How to make a DIY Fire Starter
As a good outdoors-person you should acquaint yourself with a good fire striker, and fire making skills, but for the average camper feathering your kindling, and doing all the palaver to get your fire going, can be a bit of a faff, so if you can do something to help things move along more swiftly why wouldn't you?
Making DIY fire starters is a great way to ensure you have a reliable source of ignition for your outdoor adventures or emergency situations. Here is one simple method (there are others) to create your own fire starters:
Materials you'll need:
A cardboard egg box or a kitchen towel/toilet paper/wrapping paper tube
Dryer lint or shredded paper (we’ve used a variety of things in the past, including pet hair)
Candle wax or paraffin wax (available at craft stores) or an old candle
Double boiler, or a makeshift double boiler - a heatproof container placed in a pan with water (we used a baked bean can)
Old spoon or stick for stirring
Scissors or a knife
Instructions:
1. Prepare the egg boxes or paper tubes. If using egg boxes you only need the bumpy egg-holding side, cut them into individual sections. For paper tubes, cut them into 2-3 inch lengths.
2. Stuff the sections of the egg box or tube with dryer lint or shredded paper. Fill them loosely but make sure they're tightly packed enough to hold their shape.
3. Melt the wax in the double boiler - Heat the water to a gentle simmer. Place the wax in the container and allow it to melt slowly. If using candle wax, remove the wicks if present.
4. Carefully pour the melted wax over the lint, or shredded paper, in each section or tube. Ensure the wax saturates the material completely, making it waterproof and highly flammable.
5. Let the wax cool and solidify. This process can take take a while, so be patient.
6. Once the wax has hardened, you can separate the contents from the egg carton, or remove the paper tubes, if you want to, but we never do as the cardboard makes it much easier to light and burns away.
Your DIY fire starters are now ready to use. To ignite a fire, place one or more of these fire starters underneath your firewood or kindling, and light them using a match or lighter. The wax will help sustain the flame, making it easier to start a fire.
