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Posts: 539 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Just curious
    Posted: 09 Oct 2011 at 10:23pm
Originally posted by iamsmonk

The self-starting charcoal is a good idea, i've seen it done many times at the campground.  But I personally cannot stand the smell of the built in lighter fluid. 
 
 
Yeah, thank goodness that smell doesn't last.  If you start cooking before that smell is gone, your steak will taste like lighter fluid!  My husband learned that lesson the hard way.
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Posts: 114 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Oct 2011 at 10:16pm
The self-starting charcoal is a good idea, i've seen it done many times at the campground.  But I personally cannot stand the smell of the built in lighter fluid. 
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Posts: 539 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Oct 2011 at 9:11pm
I use the same type of starter log as David.  But to tell you the truth the very best fires I've ever lit when camping is when I've used a small pile of self-starting charcoal for the bottom of the fire, then piled on kindling and small logs.  The charcoal gives the fire a really good red-hot bottom which is really great for roasting marshmallows.  And of course, if the charcoal is safe for your steak, it's gotta be safe for marshmallows!
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Posts: 704 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Oct 2011 at 8:29am
We've used 100% compressed sawdust "bricks" in the past.  The only disadvantage is that they must be kept completely dry. If they get wet the sawdust expands and the bricks disintegrate back into sawdust. 

I guess this is what the wax in the other types of artificial log prevents.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Oct 2011 at 5:04am
Originally posted by iamsmonk

I make my own fire starters...that way I know exactly what's in them.
I buy eggs in the cardboard/paper cartons, not the styrofoam ones. 
I do lots of wood working so I have LOTS of saw dust.  I sweep every so often and empty my saw bag into a bucket.  Once a year, usually in the winter, I fill the egg carton bottoms with saw dust then pour melted wax slowly into each 'cup'.  Once the wax has cooled I take a razor and cut apart the cups.  Each 'cup' makes a perfect fire starter.  I place it in the middle of the fire pit, build up the wood from twigs to the logs.  One match on the fire starter and I have a blazing fire in no time.  Now that's a cheap fire starter!  Some people make these with dryer lint, but I prefer the saw dust.
 
Cool stuff!  
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Posts: 114 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Oct 2011 at 12:20am
I make my own fire starters...that way I know exactly what's in them.
I buy eggs in the cardboard/paper cartons, not the styrofoam ones. 
I do lots of wood working so I have LOTS of saw dust.  I sweep every so often and empty my saw bag into a bucket.  Once a year, usually in the winter, I fill the egg carton bottoms with saw dust then pour melted wax slowly into each 'cup'.  Once the wax has cooled I take a razor and cut apart the cups.  Each 'cup' makes a perfect fire starter.  I place it in the middle of the fire pit, build up the wood from twigs to the logs.  One match on the fire starter and I have a blazing fire in no time.  Now that's a cheap fire starter!  Some people make these with dryer lint, but I prefer the saw dust.
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Oct 2011 at 8:49pm
We heat the house with a woodstove.. we use these in the early late season to start fires, 1/4 is all you need.. (from mid-November to end of February, the stove doesn't go out on purpose)

http://www.supercedar.com/

I put a few in the camper just in case I am in a hurry, usually just start a fire the boyscout way..

But a while back I noticed those logs and thought they might be kind of cool for the campground.. may get some for next trip..
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Oct 2011 at 8:02pm
Originally posted by techntrek

I use the same ones as David to light my fires, but I only use 1/4 of a "brick".  If anyone knows what the brand name is of the "all sawdust" logs, let us know.  I personally won't try them at home since I burn 4 cord of real logs every winter, but it might be worthwhile to stash a few of these in the pod.
 
Hmmmm.....I'll give 1/4 of a brick a try.  I could then get 160 campfires out of a box!  I thought I was being frugal using 1/2 brick. LOL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Oct 2011 at 7:58pm
Originally posted by this_is_nascar

Nothing beats real wood for the fire, especially if you're cooking with it. 
Agree with you about cooking with wood. I always do, unless the weather is just too bad.
  I'd bet that most of those fake-log products do have some type of oil or excellerent in them, something I'd not want mixing with my food.
Yep, me too.  I can taste it in the food even if my "starter brick" hasn't completely burned.  That's why the ones on the TV show caught my attention.  Apparently they are 100% sawdust that is compressed under very high pressure - so high that the stuff "fuses" together.
 
I also agree with Tech, I may not use them 100% of the time, but it would be nice to carry a few - when wood is not handy or I'm too tired to go get it or it's too late, etc.   
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Posts: 466 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Oct 2011 at 2:27pm
Nothing beats real wood for the fire, especially if you're cooking with it.  I'd bet that most of those fake-log products do have some type of oil or excellerent in them, something I'd not want mixing with my food.
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