Kindling & Twigs: How to Build a Fire

"Hey! My name is Dan and I’m here for Expert Village. Today we’re going to talk about kindling, where to get it, and how to use it. There are several different types of kindling. Plain printer paper or newspaper works great, lint from your dryer. With lint, you want to be careful to stay away from having washed synthetic garments like fleeces, because then you’ll be burning petroleum products and it gives off a thick black smoke and a strong odor. You also want to be careful of hairs, because they smell as well. Birch bark is an excellent fire starter. In certain areas, it’s hard to come by since there are no Birch trees. You also want to be careful not to stripe too much bark off of a tree, because you may kill it. Small twigs are also an excellent fire starter, however sometimes it’s hard to get a fire going with just the twigs. You can use any of all of these together in conjunction with one another. This is pretty much the base of building a campfire."