DIY Fire Starter Paste

I’ve read lots of posts and ideas about DIY fire starter aids. I’ve tried most of them: the Vaseline cotton balls, dryer lint, paraffin coated pine cones, bulk alcohol-based hand sanitizer from WM, DIY gel formulas based on both soy wax and calcium acetate. But none really satisfied my needs.

We use a wood stove for primary heat in winter. I’ve been trying to find a better solution for easy fire starting every morning; better than the tedious finger-endangering method of keeping a large stock of finely split tinder sticks on hand. The bleary-eyed struggle with a reluctant fire before dawn every frigid morning gets old fast.

And I finally found a solution that is working great for me! The formula is simple, but I've not seen it elsewhere.

Melt some paraffin wax and add kerosene to the melt. Add kerosene to end up with a ratio of 15% paraffin and 85% kerosene. (Be sure to add the kerosene to the paraffin and not the other way around.) You end up with a soft paste wax at room temperature. If the mix sits on the back porch in winter, it becomes a bit stiffer paste wax that’s still easy to scoop out with a stick. I quickly made up enough to 3/4 fill a 5-gallon plastic pail. I scoop some of that into a #10 can to bring into the house for a moment just to get a fire going. I keep both on the back porch next to the fire wood stack.

I start a fire every morning now with about ¼ to 1/3 a cup of the stuff (total) smeared on a couple of pieces of thick kindling, and a bit more smeared on a scrap of paper that I sit between those two stick. A few more sticks of coarse kindling on top of those. With two minutes of work I have a full blaze that never fails to start quickly.

The advantages of this formula are:
1. Its inexpensive.
2. Safer because it will not spill.
3. Safer because it does not flash-ignite.
4. 50% more BTU content than same weight of alcohol.
5. Safer than alcohol-based starters which can make invisible flames.
6. It’s a great use for candle butts and drips
7. Easy to make and store.
8. No odor or smoke when burned.
9. And it is inexpensive!

About the only disadvantage is the need to keep the mix off clothes and hands because my wife hates the kerosene smell.

I thought maybe somebody else might find it useful.

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DIY Fire Starter Paste