Starting a campfire, the easy way

Friends have gathered for ages around the fire to cook, to talk, to relax, and connect in a different way than we would in the living room. There is something about a fire, especially a campfire, that connects us to nature. The warm wash of heat radiating across your face and skin. The crackling of the ember-soaked pit offering soothing sounds of relaxation and tranquility. The trans-like state of watching the flame dance across the wood as it turns different colors. It is a connection that is hard for words to describe. But, what happens when we can’t get that fire to start and certainty of tranquility turns into stress and frustration? We’ll look at several ways of starting a campfire, making sure you find your peace and tranquility, skipping stress.

Fire starting boils down to some basics that I have been taught since I was a young boy. Dad always said, “to make fire, you need fuel, air (oxygen), and spark”. In the instance of a campfire, it is often wood as the fuel, the air around you for the oxygen, and the lighter or other sources for spark. So what would be the problem if you have all of these but can’t start a fire? let’s look at these one at a time.

Fuel

You have to ask yourself, is the wood wet or dry? Freshly cut trees do not serve as good fire source wood as it is still very wet. I have run into this problem all too many times. You cut down a tree around the homestead thinking you can just use that for camp firewood. Please, reconsider this notion as I have learned this lesson far too many times. Sure, if the tree has been dead, but not for so long that it begins to rot, you can use it immediately. But in most cases, the average person will not harvest a tree at the perfect humidity content.

Oxygen

Is it a damp environment you’re in? Let’s just say that it is not even raining, but is misting vapor all around you. Likely, you may not be outside camping but rather racked back in your recliner at home, unless you are a weekend warrior like me. At that point, you camp, hunt, fish, or do whatever it is you’re doing when you get a chance. Then the game becomes, keep your fuel (wood) and spark dry. What if it is windy? In this instance, the air around you becomes your enemy as it constantly blows out your spark. At this point, shielding from the wind is key. Basically, keeping the air ventilated, but dry is essential to starting a campfire.

Spark

Spark, is a spark. It does need to be directable and last long enough to catch. A spark that is quickly here then gone will not easily catch anything on fire. Some of the fire-starters on the market have sparks that last a little longer than say, the striker on a lighter.

Making Magic

So, you have the optimum fuel, good spark, and calm well-ventilated air for starting a campfire, now what? Here is where we will look at several products to help get the party and mood set for success. I will focus only on the fire-starting aids rather than different fire-starting tools like strikers, strips, types of rocks, and other items/materials to start fires with. These aids will get you from no to go quick and painless.

1. The first product is one that I have used so many times. I have used this product so often that I now keep a stock of it in my fifth-wheel camper. This product is the Zip Firestarters. These little wrapped bricks when placed on your fuel (wood/charcoal) will burn up to 18 minutes. These are crucial 18 minutes as the beginning of a fire is the most important time to getting the momentum behind your flame. These bricks are safe for the grill, the campfire, and even the fireplace. The way I have used them has been to place them down first. I then follow up by stacking the dry wood over the brick while leaving an opening to insert my lighter. The cool thing is that you can light the wrapper making it quick to light and simply walk away. I can count on one hand the times I have had to place a second on the wood and try again. In those instances, I only had some slightly wet wood to use as fuel. But even in that instance, these have done very well for me.
2. Starting a campfire go-to for many is to dowse the wood with lighter fluid and keep spraying until it takes. But this second option is a natural alternative to defaulting to this dangerous way of lighting a fire. The Kingsford Fire Starters are an alternative that burns up to 10 minutes and has a level of water resistance. I also can’t help but be slightly partial to Kingsford as well, after all, there is a Kingsford plant in my home of Kentucky. We here in Kentucky enjoy supporting local companies who are here in our state.
3. The last product we will discuss here, as there are enough to get lost in, is a product I have personally not used but have heard from others who have. The DDY Fire Starters are small packets that can be directly lit on fire and walk away much like the other two discussed. With the shortest burn time of the others discussed of up to 8 minutes, DDY is still a solid option for campers and fire starters alike out there. After all, the name of the game is getting that wood to get going as quickly as possible without pain. So, imagine holding your lighter in one place for 8 minutes. Whatever you are lighting will catch I am certain, based on my own experiences.

To conclude, there are many aids out there to help those who are starting a campfire and do it quickly. Of course, getting your hands on kiln-dried wood (like wood waste from woodcraft shops) is a step in a solid direction. Anytime you start with good dry wood, getting it lit is not going to be as much of a task as it could be. Pair a pile of kiln-dried wood with one of these options and you would be able to light and walk away. That is the ultimate goal after all. So, good luck and happy camping to each of you!

If you would like to learn more about other outdoor recreational activities, check out our other blogs here!