How to make fire starter sticks: 3 proven natural tips for real hikers

The ability to make fire starter sticks is the best way to be set to any unexpected situation while hiking. You may not always have the sticks in your camping gear, and the best way to avoid failure in making good fire is to be armed with some tips.

Best tool to make fire starter sticks: we advise using pine cones

You can always use homemade sticks to make fire, but why bother if it is simple, fast, and convenient to use pine cones, as there are no problems in finding them in the woods. Pine cones are our choice #1 as they are easy to get, they smell good, and with them you can start the fire in no time. Anyway, you it’s better to be all set before hiking and take a wax, wax paper, and a thread with you beforehand. As you may use them as a wick.

1. Tie a short piece of string around pine cones;
2. Melt some wax and cover pine cones with it;
3. You can put them into wax paper and wait till they cool;
4. Then to be sure your fire will last for a long time, you may add melted wax one more time;
5. Make the loop with the thread and try to start the fire;
6. Enjoy the nice smell and warmth. Note, you can always add some fragrance oil to strengthen the pleasant smell.

Fire starter wood sticks

Do you know that people used birchbark fire starters for centuries to get the fire? The thing is that white-barked trees constantly renew their layers, and you may find your fire starter right on the ground below them.

1. White-barked trees are widely spread all over Northern America, Canada, Scandinavian countries, and Europe;
2. Birchbark is flammable even if wet;
3. Burns in no time: 30 sec or so;
4. You are just going to need birchbark and matches to light long and hot flame.

Try Pine needles and enjoy your fire

Forest is an absolute fortune for hikers. You may always find something handy for a real hiker to use. The third tips to start a fire with the natural tool are pine needles and dry grass. Yep, it is simple as that.

But, if you want to get a lasting flame, find hardened resin on the conifer’s barks, where the tree has injure. It is the best tinder you can make by yourself or find. Be aware that it inquires prolonged flame to catch fire, but once lit, it’s going to burn for a very long time.

Why bother to buy a fire starter if it’s out there

It’s just for those who always want to be ready and not waste time and energy looking for a wick. So please choose any fire starter in the store or feel free to order it:

1. Fatwood sticks help get steady burn, and it is easy to buy starting from Amazon to offline stores.
2. Fire Paste it’s a tube; you can smear it along with the wood and get flame in no time.
3. Tinder Quik tinder tabs impregnated with waxes and oils are tiny flammable tabs that you can even carry in your pocket.
4. Blast Matchis a bit heavier and bulkier than ordinary matches, but it has plenty of fire-starting ability and is so handy that you can use them with one hand.