Being able to start a fire
is one of the best skills you can develop. It also usually requires some form
of kindling or fire-starting material to make the task of building a fire
easier and simpler. You also want to get that fire started quickly before it
gets dark. Here’s a quick review of Instafire.
RW, Jr. left me in charge of
the firewood for a short boondocking trip we were on and unfortunately my wood
pile had gotten wet from a brief rain shower the day before. Wet or even damp
wood can be extremely difficult to start a fire without some help along the
way. It was time to check out the firestarter product from Instafire.
Instafire is fairly inert
and very safe to handle. Although you should be able to start several fires with
a single package, I opted to use the whole package. It does start easily with a
match or a lighter and doesn’t flare up like charcoal starter or other readily
flammable types of firestarters. It comes in a fairly rugged package that still
manages to be easily opened by hand. A pile of the Instafire mixture was dumped
in my hand and then added to the wood in my fire pit. With a quick flick of my
Bic, I had a decent flame going right away.
It also
burns really hot!
Advantages of Instafire:
!. It’s very safe to handle
(non-toxic) and doesn’t impart fumes to items being cooked over the fire.
2. It lights easily with a
match or lighter. These are the two most common means of starting a fire used
by most people on a regular basis in most circumstances.
3. It works well for
starting charcoal without the usual fumes from charcoal starter or ashes
blowing in the wind from using newspaper.
3. It burns extremely hot
and handles large chunks of damp wood with ease.
Disadvantages of Instafire:
!. It can be a little pricey
but is available in larger containers to reduce the cost.
2. Although the package
stated you could start several fires with a single package, it’s difficult to
gauge how much is needed when your wood is wet or damp.
Instafire worked really well
to get my fire started. It had no problem with getting my damp wood chunks burning.
In less than thirty minutes, we had a decent fire. I probably wouldn’t use it
on a regular basis but having some handy in case your firewood is wet or damp
couldn’t hurt. It can also help if you have someone that has a low tolerance
for some of the other types of chemical firestarters.
Got firestarter?
Staying above the water
line!
Riverwalker
Posts
4 comments:
Some years back, military fire tabs (Trioxane) was available for a pretty inexpensive price (10 boxes for $10 - 3 bars per box) and I bought quite a bit of it for my BBQ fire starter and folding stove fuel. The fuel part is okay for heating liquids, not so much for real cooking but the BBQ fire wood starter, it is pretty awesome. I can quarter each bar for a starter that lasts about 3 minutes. With a reasonable amount of tinder, it works well forstarting the rest of the wood.
I've also had good luck with the compressed wood looking Couglan's fire sticks.
How about storage? How long can you keep it on a shelf in its original container?
Is it banned from airplanes?
Grace and peace.
To: anonymous 12:15
Instafire contains compressed wood pellets that help to fuel the fire.
RW
To: Pumice
As long as the original package isn't torn or damaged in some way that would allow moisture to enter the packet, it should store for an indefinite period of time.
It is flammable and lights easily with a flame or spark and I would advise against attempting to carry it on an airplane under current restrictions. Much easier to purchase fire starters after you reach your destination.
RW
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