happy fire lighting!

Those who don't understand the situation...........

MrBillM - 1-2-2015 at 11:04 AM

Deserve the result.

Gasoline (or any other related-flammable) in a VERY limited quantity makes for a perfect fire-starter.

Labor-Saving, QUICK and efficient. No "woodsy" knowledge required.

Applied prior to ignition.

Those who fail the "Darwin" test and reverse that sequence are likely beyond any well-intentioned advice.

El Jefe - 1-2-2015 at 11:14 AM

OK, go ahead and use gasoline. But when you pour it on your big pile of sticks remember to be up wind and up hill before you throw the match on. Those vapors are heaver than air and will run right down the slope of the beach to where you are standing in your flip flops. The old fireman in me hates to see people use gasoline, but it does in fact work well if you are very careful and respectful of its potential. The usual problems arise when there is alcohol inside the body that pours the gasoline on the fire.

My preference is to use the little bricks of the same stuff Presto Logs are made from. Light the little brick under your pile of kindling and away you go. Works in wind too.

MitchMan - 1-2-2015 at 11:20 AM

A great way to start a wood fire (mesquite, oak, alder, etc.) for a fireplace, outside bon fire, and wood barbecue is to use about 1 volumetric ounce of waxed fire log molded in an oblong shape with a flat bottom and thinned edges at that flat bottomed base. Elevate the waxed mass about 1/4 to 1/2 inch with twigs or kindling to allow for air flow before igniting it at the edges. Build a chamber of kindling above and around the waxed starter. As soon as some of the kindling catches fire, keep feeding the flame with more kindling aggressively, increasing the size of the kindling pieces as the fire grows.

I try to avoid using paper as embers from the paper get airborne all too easily and can become a fire hazard beyond the location of your intended fire. I think that using gasoline to start a wood fire is a bad idea; gasoline is explosively volatile - very dangerous.

Actually, I use specifically a fire starter type of waxed log. Those fire starter logs are smaller than the fireplace waxed logs. I buy them in the USA and take them to Baja. It's a cheap, controlled and safe way to start fires. It's fun to make a game of it by limiting the use of only one match to start the fire and using the smallest yet surest quantity of starter to get the job done.

I made a very decent barbecue with 27 cinder blocks, 10 red bricks and a metal grill from Home Depot.

bajabuddha - 1-2-2015 at 12:11 PM

Steel wool makes for great tinder even in wet conditions.

TMW - 1-2-2015 at 12:42 PM

Rub two sticks tegether, really really fast.

Here she goes

AKgringo - 1-2-2015 at 12:57 PM

Did you know that the re-fill packs of commercial hand sanitizer dispensers have an expiration date? I acquired some of those expired bags, they have a dispenser valve, are heavy plastic in a cardboard box and travel well. A bit of that gell squeezed onto a pine cone or clump of tinder makes a great fire starter!
Hang on to that toilet paper, I doubt that later on you will be wondering 'Just where did I put that pine cone?'

[Edited on 1-2-2015 by AKgringo]

mtgoat666 - 1-2-2015 at 01:11 PM

Wood and a single match (or bic lighter). Real Men and Real Women know how to start a fire without paper or petroleum.

..and if you have lots of time

durrelllrobert - 1-2-2015 at 01:12 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DQwQJ-3pZfwc

Barry A. - 1-2-2015 at 01:25 PM

I'm with Shari on this (see above in thread)-------------works great, and is fun.

I NEVER use gasoline, and NEVER have a "whiteman's fire" otherwise known as a "witch-burner"-------American Indian small fire produces intimacy in those huddled over it.

Also, in a pinch, PRESTO LOGS work great !!!

Barry

MMc - 1-2-2015 at 01:49 PM

A fire is a fire, how you get it started is up to you, I have a friend the uses a road flare.
I most of my fires are started by using the charcoal that cooked my dinner. I also will use small pieces of cardboard that have been covered in wax they will burn for a while and are great for starting small kindling.
So, bajalearner what do you use?

freediverbrian - 1-2-2015 at 01:55 PM

Propane torch works like a charm

David K - 1-2-2015 at 02:02 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Barry A.

I'm with Shari on this (see above in thread)-------------works great, and is fun.

I NEVER use gasoline, and NEVER have a "whiteman's fire" otherwise known as a "witch-burner"-------American Indian small fire produces intimacy in those huddled over it.

Also, in a pinch, PRESTO LOGS work great !!!

Barry

This!

Besides not my liking the giant 'white mad fires', I have also seen people toss an old VW case into a camp fire... and when the magnesium ignites, you can see that thing from Mars, or perhaps Alpha Centauri?!

Barry A. - 1-2-2015 at 02:22 PM

Quote: Originally posted by freediverbrian

Propane torch works like a charm

Actually, that is a GREAT idea------wish I had thought of that. :lol:

Barry

bajabuddha - 1-2-2015 at 02:36 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Barry A.

