Mistakes Newbie Fire Builders Make

[gorby]

Ok, so you pack and carry a tent and a seeping bag just in case .... and when you go on a day hike?

What do you carry when you go on a backpacking trip? A generator and a fridge .... ?

Yup, but only in areas I am permitted to bring my wheelbarrow.

In all seriousness, I do carry windproof matches, a lighter, and paracord that is also intended for use as a firestarter whenever there is a chance that an injury will keep me in the woods for the night.

That also being said, if I am hiking in remote areas I definitely try and bring enough clothing to live through the night as I know how much work and mobility keeping a fire going takes to keep me warm and the most likely scenario for.me to get stuck out overnight is a lower leg injury... but ya, I always carry fire making stuff because it is light and you never know.

 

[Butcherbill]

Wait a min ... you folks don't buy fire starters at Canadian Tire???

I have a small altoids tin with homemade fire starters I made from stick matches, cotton balls and paraffin wax. Which work really well, honestly though some of the store bought fire starter bricks work well.

I remember my old man would bring some camping when I was a kid. The little hard bricks you broke into pieces and lit with a lighter, vaguely remember they were for lighting charcoal briquettes.

 

[geologist]

I have a small altoids tin with homemade fire starters I made from stick matches, cotton balls and paraffin wax. Which work really well, honestly though some of the store bought fire starter bricks work well.

I remember my old man would bring some camping when I was a kid. The little hard bricks you broke into pieces and lit with a lighter, vaguely remember they were for lighting charcoal briquettes.

I keep the cotton shop rags that I use for re-waxing my Drizabone waxed coat. I cut them up into 2" squares and put them in a small tin for wet fire starting.

 

[Clay00019]

I carry a few fireplace Firestarter cubes and some bic lighters in a small vacuum sealed bag to keep everything dry.