Mr. Latimer,
I have read many fire starter “recipes” lately on SurvivalBlog. I have tried a few of them and have had a short-lived flame with which to start a fire. Some lit easier than others, and some burned a little better.
Last year in the spring I bought some Fire Starter logs that were on sale for half price. I took one log out and began cutting small cubes from the end, about the size of sugar cubes. I then wrap each cube in enough dryer lint to cover it completely. Lint adheres pretty well to the cube which is somewhat sticky. The lint allows you to store them together without them sticking to each other.
Purchase small zip baggies measuring 2″ x 3″ from a craft store. They hold 2-4 cubes per bag, and seal shut. These little waterproof baggies are easily carried in a pocket. Adding several matches is also a good idea, although strikers do the job nicely. These little cubes really burn for a long time, which the log starter product is made to do!
One log will make a huge number of these for very little money. I even use these to light logs in the fireplace by placing two or three under the wood about a foot apart.
Sincerely, JLA in Tampa