4 Unexpected Natural Fire Starters for Your Campfire

Quick answer: four easy-to-find fire starters are pine cones, pampas grass, towel lint and dry conifer leaves.

Anyone who camps has seen a fire steel in action, and many of us have struggled to light a fire ourselves. The start is the hardest part of building a campfire, and a good fire starter makes it much easier. Here are four everyday items that work better than you might expect.

1. Pine cones

Pine cones are a popular indoor decoration, but they are also full of resin. Once lit they burn fiercely, which makes them an ideal fire starter. If you see some on the trail, collect them.

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2. Pampas grass

Another autumn staple, pampas grass lights on the same principle as the feather sticks campers carve from firewood. The fluffy seed heads catch easily from a fire steel. They burn fast, though, so gather plenty.

3. Towel lint

Nishizome-ko, a towel dyeing and finishing company in Imabari, Ehime, recently launched a recycled fire starter called “Imabari no Hokori” (Imabari Dust). It repurposes waste cotton lint, which is highly flammable. One 40 g can is sold, and every 10 g burns for roughly 4 to 5 minutes. It is popular with Japanese campers.

4. Dry leaves

Dead leaves are everywhere at forest campsites. As long as they are dry enough, even broadleaf leaves can be used, but conifer needles are the best choice because they ignite more easily and burn more efficiently.

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Fire safety

With a little attention, everyday life is full of useful small tools. Campers love a good fire, but always follow fire safety rules and prepare a way to put the fire out before you light it. Enjoy your campfire!