How to Start Fire from Scratch

One of the first things you need to learn when out in the woods is how to start a fire. You will need a fire to cook your delicious meals or make smores with the family, provide light during the nights, and to warm you up on those chilly nights.

There are numerous ways to make a campfire, here is one way: 

First, you need to gather the necessary items to prepare your campfire.

You will need:

• Tinder
• Kindling
• Fuel
• Firestarter

Tinder

These are small, lightweight pieces of wood that are easy to ignite. Can be small dry sticks, dry leaves, twigs or pine needles. 

Or you can bring your own tinder with you so you won't have to worry about finding the right tinder in nature. Here are some household items that can serve great as tinder:

• newspaper or paper bags
• cotton balls soaked in Vaseline
• steel wool
• potato chips

If you forgot to bring tinder from home and can't find any in nature ( for example, due to rainy weather) you can use a knife to cut wood logs into pieces and shave the inner dry part into very small pieces. You can also use the bark of the tree and peel the wet bark part off and shave the dry inside of the bark to use as tinder.

Kindling

For kindling, you can use small branches, twigs or small sticks. This is used to bridge the flame between the tinder and the fuel. 

Fuel

You will need big pieces of wood to keep the fire going into the night. 

Firestarter

You can use a lighter or matches to light your fire. 

Steps of building a campfire

1. Find a suitable place for your campfire

A lot of times a fire ring is provided for campers If you can't find one, make sure that your campfire is at least 15 ft away from trees, bushes, overhanging branches, and other flammable structures. Now, clear the ground and dig a small hole and surround it with rocks. This is going to be your self-made fire ring.

2. Place your tinder in the center of your fire ring. 

3. Stack your kindling around the tinder in a teepee and light the tinder

4. As the fire burns, add more branches and finally the fuel-firewood. 

5. Don't forget to put out your fire! You pour water on it or cover it with sand or dirt. Make sure the fire is completely out before you leave! 

 Credit: Stephanie d'Otreppe, Andrew Prince and Maggie Starbard/NPR

 

But what can you do if it rains or you can't find enough wood? The answer is Solar-powered camping gear. 

How to start a fire using solar power

It's always useful to know how to start a fire the old-fashioned way, but with all the modern technology, there are easier and more efficient ways to light your fire.

There are several benefits of using solar-powered camping gear. It is affordable, lightweight, waterproof, windproof, and on top of it - it is environmentally friendly!

Here is our pick of solar-powered essentials for your camping trip:

Solar Fire Starter

How do you start a fire if your matches are wet or your lighter breaks? The Solar Fire Starter is the answer! 

You simply put your tinder in the tinder holder in the middle and the curved mirror will reflect sunlight to the tinder. 

It's easy and quick, it only takes a couple seconds to light the tinder!

Get your Solar Fire Starter at our webshop!

 

Solar Powered Chargers

Our BlitzWolf Solar Power Bank is the ultimate solar accessory. This Solar gadget will provide you with electricity to charge your phone or anything that has a USB connection.

It is environmentally friendly and the foldable panels make it easy to store in your backpack. It is also waterproof, so you can use it anytime! It is also a great alternative if it's raining and you can't start a campfire!

Get your BlitzWolf Solar Power Charger at our webshop!

Tip: Pair this charger with our Electric Lighter and you will be able to light fire anytime under any conditions! It's windproof, waterproof, environmentally friendly and a superb investment! You don't have to worry about matches or your lighter running out of fuel anymore! Click here to buy our Electric Lighter! 

 

 

 

 

 

Solar Powered Backpacks

It's time to change your backpack to one of these Solar Powered Backpacks! It has everything a traditional bag has, plus it's waterproof and has a solar panel with USB outlets to charge your phone or your electric lighter! The solar panel is durable and waterproof, so you don't have to be afraid of scratching or breaking it! 

These Solar backpacks are extra-durable, the back and the straps are cushioned making it comfortable to wear during a long hike! They have several compartments to store your clothes, laptop, map, and other hiking/camping gear!

 

Get your Kingsons "Black Ops" 15.6 inch Solar Power Back Pack or your T.C. Nighthawk 35L Backpack with Solar Panel at our webshop! 

Solar Electric Firestarter Bundle

This All-in-One Bundle will enable you to start your fire even when it's windy or wet! The bundle includes a TC Outdoor Waterproof USB Solar Power Bank, a Quick Ignite USB Rechargeable Electric Lighter, a High-Efficiency Water-Resistant Outdoor Solar Panel, and a Solar Firestarter. Whit this bundle, you will be able to light your fire in 2 seconds and never have to worry about refueling! You will be able to cook or signal anytime and anywhere!

Be the most prepared camper and buy our Solar Electric Firestarter Bundle at our webshop!

Here are some other solar powered camping gear that can be useful during your trip outdoor:

Solar Powered Lamp

This Solar Powered Lamp is the best way to light your night during a camping trip. You can charge it during the day and the solar panel will keep the lamp shining throughout the night. You can hang it inside your tent to read or you can hang it outside to enjoy some social time with your friends playing cards or talking the night away!

It is also a great alternative if it's raining and you can't start a campfire!

Get your Solar Powered Lamp at our webshop!

 

Solar Shower

While this may not seem like a necessity, it can be pretty handy, when there are no showers in sight! It's perfect for rinsing off dirt or after a long sweaty hike! 

It's very simple: you just have to place the water bag with its solar panel side up and it will absorb the sunshine to heat your water inside the bag. You just have to hang it up and it's ready to use! This bag offers an easy and environmentally friendly way to heat your water!

Get your 20L / 5 Gallons Solar Energy Heated Shower Bag at our webshop!

 

Final thoughts

Solar camping gear provides you with excellent environmentally-friendly alternatives. You can purchase all the above-mentioned products on our website and as it comes more and more popular, we will update our web shop with other solar equipment, so stay tuned!