I NEVER use gasoline, and NEVER have a "whiteman's fire" ............ American Indian small fire produces intimacy in those huddled over it.

Also, in a pinch, PRESTO LOGS work great !!!

Barry

To quote Tim Allen.... "UUURRRRRGGHHHHH??? " I sense a slight case of contradiction of terms here. I am confused...

First, WTF do you think a Presto Log is made out of? (guess: first and second words both start with a "P")

Second, is "Presto" derived from Mandan, Chickasaw or Apache?

Barry A. - 1-2-2015 at 02:47 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajabuddha

Quote: Originally posted by Barry A.

I NEVER use gasoline, and NEVER have a "whiteman's fire" ............ American Indian small fire produces intimacy in those huddled over it.

Also, in a pinch, PRESTO LOGS work great !!!

Barry

---------Whoa there, I was just trying to inject a little irony/humor here, Buddha. Actually I have (had) no idea what a Presto Log was made out of----thanks-----I kept them in my Baja veh. for emergencies, such as NO FIREWOOD AROUND, like on a BIG wide SOC beach, and when in a big hurry. My savvy Am. Indian friends (Paiute) taught me to work with what I had available.

Barry

Skipjack Joe - 1-2-2015 at 04:27 PM

The wood is so dry in baja that a strip of paper is enough. Just follow shari's directions.

StuckSucks - 1-2-2015 at 04:45 PM

Pemex

bajabuddha - 1-2-2015 at 04:57 PM

Pemex = Boy Scout Match = How to make a cat sound like a dog.

WOOF! :biggrin:

wilderone - 1-2-2015 at 05:58 PM

This sounds a bit much, but is really easy and you can make a big batch that will last for many trips/campfires.
I save dryer lint. I save used candle stubs. Buy eggs in the cardboard containers. Buy some candle wicking (or improvise). Then, when you have a bit of time, gather the supplies -- put a little mound of lint in each section of the egg carton. Melt the candle wax in an old pan and when it's liquid, pour about a teaspoonful in each egg carton section. It soaks into the cardboard too. Insert a 1" wick in the middle before the wax hardens to use as intended. After its cooled off and hardened, cut up the egg carton into the 12 sections - you only need one of these to start a fire with a little newspaper and a few twigs, pine cones or pine needles (which I also save for fire starting).
Ok - go ahead make fun.

bajabuddha - 1-2-2015 at 06:30 PM

How many beerz does that process take? And, would navel lint do in a pinch (pun intended)?

Frank - 1-2-2015 at 06:37 PM

9 volt battery and steel wool will work too.

Ok Bajalearner!

AKgringo - 1-2-2015 at 06:39 PM

Bajalearner, are you fishing for clues on how to get it done, or do you have a favorite way to light your fire?

Skipjack Joe - 1-2-2015 at 07:06 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Frank

9 volt battery and steel wool will work too.

How does that work. I'm curious to know.

bajalearner - 1-2-2015 at 07:11 PM

Quote: Originally posted by MMc

So, bajalearner what do you use?

I've been using a small amount of diesel on the smaller bottom kindling which starts the larger (no diesel) kindling above that. Diesel is a very slow igniting fuel and burns controllably. One can even safely add more diesel to a lit fire without flare up. I carry a 1 gallon gas jug with diesel which will start many fires.

Years ago I did some snow camping in the CA sierras and the kindling was damp and cold so it was a chore with cold hands to get things lit. That's when I tried diesel and have used it since.

bajalearner - 1-2-2015 at 07:16 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Frank

9 volt battery and steel wool will work too.

I knew that in another life but forgot it. Thanks for reminding me. I have both those things in my trailer. I have some wire and allot of various batteries including the house battery too.

AKgringo - 1-2-2015 at 08:03 PM

Diesel.......well that's a little anti-climatic! I was hoping to learn of some new technique or substance. Diesel will work all right, I use a bunch of it in a metal Hudson pump sprayer to get green slash and brush piles burning this time of year, but of all the substances mentioned in this thread, a stinky jug of diesel is the last thing I want to carry in my crowded little SUV!

This has been a good thread though, lots of ideas out there.

woody with a view - 1-2-2015 at 08:21 PM

frijoles and a Bic lighter gets things going after 2-3 days!

monoloco - 1-2-2015 at 10:19 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

Diesel.......well that's a little anti-climatic! I was hoping to learn of some new technique or substance. Diesel will work all right, I use a bunch of it in a metal Hudson pump sprayer to get green slash and brush piles burning this time of year, but of all the substances mentioned in this thread, a stinky jug of diesel is the last thing I want to carry in my crowded little SUV!

This has been a good thread though, lots of ideas out there.

A quart bottle will start about a hundred fires.

Steel wool

bajaguy - 1-2-2015 at 10:23 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbwNJhJwnSs

Quote: Originally posted by Skipjack Joe

How does that work. I'm curious to know.

redhilltown - 1-3-2015 at 12:51 AM

Wtf??????? Baja has tons of the driest and best kindling...95% of the time at least unless a hurricane has rolled through (or wet/damp on the pacific side). If you need anything other than a match/lighter and a wad of paper then...

