cam fires. ???????????? starting and puting out discusoions

[Idragon]

We make fire starters for our Scout Troop as follows:
Plastic Straws (biggest diameter you can source up)
Cotton Balls
Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline)
Cut sections of Straw 1 - 2"
Pinch end tight with needle nose (Leatherman) / Seal end with lighter (stove top, whatever)
Coat cotton balls in Vaseline and stuff into straw container you just made.
Pinch with pliers again and seal closed with lighter.
Wash off any Vaseline you got on the outside and fill any container (I use Altoid tins) with fire starters.
Simply open and light, Flint and Steel will work, but matches do to. Will burn for a suprisingly long time are waterproof, small and the method is versatile. You can use the same tech for meds, spices, matches etc.

[stephent]

I use dryer lint and wax or Vaseline or toilet paper tubes cut in half stuffed with crumpled paper or dryer lint and dipped in wax and store them in zipolock bags..Light easy and last long enuff to start some wet carefully picked wood..
I also found the pressed sawdust heating "bricks" (they sell usually where ever they sell the wood pellets) start really easy. I use a handful of dry sticks and a piece of paper about the size of 2 playing cards and it's usually off in just a minute or two..And burn for hours. 3-4 would make supper and plenty to toast...or torch..enough s'mores to feed a tribe and still make a warm fire to spit in or keep the coiffee pot warm or tell tales around till bedtime. But the pressed sawdust burns hot..last far far longer then a 5 buck bare armload of wood...and costs way less...it has no binders or additives in it....just pressed under 24,000 psi.. it's rated to cook over and is legal to transport from place to place or state to state..And smells just like a good oak and hickory fire...makes little smoke actually. It's now my "go to wood". for the state or federal parks..A feller would have to like bonfires to burn much more then a package of 6 bricks a day..about $3.50 worth. Compact and store easily...weight is one consideration since they ain't lightweights..21 pds a bag of 6 or so.