| NATIONAL PARKS QUICKLINKS |
Also on Backpacker.com
EDITORS' CHOICE AWARDS 2009: THE BEST NEW GEAR
OVER 3,000 GPS-ENABLED TRIPS!
DAILY DIRT BLOG: THE LATEST OUTDOOR NEWS
GEAR CHICK: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
MEDICINE MAN: ESSENTIAL SKILLS REVEALED
BACKPACKING 101: GET STARTED NOW!
VIDEOS: FEND OFF A BEAR, PACK RIGHT, AND MORE.
PHOTOS: FEAST YOUR EYES WITH THESE SHOTS
Share your tales of travel & adventure with our step-by-step guide. Upload trail descriptions, photos, video, and more.
Backpacker Magazine – September 2008
Reader Tip: Create a Fast Flame
Make a fire fast with this pocket-sized tip
Photo by Julia Vandenoever
If you need a fire in a hurry, look to your first-aid kit. An alcohol prep pad that I sliced open and lit with flint-and-steel burned for more than a minute. Plus, there's none of the mess you get from cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly.
Subscribe to Backpacker magazine
Sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter
Reader Rating:
-
Find the Outdoor Equipment You Need
BACKPACKER Food & Recipe Center
The ultimate trail-ready archive 
for all your recipe needs.
GearFinder
Find all the outdoor equipment you need. 
Fix-It Center
Make your gear last forever 
with this ultimate DIY guide.
Backpacker's Gadget Guide 2009
The latest gadgets for technophobes, technogeeks,
and everyone in between.
YES! Please send me my 2 FREE trial issues of BACKPACKER
and my FREE digital Survival Skills 101
READERS COMMENTS
EASY PEASY... Ziploc snack size baggy, fill with cotton balls, pour isopropyl alcohol over the cotton balls until saturated... That's it! one cotton ball burns for about 20 seconds, long enough to start a fire. Not messy like petroleum jelly, plus, they can pull double duty for a sterile wipe... One of the cheapest options.
Posted: Nov 04, 2009 Mister Smith
Hand sanitizer works great for a fire starter.
Posted: Mar 25, 2009 WetDog
Hand sanitizer works great for a fire starter.
Posted: Mar 25, 2009 WetDog
TIP on stokong a fire
Get a mini pocket fan. If your just waking up and need to get your fire back up fast,just throw on some brush and point the fan on the coals. Good to get a fire going to very effective. you'll have fun with it so bring xtra batts.
Posted: Feb 23, 2009 robb
Heres an idiea, ever wonder what you could do with all the drier lent? I eat lots of Altoids so natuarly I've acumulated many cans that they are distrabuted in. Take the lent place it in the can and light. It burns for anout 30 sec. plenty of time to start a fire and its very cheap. Also it gives some us to an otherwise useless biproduct.
Posted: Jan 22, 2009 Darrin
Forgot to send my email about the Carmex
fjcordova@msn.com
Colorado Springs, Co
Posted: Nov 27, 2008 Frank Cordova
Better fire stater tip, Use Carmex in a tube it contains petrolatum (get it, a petroleum based chem)same as Vaseline that is why I as an RN don't recommend it to people who are on oxygen or smoke.
Posted: Nov 27, 2008 Frank Cordova
Of course, this assumes you carry a first aid kit with prep pads. Mine is just a few bandaids and neosporin. I'll stick with tree sap.
Posted: Nov 22, 2008 El
I couldnt get one to burn for a minute but if you have dry kindling and wood than this is a great way to start it.
Posted: Nov 17, 2008 Kurt
GremX on a cottn ball works pretty good and a lot less messy.
Posted: Nov 13, 2008 Doug
The pad doesn't burn half as long as a cotton ball with petroleum and the cotton ball lights alot easier, but not a bad backup
Posted: Nov 13, 2008 Zoneous
ADD A COMMENT