Family Camping
COME ON, BABY, LIGHT MY FIRE. PHOTO: KAYDI PYETTE
Magic Muffins
Campgrounds often sell a similar fire starter for $5 a pop, but you can make these almost free of charge just using supplies from around your house and yard. Because this project involves using a stove and hot wax, parents should help kids.
YOU’LL NEED: Paper muffin cups Wax scraps from old candles Mix of wood chips and wood shavings Medium-sized cook pot Tin can
[ LITTLE EXPLORERS ]
MAKE YOUR OWN CHEAP AND SIMPLE FIRE STARTERS
DIY PYROTECHNICS
While nothing beats starting a fire with just the local flora and quality bushcraft knowledge, sometimes a little help is nice—especially in the rain. Try these inexpensive and easy-to-make fire starters before your next camping trip to get crack- ling, whatever the weather.
Fire Crackers
This simple fire starter recipe reuses materials that would otherwise become household garbage.
YOU’LL NEED: Newspaper Cardboard toilet paper tubes Dryer lint Parcel wrap, or other paper Cotton string
Stuff newsprint into one side of a cardboard tube, using only enough newspaper to fill the first third of the tube. Next, stuff dryer lint into the other side of the tube. Finish by stuffing in more newsprint, effectively creating a newsprint-and-lint Oreo cookie sandwich. Once stuffed, roll the cardboard tube in a
10- by five-inch piece of parcel wrap paper. Twist the overhanging paper ends and tie them closed with cotton string. To keep these homemade fire starters
ready to crackle, store them in a watertight container.
38 | Canoeroots
Start by melting the wax. The most efficient way to do this is by heating the wax over the stove. Fill a cooking pot halfway with water and put the pot on the stove over medium heat. Once the water has come to a boil, put your wax scraps in a clean tin can, and place the can upright in the boiling water. As you melt the wax, set up for the next
step of the project by putting your paper muffin cups into a muffin pan. Once the wax has completely melted you
can remove the tin can from the boiling wa- ter using protective cooking mitts. Switch off the stove—you won’t need heat for the rest of the project. Add your mix of wood shavings and chips
to the melted wax and stir, getting the wood completely coated. Add enough that your mixture is very chunky. Pour the mixture of wax and wood into
the paper muffin cups. You’ll want to leave a bit of paper at the top of each muffin cup, which will allow it to catch fire. Allow your Magic Muffin fire starter to
dry completely before using. At camp, hold a match to the edge of the muffin cup and watch it ignite. —Kaydi Pyette
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64