I Learned I Don’t Know How to Start a Fire

I was never a scout, and my Dad has tried his best to teach me how to light a fire, but I’m no expert. This winter has proven that I can kind of do it, but only inside and under supervision. I need a lot of newspaper and am not great about stacking the kindling or wood to get it going quickly. I’ll be asking my scout friends to give me a primer, and I’ll share that with you in an upcoming post. At least I know how to open the flue damper! Always make sure to check that the damper is open if you’re starting a fire in the fireplace (there’s usually a handle that you can push to open it - essential for letting smoke get up and out of your house).

I’ve used a couple of things to help me get fires going outside of paper products, including the Duraflame logs and fire starters. I thought it was cheating, but it’s just smart if you are fire-inept like me. The ones that we use frequently are the Tumbleweeds from Royal Oak. They’re great, but you need a couple of them to get thicker logs to catch. And I’ve never tested them outdoors, but now I’m curious how fast they’d get a fire going in our Solo Stove.

Speaking of our Solo Stove, the first time I used it, I used Duraflame logs to get it going quickly, and also because I had no actual wood. And OMG - not only did they work, but it looked like I had created a fire vortex or had lit rocket fuel on fire (see photo). I want to say the flames were 8-9 feet tall coming out of that thing. It could singe your eyebrows from 8 feet away. Do not do that.

Another one that I’m curious about and haven’t personally used, are the Black Beard Fire Plugs. They are wind and waterproof, and one of the few things I’ve seen made in the USA lately. Have you used these? What did you think?