Marc - 1-3-2015 at 08:32 AM

I keep white gas and a lighter in the truck at all times.
Also; if you need to signal light up your spare tire.

AKgringo - 1-3-2015 at 01:40 PM

White gas, that reminds me of a few times when I have used the tank from my Coleman stove as a mini blow torch to breath some life into a smoldering, or slow starting fire. Safer and more effective than putting it on the fire.

My tips on this thread are based mostly on building fires in a colder wetter climate than Baja. I agree with others here that if I can find fire wood where I need a fire, all I need is a lighter of some sort, and a little effort.

Pompano - 1-3-2015 at 02:22 PM

It's SO easy....

15 Steps to Build a campfire.

1. Split dead limb into fragments and shave one fragment into slivers.
2. Bandage left thumb.
3. Chop other fragments into smaller fragments.
4. Bandage left foot.
5. Make structure of slivers(including those embedded in hand).
6. Light match.
7. Light match.
8. Repeat "a scout is cheerful," and light match.
9. Apply match to slivers, add wood fragments, and blow gently into base of flames.
10. Apply Burn ointment to nose.
11. When fire is burning, collect more wood.
12. Upon discovery that fire has gone out during your absence, soak wood with liquid from can labeled "kerosene."
13. Treat face and arms for second degree burns, and relabel your can to read "gasoline."
14. When fire is burning well, add all remaining wood.
15. When thunderstorm has passed, repeat steps 1 through 14.

Marc - 1-4-2015 at 09:31 AM

:lol:

Geo_Skip - 1-4-2015 at 09:46 AM

Gotta side with Marc on that one. Pompano you might just have made my year. Thank you!

bezzell - 1-4-2015 at 09:47 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Marc

Also; if you need to signal light up your spare tire.

or, you could just light your Just For Men soaked head! they'd catch that from the Space Station

Easiest and safest fire starting method ever...

BajaWaverunner - 1-4-2015 at 08:27 PM

No one on this board will use lighter fluid again after after reading this. I learned this a couple of years ago from some Baja BBQ pros and couldn't believe how simple and effective this is... Take 5 sheets of crumpled up paper towels, Dibble about a quarter cup of cooking oil on them and light it on fire with a match. The whole thing stays lit like a giant candle for about 5 minutes. Works for campfires and charcoal.

redhilltown - 1-5-2015 at 12:28 AM

May I suggest deep frying some beer battered Corvina fillets before using said oil? :bounce:

4x4abc - 1-5-2015 at 08:02 AM

don't they sell fires pre-lit at REI?

bajalearner - 1-5-2015 at 08:06 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaWaverunner

No one on this board will use lighter fluid again after after reading this. I learned this a couple of years ago from some Baja BBQ pros and couldn't believe how simple and effective this is... Take 5 sheets of crumpled up paper towels, Dibble about a quarter cup of cooking oil on them and light it on fire with a match. The whole thing stays lit like a giant candle for about 5 minutes. Works for campfires and charcoal.

I will try that! Sounds like a winner.

bajabuddha - 1-5-2015 at 08:07 AM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc

don't they sell fires pre-lit at REI?

Yep, same aisle as the dehydrated water packets. :lol:

bajalearner - 1-5-2015 at 08:11 AM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW

Rub two sticks tegether, really really fast.

Here she goes

Is that the tail end of a 100 pound WW2 bomb sticking out of the fire? That will certainly light things up quick.

Ateo - 1-5-2015 at 09:52 AM

I use the Gideon Bible from Motel 6 to start my fires! They are there to be used............

wsdunc - 1-5-2015 at 10:23 AM

I certainly agree with the paper and small kindling method, but if you are ever in an emergency (wet wood in a rainstorm etc) a road flare will get wet wood burning.

Skipjack Joe - 1-5-2015 at 10:27 AM

Thanks Pompano. That was one of your best posts. Made my day.

willardguy - 1-5-2015 at 10:29 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Ateo

I use the Gideon Bible from Motel 6 to start my fires! They are there to be used............

not to mention to help with good rocky's revival! :lol:

Hijack

durrelllrobert - 1-5-2015 at 12:03 PM

As a kid in Montana we used to make heaters for our Xmas tree/ snow forts by rolling up corrugated cardboard tightly in a coffee can with corrugations facing the top. Then we would melt old candles and paraffin wax to fill the can. When lit with a single match it would burn for several days and if we needed to extinguish it we simply snuffed it out by putting something on top of it. :light:

bajalearner - 1-5-2015 at 12:39 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Ateo

I use the Gideon Bible from Motel 6 to start my fires! They are there to be used............

You may have ignited my faith in that book! Now I get fire, but still don't know what brimstone is. :?:

Nodded off in Science Class ?

MrBillM - 1-5-2015 at 03:18 PM

Brimstone is Sulphur.