# Instafire...what do you think?



## Moby76065 (Jul 31, 2012)

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/insta-fire/#buynow

I live in a regular neighborhood. Houses all around etc. Not much kindling around here. I keep about a cord of fire wood out back for winter and probably should at least have 3 cords but in Texas we don't get snow usually and last year I hardly used wood at all.

I'm thinking a power loss from an ice storm or some such issue and using this stuff as kindling to get wood burning. You can even cook on this stuff indoors. I'd use it in the fire place but they claim 2 cups of Instafire will burn for 30 min and no CO.

$60 for a 5 gallon bucket (20 lbs.)


----------



## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

cotton balls soaked in melted vaseline works
as do laundry lint placed in paper egg carton segments and then covered with melted wax.
same with pine cones covered with melted wax.

they all work as fire starters


----------



## Moby76065 (Jul 31, 2012)

Yes but all of those need kindling.
That's my concern. No pine cones around here.
I need a good 30 minuet burn time to light logs.
This stuff just seems like a good prep to keep on hand.
Good for 30 years.


----------



## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

*shrugs* then skip the pine cones yea? and if you have firewood you have kindling. try the cottonballs and vaselene
as a matter of fact, you can take a styrofoam cup and old gas and make napalm. spread it on wood and light it. it'll burn lol


----------



## Moby76065 (Jul 31, 2012)

Genevieve said:


> *shrugs* then skip the pine cones yea? and if you have firewood you have kindling.


I suppose your right, if I break out the hatchet and reduce logs to kindling that solves that issue. I do keep cotton balls in vasoline in my BOB.
Never thought about the foam cups and old gas. That will surely burn fast.
Still, I think I'll drop the three twenties and keep 20 lbs of the Instafire on hand. Seems a good addition. Plus.....you know guys, we love new toys, but if their fire! Whoa!!!!


----------



## lanahi (Jun 22, 2009)

Dry corn cobs burn well too. If you eat corn on the cob, save the cobs for fire starter. They burn hot and quite long.
Newspaper logs work well and are easy to make and can be picked up for free.
I have looked at Instafire but have not tried it. It seems like a good idea except it is not replaceable during SHTF. Still, it is good to keep on hand if it actually works well. I'd be interested in hearing about it from someone who has tried it.


----------



## hillobeans (May 17, 2012)

Please keep us informed, Moby76065. I'd love to know if it's all it's cracked up to be.


----------



## Hispoptart (Sep 19, 2012)

That link just shows a 4 gal bucket for 70 bucks 14 lbs, a 2 gallon for 40 and some bags of it. Did you find it cheaper in 5 gals somewhere eles?


----------



## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Genevieve said:


> cotton balls soaked in melted vaseline works
> as do laundry lint placed in paper egg carton segments and then covered with melted wax.


Paper towel and toilet paper tubes stuffed with dryer lint provide a fairly long, hot firestarter also.


----------



## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

Do not put the gas in a foam cup. It will eat right through it. We were doing the boyscout petroleum fire enhancing method and had to toss the whole cup on at one time because it was eating eh cup so fast. Everyone lived.

I just did a test and poured a little lamp oil on some split pieces in the wood stove and lit without any kindling and it is a roaring fire now. Just keep the door open and the damper and allow the air to flow to get it going good.


----------



## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

Moby, what are you going to do when you run out of firestarters? You need to find something that is renewable that you can make yourself.


----------



## Ezmerelda (Oct 17, 2010)

kejmack said:


> Moby, what are you going to do when you run out of firestarters? You need to find something that is renewable that you can make yourself.


Which statement begs the question: Do you know how to make Vaseline? And unless you live in the south, cotton is a finite resource. So is wax unless you happen to keep bees or have acres to devote to candleberry bushes (and a lot of time on your hands for rendering the berries). Tallow would work, if you keep cows. Dryer lint is only available as long as the dryer works and there's energy to run it.

Renewable is a relative term. Every individual will have to decide for himself what will work in his specific circumstances.


----------



## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

wood its self makes good kindling, just chop it small enough, do a search on feather sticks , they work well , and as long as you have wood for fuel they are renewable


----------

