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Home » Blog » Camping » How to Light a Fire

How to Light a Fire

Apr 10, 2013 · Modified: Jul 2, 2019 by Lisa · This post may contain affiliate links · 31 Comments

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Last year I talked all about camping and shared my favorite fire starter ever – laundry lint! Camping season is upon us and I have improved my little lint system. The biggest complaint I had about lint is that its messy. I usually keep it in a baggie. But then I saw on Pinterest how someone put lint in a toilet paper tube. I loved the idea so that you had paper too but the problem was it still was messy. So I decided to wrap it in the weekly ads that come in my mail when I’m done with them.

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Just stuff the lint in the roll, and then roll it up in newspaper, and tuck the ends in. It makes a really tight roll that doesn’t let any of the messy lint out! If you want more paper to light fires just wrap more layers around the toilet paper roll.

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Someone wrote us a note that said that laundry lint is not recommended for starting fires anymore. I did a little research and actually found that is not entirely accurate. It seems the fabrics that would be toxic tend to be synthetic and synthetic fabrics don’t tend to shed. Regardless, we are pretty much a cotton family around here so I am not too worried. If you wear a lot of synthetic fabrics this is the recommendation he gave:

Scouts now recommended to use saw dust from natural wood and mix it with wax and put in into a cardboard egg container. Break off a section and you have more natural fire starter without all of those toxins.

I think that is great but the only problem is those are not easily accessible materials for me. One of the things I like about the lint, toilet paper rolls, and newspaper is that I am recycling things I usually just throw away into something I actually use. Laundry lint is so flammable and works great for fire starting. With the newspaper and added paper from the toilet paper roll it gives you just the right amount of paper.

Happy camping!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. CentralCaliGal

    January 26, 2021 at 1:04 am

    I soak lint in used cooking oil, then stuff the tp rooks, then have the little ones staple them shut on the ends. These last about 20 minutes, more than long enough to start fires!!

    Every time we camp, we’ve had our neighbors love them when I’ve shared a few with them (I always have more than enough); the next summer, they’ve come back with ones of their own they’ve made, and proudly show us!!

    Reply
  2. Rodrick

    August 15, 2018 at 9:51 am

    My programmer is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP.
    I have always disliked the idea because of the costs.

    But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using Movable-type on various websites for about a year and
    am worried about switching to another platform. I have heard
    fantastic things about blogengine.net. Is there a way
    I can transfer all my wordpress content into it?
    Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated!

    Reply
  3. MichelleB

    October 02, 2017 at 7:24 am

    Worked great for me! My daughter is part of an American Heritage Girls scout group. We took a camping trip this weekend and she made these as part of her badge work.

    All this fuss over toxicity is silly. If there are fumes your outside! If you understand the principles of gas dispersion you would know that not only is it safe for you, but safe for the environment! Landfills burn stuff like this all the time (not lint stuffed tp rolls, but cardboard and clothing). Common sense goes a long way!

    As for using it in a home fireplaces, I don’t believe this stuff about fumes and would definitely use it in my home. If you are worried about it then don’t do it. No reason to go crazy posting comments against it on blogs of those trying to help out the rest of us.

    Reply
  4. Lori Jones

    September 09, 2017 at 8:10 pm

    I use cardboard egg carton with cotton dryer lint, but I use old citronella candle, or essential oil, like peppermint, on the ones that I take for camp outs. It helps repel mosquitoes and gnats.

    Reply
  5. Spellecy

    March 23, 2017 at 1:58 am

    Ever thought of vegetable oil impregnated cardboard!? We light our fires with this throughout the winter and it’s brilliant – and no toxins- come on, you’re a camper and you have a responsibility to the environment! . I would imagine that impregnated cardboard inside your tubes with the paper wrap would work superbly and all materials are readily available. I am talking old veg oil here- not new. Don’t wash it down the sink- use it.

    Reply
  6. Sherri

    February 25, 2017 at 7:50 am

    This was already asked but no response …. are theses safe to use in a ” in home ” fireplace ???? Anybody know ??

    Reply
    • Pam Dana

      March 07, 2017 at 2:36 pm

      Honestly, I probably wouldn’t. But, I don’t have an in home fireplace, so am not qualified to say for sure or try it. Thanks for the comment.

      Reply
    • Spellecy

      March 23, 2017 at 2:04 am

      Ever thought of vegetable oil impregnated cardboard!? We light our fires with this throughout the winter and it’s brilliant – and no toxins- come on, you’re a camper and you have a responsibility to the environment! . I would imagine that impregnated cardboard inside your tubes with the paper wrap would work superbly and all materials are readily available. I am talking old veg oil here- not new. Don’t wash it down the sink- use it.

      Reply
    • Spellecy

      March 23, 2017 at 2:06 am

      We use veg oil impregnated cardboard from our old veg oil used for frying etc. Works brilliantly by burning hot and long. Hope this helps

      Reply
    • Lara

      November 09, 2017 at 3:00 pm

      Yes, they are. Put them under your kindling and light them. We mix the lint with melted wax – old candles, store bought paraffin, store bought candles from the dollar store, but this method works well, also. You can also stuff the lint into a cardboard egg container then cut out the individual cups and light the container. It burns well.

