A DIY Pinecone Project That'll Help You Easily Start A Campfire

Campfires are at the center of every camping adventure. Whether it be for providing heat and light or cooking tasty campfire meals, no overnight trip outdoors is complete without a fire. However, at times, building a perfect campfire can be a bit of a challenge. More often than not, lighting the fire is at the root of the problem. Luckily, there is a DIY pinecone project that'll help you easily start a campfire under almost any conditions.

While there are a number of hacks for starting campfires, utilizing a natural material such as pine cones has several advantages. For one, pine cones are readily available in any area that has pine trees. Secondly, pine cones are safe to use for campfires, as well as indoor camp stoves and fireplaces. Additionally, they light quickly, burn well, and can double as kindling as you build your fire. Although it is possible to utilize pine cones as fire starters in their natural form, there are a couple of ways to prep them that will enhance their fire starting ability without altering their natural form.

The first step for preparing pine cones for use as fire starters is to gather up some dried pine cones. It is important that the pine cones be completely dry. If they are not, dry them by placing them on a lined cookie sheet in the oven. About an hour on the lowest setting should do the trick. Next, gather the necessary supplies. Depending which method you go with, these supplies would include beeswax, such as EricX Light Beeswax Bars, or cooking oil and string, wire, or candle wick.

If you are using beeswax, melt it in a pot or double boiler. Then, either hook the wire or tie a string to the pine cone so it can be dipped in the hot wax. Alternatively, you can also use a candle wick, which can be used to light the pine cone later, instead. Once the cone is attached, dip it in the wax so that it ends up with a light wax coating. Set the wet cone on a drying rack, aluminum foil, or parchment paper to dry. If you prefer, you can use the same process to dip the cones in vegetable oil instead. Vegetable oil is particularly handy as a substitute if you are attempting to make these fire starters while camping.

When it comes time to build a fire, place the treated pine cone in a pile of kindling. Be sure to leave either the wick or tip of the wax-covered cone exposed so it can be lit. Once the kindling is lit, add progressively larger sticks and limbs to build up the fire. You can also pitch in another treated pine cone if more flame is needed to help larger logs catch fire.