DIY Campfire Starter
We probably don’t get to enjoy as many campfires as most campers but I like to be ready, just in case. In the past, Fred relied on old newspapers. The problem is we don’t often have newspapers laying around the motorhome. So, I will make up several of these campfire starters – descriptions follow.
You’ll need a cardboard, not plastic, egg carton, a pile of drier lint, paraffin wax (available at grocery and hardware stores), a saucepan, a jar (such as an old jelly jar) or something to melt the paraffin wax in, cookie tray, hot mitts, and a spoon.
Stuff each compartment of the egg carton with as much drier lint as it will hold. Place the filled carton on the cookie sheet.
Put the jar with paraffin wax in it into your saucepan and fill the saucepan about half-way up the sides of that jar with water. (Don’t add to much water or the jar will float and you’ll have melted wax in the saucepan.) Put the saucepan on a medium high heat and bring the water to a boil. Keep an eye on it for safety sake. The paraffin wax will melt and become liquid.
When paraffin is completely liquid, and using hot mutts, careful lift the jar out of the saucepan and bring to the lint stuffed egg carton. Using a spoon (I find an old table or soup spoon works well) and care, put enough melted paraffin wax to thoroughly soak each “egg” of lint. With the cookie sheet underneath the egg carton you won’t have to worry about spills and whatever.
Once all the “eggs” are soaked, set the cookie sheet and egg carton some place where the wax can set and get nice and hard again.
When it is time to use, tear off some “eggs”, pile kindling on top, put a lighted match to the eggs, and have your marshmallows at the ready.
