Become A Fire Starting Ninja: 10 Easy Ways To Light A Fire In Texas

Since the cold fronts are upon us, it is time to start thinking about how to stay warm. First things first though. Always practice safety when burning a fire in the fireplace or outdoors. Ever since my Cub Scout days, I always check my area thoroughly to make sure there are no flammables nearby.

Again, ALWAYS practice safety first. That stated, starting a fire with little or no fire starters seems to be a common problem for a lot of us. But once you look around your home and garage, and see all the flammable supplies you have, fire starting will be easy.

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I often find myself helping those plagued with no fire-starting skills more often than not. But if you'll do a little gathering and prepping, you too can be a fire-starting ninja.

You're going to need a few things, and you probably won't have to buy much. Most of what we will use is likely already lying around the house, bathroom, garage, and/or the great outdoors.

Here's a list of things to gather that are "Fire Starter Helpers":

1. Lint (that stuff you clean out of your clothes dryer)
2. Hand sanitizer
3. Rubbing alcohol
4. Fingernail polish
5. Vaseline petroleum jelly
6. Empty toilet paper or paper towel spools
7. Tampons
8. Maxi-pad
9. Long strike-anywhere matches
10. Marshmallows, the big ones
11. Twist ties, like what you get off a loaf of bread
12. Dried-up leaves, twigs, pinecones, acorns, pecans, and old wood shavings
13. Paper from a shredder
14. .22 caliber bullets
15. If you don't have bullets, use powdered coffee creamer (it's highly flammable)

As seen in the photos below, you can use these handy fire starters right away or, as I do, store them in zip-lock baggies to keep them handy. The .22 caliber bullet comes in very handy when I'm camping. Be VERY careful extracting the gunpowder.

Keep in mind that fire is like a child; you've got to keep an eye on it at all times. As I stated above, PLEASE use extreme caution. Never start a fire you can't stay and observe. Stay warm.