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• When i was a kid, my family used to gather around and make these in preparation for upcoming camping trips.

  We used cardboard egg-cartons instead of cups, though. They work great and it's nice to recycle! Unfortunately, it seems that (in my area at least) they use Styrofoam cartons almost exclusively :(

  Also, you can add some sawdust to the mix--a resource which is *quite* plentiful in many maker's homes...

  Posted by: kryten007 on November 3, 2006 at 8:33 AM

• When camping and cooking up your breakfast of bacon and eggs, you can use the same method to fill a dixie cup (wax coated are best) with the bacon grease. Makes a GREAT fire starter with the added benefit of smelling like bacon.

  Posted by: cyenobite on November 3, 2006 at 10:13 AM

• My firestarter of choice? Diesel Fuel soaked logs with just a little kerosene.

  Diesel burns but doesn't do the "explode and burn your eyebrows off" trick like gasoline, and once going can burn in the worst weather, I've had a fire going in a blizzard, diesel logs are hard to put out, so much so that I stopped trying to use just water and just cover the logs with dirt to smother, then water to cool the embers. Although once the diesel log burns away you just put out the campfire as normal.

  The kerosene is just to help light the diesel, which can be a pain with matches or a small lighter, but a zippo works fine.

  
  For starting fires in the fireplace I just use votive candles, cheap at like I dunno 50+ for like $5, almost all wax, and not enough wax that you have to worry about a horrible mess. Just make a bed of kindling, with an inch or so gap under the logs, and stick a votive candle in the gap and light it, it'll burn away at the log, and when the wax melts out into the kindling, the kindling usually catches and burns, takes a few minutes but it works good enough.

  Posted by: DGary on November 3, 2006 at 10:47 AM

• Another tip is to use a can of 'dust-off' to get the embers glowing - it's quite effective and is less dizzy than other methods...

  Simon
  

  Posted by: SimpleSimon on November 3, 2006 at 4:47 PM

• I make firestarters out of wax and pinecones- a big bag of cheap tealights witht the little metal jackets & wicks removed, melted in a muffin tin- drop a pinecone in, insert the wick to the side, 2.99 makes dozens...

  Posted by: infinitysnake on November 3, 2006 at 6:27 PM

• The lint has to be pure cotton. If you're short on lint, use cotton balls. If you use candle wax it's going to burn like a candle. Try petroleum jelly (Vaseline) instead. Mix it thoroughly into the cotton, then scrape out as much as you can. Fluff before lighting.

  Posted by: SmartAZ on November 3, 2006 at 10:33 PM

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