Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I have a charcoal lighter similar to Kevin's, except it has no holes in the sides. I stuff balled up newspaper in the bottom, place the charcoal on top of the paper and light the paper from the bottom. The flame from the burning paper goes up (naturally) and ignites the charcoal. After the paper has burned out, and the charcoal drops down, I can add more charcoal on top. It if has't gotten going fast enouth go suit me, I apply some flame from my propane torch up from the bottom and down from the top. That sure gets it going. Who needs matches to start a campfire when you have a propane torch?

Adding a little fuel to the fire in this long-simmering disussion...

I've used round snap together stove chimney or dryer vent material. If the vent material is galvanized be sure to burn off the galvanized coating with some non-cooking loads of charcoal or wood. All smoke is unhealthy and the zinc smoke is even worse. Instead of can opener punches in the bottom I use my tin snips to make some V-shaped cutouts along the lower rim. The height can be adjusted to what you need for your cooker.

Dryer lint mixed with melted wax might not be the best choice. Most of the lint is going to be synthetic not natural fibers. YOu'll get a melted gob and make more unhealthy smoke. Find some sawdust, preferably from whole wood not plywood or chip board. Melt the wax in a double boiler. When the was is melted turn off the flame in case the wax sloshes. That could lead to a HUGE flash and fire.

Charcoal lighter fluid can't be sold in some cities because of the volatiles polluting the air. Simple to use a chimney like in this thread. I never thought of hand sanitizer or cooking oil as accelerators. Makes sense!

Using charcoal, coal, wood or any gas indoors is dangerous...IF the chimney doesn't function. Unless I read the thread wrong there was some confusion about burning charcoal in an enclosed stove with a chimney vented outside. It would make NO difference what was burned in the stove as long as the chimney vented and there was enough air to feed the fire. Having enough makeup/outside air is critical. Any open flame without ventilation is deadly.

Hey Slow: another one of the egg carton starters: put a charcoal briquet in each cardboard egg carton cup. Melt parafin and pour over the charcoal. Break one charcoal egg cup off each time you need one. The cardboard carton lights quick, the parafin keeps it going for long enough to start that piece of charcoal, which then gets the other charcoal in the pile going.

I don't use "Matchlight" charcoal, or starter fluid. Here at home I plug in the electric charcoal starter (you can get them at Wally World) and start the charcoal in an old metal oil pan. I toss out whatever goes on the Dutch oven lid and arrange the rest, put the DO on it, arrange charcoal on the DO lid, and cook away...the pan keeps the wind from the coals on the bottom and hold in the heat well.

I know you weren't talking about using the DO...but the parafin/charcoal starters are an old Scout trick...works great.