Fire starter, what is your recommendation

[Fixastuff]

Also the “upside down fire” works best for me when stating large piles. Big logs on bottom, then medium, then little stuff. Start a pile of tinder on top with twigs and watch it work the magic.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

I use the torch in Paul's post circled in purple hooked to a 1Lb camping propane cylinder ... Turn on the gas, squeeze the trigger ... FIRE!

I save my cardboard boxes, and tuck them in ... Then torch them!

 

[paulsharvey]

The way I see it; you need a self lighting portable propane torch, regardless of starting fires or not; so just pick one up, a 3 pack of 1# camp propane cylinders, and give that a try.

 

[JamesHW]

My never fail method of starting fires is the same as starting my charcoal grill. A charcoal chimney starter with a few balls of newspaper in the bottom. Once well started I have an old flat shovel missing a handle I place under the pile and toss the now burning charcoal onto it. Never fails (might take two rounds if your in an hurry) even starting wet brush. The hot charcoal drys out everything above it creating a hot core that won’t go out. I demonstrated it to an old guy who was working at our place and who drove up to the gas station to get some gas to start the wet pile of brush and green stuff only to return to a fully enveloped pile burning away upon his return.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

One thing I've learned is to stack/pack your brush piles TIGHT!

I use forks to transport my brush ... A load ready to be added to the existing pile ...

Set it on top, then back away, and raise the forks ... Smash them down on the brush, pick up the front tires off the ground, then "wiggle" the forks up and down with the curl, like your trying to shake the last little bit of dirt out of a bucket ...

I started doing this, so the wind wouldn't tip over the piles, and I can consolidate more branches into fewer piles, but I found they burn really good!

The next picture is the same pile as I posted earlier ... And this was only cut from a living tree a month earlier, 10 minutes later!

 

[etpm]

That paper was leaning so far left, I didn't believe most of what was printed.

No matter the subject some folks just can't resist injecting politics.
Eric

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Wooden matches are good. For years we used a Cape Cod lighter. Now I just buy Strike-a-Fire and light them with a wooden match, because striking them on the box sucks.

 

[etpm]

One thing I've learned is to stack/pack your brush piles TIGHT!

Yes, you are correct. Packing the brush tight keeps the heat in and helps build coals. When I burn brush I pack it down with the FEL and after the fire had burned some I pack it down again. This makes a huge positive difference.
Eric

 

[RjCorazza]

Here's my burn starting off just yesterday. I generally push it in 2 or 3 times as it progresses.
View attachment FullSizeRender.jpg

 

[BnRidge]

Here's my burn starting off just yesterday. I generally push it in 2 or 3 times as it progresses.
View attachment 4417969

I had a fire going like that once, and after the 3rd time of pushing the pile together, several very large racoons shot out of it and ran away. Apparently it was their claim and they were sticking to it.

 

[Jstpssng]

I had a fire going like that once, and after the 3rd time of pushing the pile together, several very large racoons shot out of it and ran away. Apparently it was their claim and they were sticking to it.
View attachment 4417974

I had a brush pile to burn a few years ago. Memorial weekend it was raining so I went up to touch it off... and noticed birds flying in and out of it. I can't say for sure there was a nest there but had no desire for broiled sparrows. (Or whatever kind of bird they were.)

 

[jjeff]

A few times I've broiled snakes that made homes in brush piles, I'm not a reptile sanctuary I hate snakes anyway. A few years ago Birds made a nest in top of my fireplace chimney I'd be sitting on the couch trying to watch tv and birds would start chirping. I built a fire in fireplace middle of July with the AC on. I'm not a birder.

 

[Fixastuff]

TV is life. Good job lol.

 

[jjeff]

TV is life. Good job lol.

So is interacting with family members without being disrupted by constant bird chirping echoing down the chimney imo. One time I did that and no birds have been back since nor was I climbing a ladder almost three stories up to top of chimney or made an attempt to think of walking a ,8 or ten pitch hip roof, to try and humanely move a nest.

 

[Bronco82]

I've had good luck with the Zip firestarting cubes. They are waterproof and provide about 10 minutes of flame, usually enough to get some kindling to light. Keep the pre-packaged, individual ones in my gear, and the "sheet" you break off the cubes for the charcoal grill and such.