Modern Frontier: DIY Fire Starter

This DIY fire starter is a great option for the modern outdoorsman.

It can be hard to build something out of nothing. This is true for lots of things in life. It might be that Newton’s first law applies to more than just moving objects. You can apply it to things like starting a business, getting in shape, or writing a book. The hardest part is getting started. Once you get started, it’s easier to keep the momentum going. This simple principle is handy to know and practical in real life. In fact, one area it applies to is fire starting.

Once you think about it, you can probably see how building a fire is an example of something that is hard to build from nothing. We all know that a big fire is easy to keep going. However, at the beginning stages, producing enough heat to generate a sustainable fire can be difficult. This is where modern technology makes the process easier. Technologies can be things like ignition devices or fire starters. Adding these technologies makes things easier, but it can take away from your chance to practice a skill or art. That being said, sometimes we just want to get a fire going without building a tinder bundle. For those situations, it’s nice to have a reliable way to ensure you can get a fire going in a variety of situations. That’s where making a handy DIY fire starter can come in handy.

Like everything these days, there are a bunch of DIY fire starters out on the Internet. I’ve seen people make them out of dryer lint, deodorant, and potato chips. The reality is, all of these can take a flame and extend it long enough so you can get a fire going. And although they are neat camping tricks, do you really want to put your trust in a bag of chips? I don’t. When it comes to making a DIY fire starter, you probably want to make something you’d be thankful to have when you get caught in an unexpected snowstorm.

Honestly, what is perhaps the best DIY fire starter is no secret. There are at least dozens, if not more, people who have shared this recipe on social media. Although it’s been shared many times, why not spread the word when you’ve found something that works? The recipe is simple, and the fire starters are effective. They are nothing fancy. This DIY fire starter also works with many forms of combustion. This means that whether you use a lighter, match, or ferro rod, these will quickly ignite. If you make a batch every now and then, you can easily keep yourself supplied for all your camping trips. Without further delay, here is the recipe for a very reliable DIY fire starter.

Materials

-Cotton Rounds

-Lighter Fluid

-Paraffin Wax

-Heat Source

-Pot (1 or 2)

-Tin Foil

-Heat Source

Step 1: Measuring Your Wax

After collecting your materials, the first thing to do is measure your wax. If you buy Gulf Wax (probably the most common), it usually comes in one-pound bars. One pound is plenty. Depending on how many fire starters you want to make, you can even cut it in half. No matter how much wax you use, place it in a pot for melting.

Step 2: Melting the Wax

Next, you can place the container with your wax on the heat source. As with any project that involves melting wax, the double-boiler method is the safest. If you’re not familiar with what the double-boiler method means, click on this link for an article describing it and why it is so safe. Remember, if you melt the wax directly on a heat source, make sure to keep the temperature low. Be sure your wax is completely melted before moving on.

Step 3: Adding Lighter Fluid

After the wax is completely melted, remove it from the heat source. The next step to make your DIY fire starter is to add lighter fluid. Roughly speaking, this can be added in equal parts by volume (same size not same weight). It doesn’t hurt to swish this around a bit and mix it all together.

Step 4: Soaking the Pads

Now that you have a mix of lighter fluid and wax, you need to saturate your cotton pads with the mixture. Basically, you need to submerge the cotton pads in the mixture so they get fully saturated. The easiest way to do this is to keep ahold of it with an old piece of silverware. After a few seconds, pull the cotton pad out of the mixture and let it drip dry. Once most of the dripping has stopped, set the saturated pad on the tin foil to dry.

Step 5: Drying the Pads

Let the pads air dry. Yep; pretty easy.

Step 6: Storage

Once dry, these DIY fire starters are ready for use. There are lots of ways to store them. Any type of container you want to include in your camping kit will probably work. They are water-repellant, so you don’t necessarily need to worry about keeping them dry. However, having a container of some kind helps keep them organized and ready for use.

Step 7: Use

Using these DIY fire starters is simple. The best way to use them is to tear them in half prior to use. This exposes the little fibers of cotton that will catch the easiest. Honestly, though, these little fire starters will take about any spark. Once they start burning, each of these little pads will burn for at least several minutes. In most situations, they are more than enough to get your fire going.

As mentioned, the hardest part of fire-making typically is getting one started. Once you can get a fire started, keeping it going is usually the easy part. These handy DIY fire starters take much of the difficulty out of the process. They are water-repellant, lightweight, cheap, easy to make, and reliable. They also have the benefit of simplicity. In some ways, they are a perfect answer to somebody trying to keep their gear weight down, while also extending their ability to stay in the wild for long periods. If you are trying to create a dependable fire-starting kit to take to the woods, they might be a good option to help you enjoy the outdoors.