Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

So what I found out which everyone has or can get very easy. If you want to start a camp fire and don't have newspaper, You can use Dryer Lint to start any fire. Very easy to carry around there is no weight to it. And burns fast and good. So no need to carry newspaper around to start fires just go in your lint tray and get some lint out. Also it has a fresh smell of fabric softner as well. : )

So I want to hear everyone elses little tricks of starting fires without paper or newspaper. And I am not talking about lighter fluid or gasoline products. Or WD-40 I want to hear some other homemade tricks of the trades.

Thanks BK, I really like hearing ideas from other folks.

Cheap, easy make, easy store, easy light, burns long enough.
1. Egg carton
2. Dryer Lint
3. Wax

Take the egg carton and fill each one with dryer lint. Melt any wax you can find (old candle wax, cheap dollar store candles, block gulf wax, etc.) and pour it over the lint. Before the wax dries, pull a wax covered tuft of the lint up to make a wick to light it by. I leave mine together in the carton for easy storage. Then just pop one off as I need it. Stole (borrowed) this from my uncle.

A friend of mine buys those "Fire Starter Logs" from wally world. Cuts them into chunks and uses those.

Earnest

That is very creative with the egg carton and wax and lint. I never would of thought of that one. But very cheap to do and very portable as well. My first camping trip is planned for April here in Wisconsin I am very excited to get out there. I can only count the days till the snow goes away and the chill is out of the air.

BK

Vaseline and cotton balls....stored in those "old" 35mm film canisters (if you can still find them)
One of those magnesium bars works good too. Burns HOT, but not for too long. I keep one in my hunting backpack at all times.
Used dryer sheets burn good, but don't leave a residue.
I have a little "torch" that uses a lighter as it's fuel source...very hot flame and cheap to "refill".

Just a couple of things that came to mind. Anyone else ?!?

heard of using pine cones with cooking fat poured into them, get the pine cones in the fall when they are super dry. never tried it myself.

Howdy All;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY2jWxlp5ZU

hank

Great... now I have to keep gum in the teardrop!!!

Mike...

9 volt battery & steel wool. Short across terminals with the steel wool. The wool catches on fire & burns good.

roadinspector wrote:9 volt battery & steel wool. Short across terminals with the steel wool. The wool catches on fire & burns good.

this is a great way to start a campfire

there are so many different things to use that are cheap out there

even your old used cooking oil will help start a fire

most of the commercial fire starters are just wax and saw dust

and dont forget good old birch bark when your out and about
or even a nice clump of dry dead pine needles

but if you build a proper fire you dont need much of a fire starter to get a good blaze going

Jmk,
Ditto!
Earnest

We do the egg carton one, but instead of dryer lint I bought a bag of wood shavings in the pet aisle. The work very well. We also recycle our citronella candles to make the fire starters to use the last bit in the bottom after the wick is gone.

Steps altogether for homemade laundry detergent:
1. Grate bar of soap into a bowl
2. Pour in one cup of borax
3. Pour in one cup of washing soda
4. Mix for a couple of minutes until all the grated soap breaks up and the mixture looks like regular dry laundry detergent
And that’s it. It’s so easy. Now I feel kinda dumb that I have been buying expensive laundry detergent this long! Oh well. Start saving money now!

my wife has been doing this for years, but we are both frugal by nature. she also makes her own baby wipes, another overpriced item.

I wish I could make home made equivalent of cold water Tide!

Jacquie wrote:I wish I could make home made equivalent of cold water Tide!

You can. My wife makes liquid detergent. Similar to what was posted previously. We have been using it for about 5 years now in our front loader, cold only, and it works great (way better then the cold water, or any other Tide). She makes about 3 gallons at a time and it literally costs a couple bucks total per batch. We also do the conditioner/vinegar mix for fabric softer which I also perfer.