Starting a fire every day

[Whitespider]

slowp,
How is crumpling newspaper, stacking kindling on it, lighting a match, waiting for it to catch before closing the door, and finally loading the box (skip that last step if ya' use top-down method), faster and simpler than "squirt 'n' click"?? Heck, I don't care one little bit how you, or anyone for that matter, lights their stove... but ya' flat can't claim that tinder (newspaper), kindling and a match (it's called building a fire, requires a bit of time and attention) is faster and simpler than squirt, click, slam the door. It ain't that I'm incapable of "building" a fire... I just choose to keep it faster and simpler than that.
*

 

[sunfish]

slowp,
How is crumpling newspaper, stacking kindling on it, lighting a match, waiting for it to catch before closing the door, and finally loading the box (skip that last step if ya' use top-down method), faster and simpler than "squirt 'n' click"?? Heck, I don't care one little bit how you, or anyone for that matter, lights their stove... but ya' flat can't claim that tinder (newspaper), kindling and a match (it's called building a fire, requires a bit of time and attention) is faster and simpler than squirt, click, slam the door. It ain't that I'm incapable of "building" a fire... I just choose to keep it faster and simpler than that.
*

Man, there is nothing wrong with how she is starting a fire! Didn't see where she said it was faster?

 

[sunfish]

I'm not a man so newspaper, kindling and a match and once again, it takes off this morning in my EPA stove. Guess we women just have a talent for keeping things fast and simple.

Oh, I do get more technical at times. When the paper shredder is full, I use that, and a match and kindling.

My wife uses newspaper, she wont touch the diesel jug!

 

[mainewoods]

We have lighter wood. It's called dead pine limbs. Full of dried pitch and lighter than hell !

 

[sunfish]

We have lighter wood. It's called dead pine limbs. Full of dried pitch and lighter than hell !

That'll work, but not as good.

 

[haveawoody]

I'm surprised nobody collects birch bark to start fires.
That's what they use up north at every cabin I've ever been to.
Always seems to be dead white birch trees lying around in the wood, guess that's why native people made birch bark canoes and survival people always collect it first for starting fires.

White birch bark is full of natural oils that burn hot, one small bit starts up a fire from nothing to rip roaring in no time.

 

[sunfish]

I've never ever seen a Birch tree around here!

 

[Whitespider]

Man, there is nothing wrong with how she is starting a fire! Didn't see where she said it was faster?

Well, I never said there was anything wrong with it.
But she did say...

Guess we women just have a talent for keeping things fast and simple.

...and the way she presented it, I took it as a dig.
As in... I'm just a dumb man incapable of building a fire by rubbing two sticks together.
Just reacting man... just reacting.
*

 

[slowp]

Well, it is fast. I crumple the paper, put kindling on it and light it. Whilst the kindling gets going, I'm in the kitchen, getting the coffee going and listening to NPR. We women can multi-task. I get the coffee going and milk heating and then reach for chunks of wood and throw them on the fire, go pour coffee, maybe throw another chunk in, and I'm good to go. No wasted time. Pretty efficient and cheaper than squirting something extra I'd have to buy. The newspaper is free. Can't beat that. Gotta go past the coffee to get wood from the porch. I've got a good house layout.

Dry kindling will catch fire extremely fast in my EPA stove.

 

[Whitespider]

Whilst the kindling gets going, I'm in the kitchen, getting the coffee going and listening to NPR.
...cheaper than squirting something extra I'd have to buy.

My coffee pot auto-starts on a timer... the stuff is ready when I roll out in the morning, and I pour a cup as I walk by it on the way to the firebox.
The very last thing I want in the morning is noise from radio (or TV)... and NPR would force a .44 caliber bullet to permanently end it.
Besides...
I'm pretty much doubting it's the $5 or $10 you'd spend a year for squirt stuff that keeps you from using it.
In fact... I'd bet and give odds it ain't even a consideration.
(shrug)
*

 

[mainewoods]

I'm surprised nobody collects birch bark to start fires.
That's what they use up north at every cabin I've ever been to.
Always seems to be dead white birch trees lying around in the wood, guess that's why native people made birch bark canoes and survival people always collect it first for starting fires.

White birch bark is full of natural oils that burn hot, one small bit starts up a fire from nothing to rip roaring in no time.

Forgot to add birch bark, which is almost as plentiful as pine cones. I use some on almost every fire. I also made a birch bark canoe once. Had it stashed on a mountain pond but the porcupines ate it.

 

[bassjam]

I was in Boy Scouts for long enough to reach Eagle, and have used just about all the different techniques (dryer lint and wax, cotton balls and Vaseline, pine cones, magnesium, and many, many not so "Boy Scout Approved" methods like kerosene, diesel, rubber cement, even gasoline. I normally have to start a fire every day after work and I've settled on this:

I save all the newspapers and packing paper (I order a LOT from Amazon) in a box all year. I also spend about an hour a few times throughout the season pulling straight, dried, logs out of my pile and splitting them down to about 1" across. In the stove I place one small 2"-3" log, a couple pieces of loosely wadded paper next to it, and create a lean-to with a few pieces of wood I've split into about 1" across and light the paper with a lighter. As the paper is taking off I place a few larger pieces of 2"-5" diameter depending on if it's split or round on going the opposite direction of the lean-to. On top of that I can place just about anything and the fire will keep going.

I've tried the top down method and while it works well, I always manage to scrape my bald head pretty bad on the stove door opening while setting it up. I got tired of people at work asking about the 1" scabs on my forehead so I no more top down fires for me, at least in the stove.

 

[wareagle5.0]

Most Yankees don't know what 'lighter wood' is. I grew up using it in the deep south and sold a bunch of it in my teens.

Not much lighter wood here in Mo, so I use a little diesel, keep in in a used gear oil bottle.

im slowly starting to realize that

 

[Woodomaker]

I use dryer lint, packed into toilet paper rolls.....empty rolls.....

 

[huffaker]

I use those fire starter squares that can be found at Tractor Supply or Sears, they're cheap and burn well enough that I don't need kindling. Just a few splits and it's off and going.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[7sleeper]

When my noodle supplys get low I just do this



to replenish my supplies. To start a fire one handfull plus one match is totally sufficient.

7

 

[woodsplitta]

old sock works great with smallish soft maple kindle... top down method

 

[blkcloud]

Have you tried a couple of bricketes of match light charcoal?

 

[jthornton]

I've found that old rags and bits of kindling soaked in peanut oil to work rather well and the used oil is free.

JT

 

[GVS]

I'm surprised nobody collects birch bark to start fires.
That's what they use up north at every cabin I've ever been to.
Always seems to be dead white birch trees lying around in the wood, guess that's why native people made birch bark canoes and survival people always collect it first for starting fires.

White birch bark is full of natural oils that burn hot, one small bit starts up a fire from nothing to rip roaring in no time.

Birch bark has to be tops as tinder.I always keep a bucket full at my camp.Place it in the stove first then crib some kindling over it,touch it with a lit match and in 30 seconds it's blazeing!