When you’re camping outdoors, one scenario you could run into is having to start a fire when it’s wet or windy. This isn’t an ideal condition to start a fire, but fiddling with some candle wax and an egg carton can easily solve this problem – with these “Carton Candles,” you can get a fire going despite the rain and winds. (h/t to BeansBulletsBandagesAndYou.com)

How to make egg carton fire starters

These handy fire starters will be useful when you’re out camping, and you can even include them in your bug-out bag (BOB) so you can stay warm if you ever find yourself in a disaster scenario.

To make your egg carton fire starters, you’ll need:

• An egg carton
• A crock pot
• Old candles
• Some water

Steps:

1. Melt the candle wax. If you’re using an old candle in a jar, place the jar inside a crock pot full of water. After a few minutes on high, the candle will melt inside the jar.
2. Get some gloves and carefully remove the jar from the crock pot.
3. Slowly pour the melted wax into the “cups” in the cardboard egg carton.
4. After the wax dries, cut the cups using a big pair of scissors.

The fire starters were tested in three conditions:

• Using a single match, the dry egg carton fire starter lit up immediately.
• The damp fire starter, which was briefly wetted to simulate humidity or light rainfall, also lit up with just a single match.
• The last test, which involved a soaking wet egg carton fire starter, took some time to catch on fire but it still burned.

Once you light them up, the carton candles will burn for several minutes with a large enough flame that can help you get a good fire going, come rain or shine. These Carton Candles are a good way to recycle egg cartons, and they can last longer than other makeshift fire starters, such as cotton with some petroleum jelly.

Prepare some egg carton fire starters when you’re going camping, and keep a handful in your BOBs so you can make start a fire, which is especially handy if and when SHTF.

Starting a fire with some chocolates and a soda can

Another unique way of starting a fire is with a soda can and a chocolate bar. However, this method will only work if it’s a sunny day.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Let the chocolate melt for a bit. Once you think the chocolate is melted enough, open the package and “polish” the bottom of the soda can with it.
2. The chocolate will act as a polish as you repeatedly wipe it off of the can. You’ll know your done when the can starts shining like a mirror. If you don’t have any chocolate, you can also use some toothpaste. (Related: What’s in YOUR bug out bag? 10 must-have multipurpose survival tools.)
3. Prepare your tinder. To start a fire, you will use the can as a parabolic mirror so the sunlight can reflect off of the bottom of the can to form one focal point, similar to how a mirror telescope works.
4. Aim the bottom of the can towards the sun and direct the highly focused ray of light towards your tinder. Make sure the tinder is about an inch away from the reflecting light’s focal point. The tinder should light up after several seconds.

You can read more articles about handy ways to start a fire at Preparedness.news.

Sources include:

BeansBulletsBandagesAndYou.com

ArtOfManliness.com