What fire starter

[nephilim]

OK, so what do you use for your fire starters?

Flint and steel? Bow Drill? Ferrous rod? Lighter? Matches?

Also, if you need to light a fire in a hurry, what do you use to take the spark?

Personally I am a ferrous rod man, with home made fire lighters (lint from tumble dryer filter + old wax which has been gently melted and put into an ice cube tray). They're water proof, take a spark very very easily, and stay alight for around 10-15 minutes a time.

 

[Col.Decker]

Ferrorod and brasso for me. Saw it on a YouTube clip, it lights really well and comes in a handy sized can

Though it might be classed as cheating I guess

 

[ozzy1977]

Normally use fero rod and cotton wool and vasaline or magic biscuits.

I would love to get some iron pyrites and try using a flint with it though

 

[MartiniDave]

Fire for fun = firesteel and various tinders.
Fire in a hurry = Bic lighter.
Log burner in the house = matches and feathersticks.

Dave

 

[Big Stu 12]

Mostly Flint, Steel and Charcloth,

every now and then lighter and Fat Wood..

Dont think I have used a Ferro Rod or Cotton Wool and Vasiline for years apart from showing people how to use one

 

[Corso]

lighter when I'm in a hurry (I carry a brass peanut lighter or replica trench lighter)

fero rod when I have time but not want to put the effort in

Flint and steel if I'm in a BC mood

Bow drill if I want to warm myself up before I've actually made the fire - still learning

 

[rik_uk3]

Just search for fire starter and you'll see the topic has been discussed a lot in the past.

 

[Man of Tanith]

for fun- flint n steel and assorted tinders. or bow drill to practice with
for speed-zippo and instant bbq charcoal if I want t cook or cracklelog if I want fast light
but i always have a ferro rod on me when out n about. best thing for meth stoves
house fire was matches and free ads newspaper
for smokes its a zippo,imco or matches


corso-great way of describing the bowdrill.

 

[boney gumbo mcgee]

My preferred method is flint and steel with char cloth. I just find it really satisfying. Zippo lighter for instant flame, which I now keep on a belt pouch to prevent leakage. I always have a small pouch of birch bark when out as my fave firelighter. We have loads of birch here locally, its one of the first trees to get blown down here, so there is always a good supply.

 

[CallsignSam]

I'm never normally in any kind of rush so I enjoy using flint and steel with char cloth.
I do normally have a box of matches or a lighter on me though if needed.


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[Fraxinus]

For most sea kayaking brew/food stops I use a lighter and over the last year or so the tinder is either birch bark (that I keep a supply of in both my F1 Storm Kettles) or vaseline soaked cotton wool pads. It is fail safe on a beach with washed up twigs/wood fuel. A meths penny stove for fuelless beaches.
Other times will see ferro or flint and steel used (with either of the above mentioned tinders, though I have used other tinders to good results)
Bow drill I do for fun when the mood takes me.
Rob.

 

[Chiseller]

Uncle Si's "jungle jelly"

 

[John Fenna]

My favourite is good old flint and steel with charcloth and dried grass.

 

[petrochemicals]

Lighter toilet roll and loads of kindling, by kindling I mean very thin leaf bearing dead twigs, gets a fast fire. Twigs you don't have to carry toilet rolls probably dry, and a lighter is as good as any manmade ignighter, as long as it's dry.and you have a few backups. Other methods I find prone to failure and need to be reworked or take a bloody long time to get the fire going, splitting wood to the thickness is time consuming,

 

[Angry Pirate]

Ferrocium rod for me. Either with cotton wool and Vaseline or birch bark in a wee pouch.
I did carry a lighter for a while but it has let me down before either due to damp or cold so now I don't bother.
May try the brasso tip though

 

[Clouston98]

Flint and steel- with chaga and birchbark, or amadou or char cloth (homemade/ harvested stuff). Gets going easily enough and I enjoy it. Occasionally I'll use cramp balls- though I tend to save 'em because they're not as common near me as they can be elsewhere. I can bowdrill- get embers, light fires and if course make the set- but I'd not bother much if it was for a brew in the woods or an overnighters- though I may if it was a longer trip. I always take a firesteel- handy for when you wake up and it's like minus three and you don't want to faff on- just get it done. I never take a lighter or matches - I don't need them really. I like to use the lens on my hudsons bay tinderbox when it's sunny enough- rare up north like but when I can I do- chaga is fantastic for that! I'd like to try a firepiston- but they look a bit of a gimmick if I'm honest.

 

[MarkinLondon]

Birch bark, fat wood and ferro for me. But I just picked up some UCO matches and will try them with feather sticks soon enough.



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[Countryman]

Mostly now Cotton Wool with Vaseline and a Ferro Rod. It's fun, dependable and burns long and slow to drive out damp and get things going.

However I still carry a Turbo Lighter and commercial foil packed firelighters just in case.


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[Corso]

Just search for fire starter and you'll see the topic has been discussed a lot in the past.

hasn't everything?

VERY rare to get an original thread on any forum more than a year old....

 

[Paul Webster]

Petrol and chainsaw oil, works every time