How to Assemble and Use Your Stove

What’s the best way to use the Favorite Fire-Starting Kit?

The kit includes a ferro rod from Light My Fire. It’s made with recycled coconut shells, has a whistle in the handle, and is generally very cool.

Here’s how to use it. There are two parts, the rod and the striker. Each has a handle with a cupped spot for your thumbs. Hold the rod in one hand and the striker in another. Put the striker metal at a 45-degree angle to the rod, at the end close to your body. Push down a bit, and scrape the metal along the rod. If you didn’t make a spark, push a little harder and scrape faster. Sparks should shoot out. Practice for a minute, and try not to burn down your house. Once you get it, you’ll be able to shoot sparks several inches with little effort.

Also in the kit is an Altoids-type tin filled with cotton balls that we have rolled in petroleum jelly. There are 20 cotton balls in the tin, plenty for a long backpacking trip or a summer’s worth of shorter adventures. If you’re just going out for a night, you will only need a few of them, plus the ferro rod. And once you’ve pulled out a few cotton balls, you’ll find that the ferro rod fits into the tin (yes, the ferro rod still works after it gets some petroleum jelly on it).

Here’s how to use the cotton balls. Grab a ball and pull it apart, so there are lots of threads to catch a spark. Put the cotton ball inside the stove, with some of the threads sticking out the front. Add a handful of dry twigs on top. Using the ferro rod, throw sparks at the cotton ball. It should catch very quickly. Once the cotton ball is ignited, push it fully into the stove. Add more fuel as necessary. That’s it!