How do YOU start your campfires?

[Marine359]

Willie Pete grenade, or Molotov cocktail will set anything on fire. Lacking that, for those of us (or is it just me) who are lazy, use a torch attachment for your standard Coleman small propane bottle. Campfire lit in less than a minute with no kindling. Same way I light the hickory blocks in my smoker.

[Bangorbob]

I don't start campfires. Unfortunately the smoke makes me sick, therefore I never start one.

[RickLight]

Originally Posted by tcg

For the real campers that aren't able to carry leaf blowers and find the need, a pocket bellows is small and handy to have.

PSKOOK 2 Pcs Pocket Portable Bellows Fire Blow Tube , Collapsible Mini Survival Gear to Blow Oxygen into Flame, Camp Fire Starter Survival Tool for Campfire, Wood Stove and Fire Pit. https://a.co/d/b6KwfJD

I have a 18" metal tube w 2x of vinyl hose. Makes a great blow tube without putting my face in the smoke. Just don't inhale!!

[DavidEM]

I haven't read all of the 143 posts on this thread but this is what we do:

I have never bought firewood at a campground. We camp in rustic SPs, USFS and NPs and I have always been able to scrounge downed firewood nearby. I have an Li battery powered small Ryobi chain saw that I use to chop it up in short lengths for the fire. I have a long handled axe that splits any bigger pieces.

I rarely use the campground provided fire pit. Many are made with a circular 8" high steel pit that blocks the heat of small campfires. So I use an 18" diameter small portable pit with a mesh cover- more on that later.

I use Weber fire starter cubes and put one in the bottom of the portable pit, surround it with broken up twigs and then light it with a candle lighter. Then add progressively bigger pieces until I get up to 3-4" diameter or quartered pieces which is as big as I go. It is only the two of us and a small but nice fire works fine.

I have a fold out grill that I can use for burgers or steaks but 90% of the time I use our portable Weber propane grill for those.

We usually finish dinner at about 7:30 or so and and sit around the campfire, sometimes talking, sometime reading from our Kindle app while tending the fire. When it is time for bed I let the fire burn down a bit and push the remaining hot coals into the center and then put on the mesh cover. This is about as safe as anything.

When it is time to leave, I dump the cold ashes in the permanent fire pit so the campground staff can remove them later. I almost always leave a small stack of wood for the next camper.

This scrounging wood supply plan has almost always worked for us. The only times it doesn't is if we are camping in a more developed or non-forested campground. Then we don't use a fire.

David

[Unplanned Tourist]

Now and then if it’s just the 2 of us, I light up one of my Swedish Fire Logs. They burn nice for 2-3 hours. Easy to make with your chainsaw. Just cut down from the top to about 2 inches from the bottom. Be sure to use dry wood.

They light up with just a small wad of dry paper set on top in the centre.

[RickLight]

Originally Posted by DavidEM

I have never bought firewood at a campground. We camp in rustic SPs, USFS and NPs and I have always been able to scrounge downed firewood nearby.

Collecting firewood is forbidden in all National Parks that I have been to. That includes the least visited in the lower 48. I suspect you slightly overstated.

[DavidEM]

Originally Posted by RickLight

Collecting firewood is forbidden in all National Parks that I have been to. That includes the least visited in the lower 48. I suspect you slightly overstated.

Well, the last NP I visited was Acadia, about three or four years ago. There was a little cul de sac filled with cut up wood that was there for the taking. I grabbed what I needed, split it up and enjoyed my free firewood.

David

[Bowtie Jim]

Get a egg carton.
Get a pile of sawdust.
Get some wax.
Fill the egg carton full of sawdust and pour the melted wax into each one.
Let it cool and you have 12 fire starters that work great