Many of the best memories on a camping trip are created around the campfire. Cooking food, making smores, staying warm and just hanging out.
So getting a campfire started quickly is essential to having fun on a camping trip. Nobody wants to wait around while they are cold and hungry.
Have some simple homemade campfire starters on hand and you will be the hero of the trip.
These are easy to make from things around your house and they are easy to throw in your camping bag.
1. Stuffed Toilet Paper Rolls
Instead of throwing your toilet paper rolls in the trash, keep them and stuff them with anything you can find around your house that burns clean, and you were going to throw away anyway.
A great stuffing is used paper towels from your camping trip.
This keeps stuff out of the landfills and gets your campfire started quickly.
Any items listed in this tutorial can be used as stuffing.
There are 2 ways that you can stuff the rolls.
First, you can simply stuff them stuff, then wrap them in paper to keep the stuff from falling out.
The roll will look like a large piece of candy when you're done.
One downside to this method is that the roll will burn quickly, so you'll need to have a good amount of kindling available in your fire pit.
The second way is to stuff the roll, then melt some used candles in an old pan, and pour some melted wax into each roll and let it cool.
When the wax hardens, it will keep the stuffing in place and the roll will take longer to burn completely.
This requires more work, but the fire will last longer.
2. Stuffed Egg Cartons
Cardboard egg cartons are another thing that you can stuff to make homemade fire starters.
The great part about using egg cartons is that you can cut them up and each compartment can be used as an individual fire starter.
Some people go to great lengths to create beautiful egg carton fire starters, using colorful wax, flowers and even pine needles.
Since you're going to be burning this thing, I don't see the need to go all arts and crafts.
But do you.
Like with the paper towel rolls, put anything in there that will burn easily.
This could be sawdust, dryer lint, small pieces of coal, or shredded paper.
Then cover it with melted wax and let it cool.
Separate the compartments and you'll have more than enough for your next camping trip. The amount of time that each one burns will depend on the ingredients you use.
But generally, you can get about 5 to 10 minutes of burn from each one.
You can also put the same stuff into a muffin liner if you don't have a cardboard egg carton available.
3. Stuffed Wax Paper
Wax paper is very flammable and makes a much more flexible wrapper for a homemade campfire starter.
You can create big fire starters, or small ones, depending on how big your fire will be.
An additional benefit is that it's also waterproof.
So just like with the stuffed toilet paper rolls, if you wrap it like a piece of candy, the material inside will stay dry, even in damp conditions.
4. Dried Orange Peels
The oil in the skin of oranges is very flammable and once you dry out pieces of peel, they become fantastic little fire starting chips.
Start by taking some orange peels and put them outside to dry in the sun. You can also use a food dehydrator, if you live in a place that doesn't get a lot of sun.
Once the water has evaporated from the peels, store a bunch of them in a Ziploc bag and you'll be ready for your next camping trip.
This keeps waste out of the landfill and the peels have a great smell when you burn them.
5. Corks Soaked in Alcohol
Most corks from wine bottles get thrown out and end up in landfills. Using them as campfire starters is a fantastic way to return them to the soil.
Soak the corks in alcohol overnight, then wipe off the excess alcohol with a paper towel.
Put them in a sealable container and you're ready for your next camping trip.
Just be sure that the corks you're using are actually made out of cork.
If you use a plastic “cork” otherwise known as an “alternative wine closure,” you'll be in for a surprise.
The plastic will create some nasty fumes when burned, and should be avoided.
6. Dryer Lint
Dryer lint is very flammable and makes an excellent fire starter. It can be easily lit with a ferrous rod or even a lens that focuses the sun.
To collect it, simply keep a small Ziploc bag next to your drier.
That way, you won't forget to save the lint when you clean out your lint catcher.
Once the plastic bag is full, throw it in with your other camping gear.
The only downside to using dryer lint on its own is that it can take more lint to start a fire, than if you combined the lint with one of the other methods on this list.
But it's easy to save “raw” lint and most people produce a lot of it. So have a lot on hand while you're starting your fire and you'll be fine.
7. Pine Cones and Wood Shavings
The oil in pine cones, along with the woody material they are made of, are the perfect natural fire starter.
Most pine cones are fairly large and will burn for more than enough time to start a campfire.
They can take up a lot of space however, so consider breaking them apart, so they fit easily into a plastic bag or small box.
When they are broken up into small pieces, you can use as little, or as much as you need.
You can also save wood chips or shavings and throw them in with the pine cones for additional fuel for the fire.
8. Potato Chips
If you like potato chips, then a big bag of chips can give you snacks and fire starters for an entire weekend.
The oil in the chips is what makes them flammable. If you've ever had a stovetop oil fire, you know how easily cooking oil can catch on fire.
These fires are hard to put out and only get bigger when you put water on them.
So potato chips can be perfect fire starters in wet conditions.
