How to make the best firestarter for the true outdoorsman

[BAMndza]

Some kindling and a few sheets of newspaper always did the trick for me. I was taught to stack it right the first time and you'd have no problem.

[38MarcW]

shit more cotton over here ! just one more layer should do it !

forest fire starter how long will it burn a week?

[zane000000000]

use tin foil as a pot liner

[mermaidsable]

it doesnt burn very long but a least it will give u a chance to get one going

[WorldClimb]

"True outdoorsmen" have no need for fire starters made of toilet paper rolls.

[disillusions]

I think I found a very fast and easy way of making these fire starters. I went to walmart and bought some cotton balls and cotton rounds (flat cotton disks) - in the same section where q-tips are, I think in the health and beauty dept. Both were pretty cheap and cost less than a few bucks.

Anyhow, I get a can of wax melted and then drop a cotton ball into the wax. After it is completely soaked with wax, I take it out of the wax and sandwich it between a couple of cotton rounds.

[disillusions]

The wax will start to soak into the middle of the cotton rounds on each side, but should leave the edges clean of wax, yet there will be enough wax to hold the disks firmly to the wax cotton ball. The edges of these disks are excellent wicks, as they catch fire very easily.

After about an hour or so they should be cooled enough to store.

They may not burn for as long since there is less wax and cotton than you're using in the paper towel rolls, but you could always use a few instead of one.

[disillusions]

I like your idea of using cardboard rings cut from paper towel rolls, but I was wondering if the outside layer of cotton wrapped around it was really necessary? If not, then you could make them a lot faster by simply stuffing those disks with cotton and filling them with wax. Seems like this idea could better than the egg carton idea, because you could make the rings however thick (or thin) you needed them.

[mrdanisthename]

@disillusions Yeah you've got a point.. without the outside layer it may just burn for less time, but a fifteen minute fire starter should be plenty of time I'd think. I'd like to develop a better one. Thanks for the feedback.