Problems starting a fire

[AJB]

Hi all, Crazy dave, do you have a picture of a plaited firelighter from newspaper, ive never heard of this sounds interesting and reliable i would expect?

Cheers

As it happens I was just making some for next weekend, two ticks and I'll post a picture - AND MY GRANNY INVENTED THEM (or at least that's what she said)

 

[AJB]

 

[Womble_Lancs]

AND MY GRANNY INVENTED THEM (or at least that's what she said)

Blimey, that's what my granny said too I've not made those in years, but then again, I have a gas fire...

 

[AJB]

That makes us cousins!

How's tricks at junction 5?

 

[Womble_Lancs]

How's tricks at junction 5?

Cold! .

 

[Martyn]

My dad always used newspaper indoors to light the fire (rolled them then turned them into ringed dooughnuts). It works well, he ususally puts wood [then coal, in deepest winter] straight on top, leaves the vent open and lets it roar for about 10 minutes and bingo, one hot fire he can shut down to burn slowly and efficiently through the evening. For this reason when I was young I automatically tried newspaper outside for the camp fires, but I soon realised that it was far more important to have enough real tinder and a good transition from small to big. Oh, and tipi fires suck with newspaper, that's the other thing I found out, as the paper disappears leaving a massive gap.

Paper is best indoors when you've got a strong and constant airflow. It can put out a fire outdoors by stopping full airflow around the kindling.

Yeah, Id agree with that. My old gran used to take a sheet of newspaper, roll it diagonally, twist it tight, bend it in half, then plait/twist the two tails. She then made a bed of several of these for under the starter coals. She used to have me making em as a kid. Good for starting a coal fire indoors. But if it struggles to light, a sheet of newspaper across the grate will suck it into a roar. I've never tried it for starting a campfire, but I never saw the point really. Like you say, I've always had best results from taking the time to build a good supply of various size tinder in little piles. The only time I've ever failed, is when I've rushed it and gone too big, too quick. If it's wet, then just make the tinder by splitting down hanging deadwood, rather than gathering it off the floor.

 

[AJB]

Cold! .

Parky at 8 too!

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanks for the reply, just one quick question if you don't mind. By dead standing wood do you mean dead trees still rooted to the ground?

Yes... I really am a beginner at this

dead branches that have fallen but gotten tangled up in live ones off the ground work really well allso. The very thin live tips of deciduous tree branches in the middle of the winter will make good kindling too but I try to do that only when a necessity and not all from the same tree so as not to do so much damage.