They are cheap and if you don't use them on a trip, you can always eat them when you get home.
9. Duct Tape
Duct tape has so many uses on a camping trip that everyone should have a roll with them at all times.
It can help with repairs, closing small cuts, securing things, and you guessed it…starting a campfire.
Since it's made of artificial materials, it will put off some fumes, so don't get too close while it's burning.
To use it as a fire starter, pull off a few threads and create a small pile. Put the pile of tape threads on a piece of wood and put the wood under your kindling and primary logs.
Light the tape and you're good to go.
10. Shredded Paper
What's the safest way to dispose of your sensitive documents?
Shred them.
Then burn them!
Paper from your shredder is a great fire starter. Stuff a bunch of it in a paper bag or toilet paper roll, and it's ready to light.
Just be sure to remove any plastic bits, if you shredded any credit cards.
There's a lot of air between shredded paper, making it easy to ignite.
The only downside is that it will burn quickly, so be sure to have a lot of kindling available.
If you're using the paper as kindling, then be sure to have a lot of it on hand.
11. Hand Sanitizer
An alcohol-based hand sanitizer is a great backup for cleaning your hands, if you don't have access to water on your camping trip.
It's also a fantastic backup as a fire starter.
Just put some on a piece of wood, put your kindling and wood over it, and light it up.
The best part of this method is that you won't have to waste any of your high-quality drinking alcohol to start a fire.
12. Cotton Balls and Petroleum Jelly
If you don't want to use alcohol as your accelerant, then petroleum jelly is a good alternative.
Vasoline is one of the popular brands, but any brand will work just as well.
On the upside, jelly won't drip all over the place, like alcohol will.
The downside is that it's harder to clean if you get it on your clothes or camping gear.
Just get some cotton balls or cotton pads, and dip them in petroleum jelly.
Use your fingers to spread the jelly evenly, then put the ball or pad in a sealable container.
Six to ten “jelly balls” should be more than enough for a weekend camping trip.
13. Packing Material
Companies are becoming a lot more conscious of what they use as packing material.
…and that's great!
Many of them have switched to paper-based padding in their shipments.
Instead of throwing away the paper packing from your next purchase, save some of the smaller pieces in a bin somewhere and use it as kindling for your next campfire.
The best part is that many paper packing products come in strips or stick together in clumps.
So it's easy to transport and won't make a mess.
14. Damaged Ping Pong Balls
Yes, ping pong balls are extremely flammable.
Here's an example…
So if you have a ping pong table, you are bound to have some damaged ping pong balls.
Instead of throwing them away, save them in your camping bag.
They are a great backup fire starter and burn long enough for you to light some kindling.
Just don't use too many at once because the fire can get big very quickly.
15. Tampons
Pull a tampon apart and separate out the fluffy inside from the covering. This makes a great fire starter and ignites easily.
Tampons are compact and usually individually wrapped, so they won't get wet if they fall into water.
The ladies on your trip will want to have a few on hand anyway, so they are dual purpose.
On the downside, they are quite a bit more expensive than other options on this list.
So you probably shouldn't use them as your primary fire starter.
But they are a good backup to your backup.
16. Old Clothes
Many people overlook this fire starter, but it's another great way to keep stuff out of landfills.
If you have old clothes that are too beat up to donate, then put a few of them in a bag and take them on your next camping trip.
You can cut off strips to use as cordage, wrap small cuts and as towels. If you plan to get really dirty, then you can also wear them.
When you're done with them, simply dry them out and use them to start your campfire.
It's a good idea to use only cotton or wool clothing to start a fire because man-made fabrics like polyester can produce toxic fumes.
17. Cardboard Dipped in Wax
As I mentioned before, candle wax will make almost any flammable material burn longer.
But you don't have to make a fancy egg carton fire starter.
You can simply cover a small piece of cardboard or cotton pad with wax and it will last longer when you use it as a campfire starter.
The wax also makes the paper or cotton waterproof, so you never have to worry about keeping it dry.
It's not a work of art, but it works well.
18. Paper Twists
This is probably the easiest fire starter to make on this list.
Simply take some old paper bags or newspaper and twist it until it looks like a rope.
Then fold it in half and you have a simple fire starter.
If you want to get really fancy, tie a piece of string around the end to keep the loose ends together.
Make a few of these and you'll have a bundle for your next camping trip.
19. Glasses / Lens
If you have some daylight available, then focusing the sun with a lens is an easy way to start a fire.
You can use a pair of regular glasses or you can buy a cheap loupe from eBay or Amazon.
Using a lens is a great alternative to using matches, a lighter or a ferrocerium rod.
It's totally reusable and allows you to save your other fire starting methods for times when there isn't any sun.
Final Thoughts
So those are some easy ways to create campfire starters from stuff around your house.
Using these items will save you money and you'll keep waste out of landfills.
But don't limit yourself to this list.
What else do you have access to that you could use as a campfire starter?
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