How do YOU start your campfires?

[DrBob7762]

I already know how to start a campfire.

I'm a bit of a purist. I was a Boy Scout, so like to use a scrap of paper, split some kindling (some down to matchstick thickness) and light with a long lighter. While I find that super-satisfying, it IS time-consuming and can be frustrating when wood is damp. (And bringing your own dry wood is understandably frowned upon.)

I struggled one drizzly day last week and wondered "is there a better way?"

Do you use fire starter cubes? Every time? Do you use a liquid accelerant? If so, what do you use and how do you store/transport it? I know that a mix of paraffin wax and dryer lint is a good, homemade starter, but frankly - I can't be bothered.

I once watched a chap in the neighboring site build a 3' high funeral pyre out of logs thicker than my leg in a steel bin. He then shoved a tiger torch down into the middle and let 'er rip for 5 minutes. I'm NOT looking for that answer!

BTW, as I was struggling last week, it occurred to me that there is probably a market for a small blower unit that runs on rechargeable batteries to act as an electric campfire bellows (rather than me exhausting myself by fanning, or huffing and puffing!)

I'm looking for a sleek solution to my dilemma, that doesn't completely violate my Boy Scout upbringing.

I'm all ears!

B

[Alpine36]

One of these does the trick...

[Old-Biscuit]

YEP^^^^^

Torch. Light 'em up

[TreeTopFlyer]

Depends on my mood and whether or not the kids want to help. 13 year old does it the Boy Scout way whether he wants to or not. 8 year old uses a fire starter of some sort. I’ll do whatever I feel like. Sometimes I want to enjoy the art of building a fire from fuel sourced from the campground, sometimes I just put a torch to some overpriced but well seasoned wood from the CG store.

[RRR]

^^YEP^^

[twogypsies]

We made firestarters in a big batch. paraffin wax, added sawdust and poured in a small bathroom-size paper cup. They worked great.

Used one with twigs, tightly rolled newspaper, dry leaves & just kept adding more and bigger twigs. Then logs split in small pieces until hot enough to add bigger logs.

[rgvtexan]

Fat Lighter from an old pine stump, or cardboard rolled up in a tuna can impregnated with paraffin.

In a pinch, liquid Boy Scout "charcoal lighter".

[Bobby F]

Boy Scout Dryer Lint method. I hang a small garbage bag next to the dryer at home, empty the lint trap into it, then throw it in the pile when I jump in the RV. Works every time.

[wildmandmc]

i save a lot of my junk mail. crap i printed out . bag a bunch of sticks on ground. small tote with 1 1/2 ft logs . tote has cover so stay dry.

[wrvond]

I use the Duraflame logs. If I have wood available I cut the fake log into sections and use one section (about 1/4 of a log) to start the fire. If I don't have any wood but do have a fire ring, two of the logs makes a good size fire for sittin' and sippin' and last for hours.

[Peter M]

A mound of Charcoal briquettes at the bottom, set the wood in place dose with lighter fluid sit back and enjoy.

[jondrew55]

Most campground available wood (you know, that wet garbage in the red plastic bags) is very difficult to get lit. I have a maul and axe and split a couple of logs into small tinder (we're not supposed to scavenge dead wood in most Fl campgrounds). I always have a box of fire starters, the stuff that looks like mini duraflame logs. Once you get a decent bed of hot embers, almost anything will burn in it. But when all else fails...

[Psneeld]

A purist doesn't use anything but dry twigs and materials from the woods.

Paper? Lint? not in my hard core boy scout experience.

One match or shoe lace for the bow & stick method allowed....

Now, because collecting wood is becoming the norm and you are forced to use "bought wood", purism goes out the window and any method including nuclear detonation conforms with my survival training.

[Winemaker2]

Most boaters know that expired signal flares make great fire starters and there are lots of boaters out there looking to get rid of their older / outdated flares.
Think of it as a public service project.
Don't even need the one match