      Reply
    • Charlie

      October 17, 2021 at 3:01 pm

      I would have no problem using this inside. It’s not like your going to use that many of them to fill your house with toxins. People use kerosene heaters, my grandfather used to burn his garbage in his furnace in the basement. I don’t think there would be enough toxins to harm anyone… Unless you filed the fireplace with them and stood over it to breathe in the smoke.

      Reply
  7. Jared Vee Bean

    February 13, 2017 at 11:09 am

    If you are using lint, it’s better to use the lint from a load of towels… they are cotton and work the best. Lint from synthetics just don’t burn as well and have a tendency to give off a chemical odor.

    Reply
  8. Laurie

    November 19, 2016 at 7:51 am

    I use this method to start my Wood burner and it works great. I don’t wrap in paper but th!the makes sense so the lint don’t fall out. Stuff mine rather tight also .

    Reply
  9. Brielle

    October 20, 2016 at 3:31 pm

    This did not work for me. It would burn for a minute, but then the flame goes out and it just smokes. I even tried not packing the lint in too much and not using the newspaper -thinking it needed better air flow, same result. Any tips?

    Reply
    • Pam Dana

      October 20, 2016 at 9:03 pm

      Honestly, I’m so surprised! I have had it work handful of times! The combination of the two have always worked! Sorry I can’t be more help!

      Reply
    • Rita

      April 19, 2017 at 9:50 am

      1) Think about piercing the exterior because fire requires 3 things: (1) air (2) fuel (3) heat source. Try adding air holes right before you put in fire to keep fluff inside, add pieces of old candle wax in with the dryer lint (we use towel lint) but you can also use shredded paper. I always make a test fire starter and time to see how long it burns. Mine generally burn for 20-30 minutes depending on how big of wax chunk I include.

      Reply
  10. Sharon

    August 07, 2016 at 9:30 pm

    I have tried this and it hasn’t worked.

    Reply
  11. Penny Olson

    June 06, 2016 at 8:04 am

    A couple small or one bigger pine cones in TP tubes with the lint might be helpful too.

    Reply
  12. Matthew Crew

    April 10, 2016 at 7:08 am

    If you want you don’t need to have Sawdust to make a Egg Carton fire starter. You can go to the local pet store and buy Natural Softwood bedding from there and use that in the Egg Cartons. it’s still cheep and easy to make and gives you enough wood material to make a lot of then. A friend of mine makes a lot of them and sells them at the local Flea market to help him gather money for his camping and an expensies

    Reply
    • Matthew Crew

      April 10, 2016 at 7:10 am

      Also I suggest Parafen wax for make the Egg Carton fire starters as it tends not to stink when burnt or maybe even Bees Wax which has a lot of uses

      Reply
  13. tonja5969

    September 10, 2014 at 5:28 pm

    There is an easier way and that would be to fold the tp rolls in on both sides to make a package.

    Reply
  14. Vickie

    March 07, 2014 at 8:23 pm

    Can this be used in a fireplace?

    Reply
  15. Renee Valdes

    September 05, 2013 at 2:03 pm

    What an easy way to spark up the fire pit. I will be repinning to your blog on Pinterest/homedepot on the pinboard “Garden Party.”

    Reply
  16. Ncole2132

    July 24, 2013 at 5:35 pm

    I’m thinking coin wrappers would work well, too

    Reply
  17. Chris

    June 14, 2013 at 1:13 am

    I like this idea. I have been making mine from: dryer lint stuffed in cardboard egg cartons with wax poured over the lint. One little egg section will start a campfire! My boyfriend thought I was crazy, until he saw them work.

    Reply
  18. michelleg

    June 06, 2013 at 2:21 am

    We all have paper shredders now for privacy so couldn’t you just stuff the tube with that instead of lint? Just an idea.

    Reply
    • Lisa

      June 06, 2013 at 2:46 am

      You could, but laundry lint is just so much more flammable.

      Reply
      • Melinda

        August 25, 2014 at 8:06 pm

        How about a combination lint/paper tube? I may have to try that. Thanks for the ideas. 😀

        Reply
      • Sue

        November 10, 2016 at 5:35 pm

        I have several dogs, and this just stinks! I use old taper candles, broken into pieces, and wrapped in waxed paper. Works great!

        Reply
  19. Kandi

    April 24, 2013 at 1:59 am

    We love this method and used it for our backyard fires (in a pit) last summer. I love the idea of rolling it in paper too. Until I read this I had been folding in the ends so the lint wouldn’t escape. Thanks!

    Reply
  20. Amanda

    April 11, 2013 at 12:37 pm

    Love this! We too have a a large Ziploc bag full of lint on top of the dryer. I like this tidy way of storing it. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

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