Comments on: How to Start a Cozy Fireplace Fire

By: Jack

Jack — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 02:12:57 +0000

Looks improbable until you try it. Then it’s the only way you will want to do it. Amazing!

By: James Stride

James Stride — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 13:40:40 +0000

Dude! Being in November in the North of India in the Himalayas having no idea on how to start a fire BUT having an indian Netstick 3G + Macbook pro + This article = ass smoothly saved, technology meets nature, awesome.

By: Knucklehead

Knucklehead — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:14:16 +0000

This an old post and it is unlikely anyone will ever see this belated comment. Nonetheless, here goes… I am a devotee of the “reverse stack” for wood fires. I spent years fighting with that “tinder on the bottom” nonsense. But I’ve developed an additional refinement that allows me to spend even more time sitting back and enjoying the fire. I keep a cookie tin (or coffee can) of charcoal briquettes soaked lightly with citronella oil. Put one, or two if you prefer, near the top of your stack right under the kindling. Put a match to the briquette and then sit back and enjoy your fire. No need for any further work such as more bundled paper, more lighting, pumping the bellows or your lungs… just sit back and enjoy.

By: Carter

Carter — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 19:52:26 +0000

This post proves again that you can always learn something new even if you think you know a lot about the topic being discussed.

I have never seen the ‘upside down’ fire technique and can’t wait to try it.

Thanks, fire starting is definitely one of the top man skills to master.

By: Miles

Miles — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:06:24 +0000

is there any greater contribution to a home? this season is granting ample opportunity to enjoy a fireside dogpile for families here in CA… mornings and evenings aren’t the same with the illuminating glow of this elemental gift from ye gods! great piece!

By: P.M.Lawrence

P.M.Lawrence — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:44:21 +0000

This comment didn’t work the other day:-

Brett, you might want to try rum and cocoa, an analogue of Irish coffee as used by the Royal Navy, e.g. in the Arctic convoys. Apparently shipwreck survivors did better against exposure if they had recently had some. Here are a couple of sites describing one of its variants: http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Beverage/Chocolate/recipe.html?dishid=7980 and http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/2440/hot-cocoa-with-rum.

I believe the Navy recipe used high quality cooking chocolate grated into a little simmering water, maybe with a little Oxford marmalade or similar in the water to give it an edge, then stirring in condensed milk while still simmering and white or dark rum as preferred once it was off the boil; all quantities according to taste (apocryphal, i.e. I heard it somewhere and don’t remember when or where).

I find I get a good hot chocolate by blending a third of a mug of full cream milk powder and four teaspoons of Nestlé’s Alpine Blend drinking chocolate, then thoroughly stirring in boiling water (first half way, then stirring to get rid of lumps, then filling all the way and rubbing the teaspoon against the inside of the mug between stirs to dissolve the last of it). I haven’t tried that with added alcohol, though.

By: Gary V

Gary V — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 09:37:55 +0000

I love the Silver Fox’s videos on You Tube. I think wilderness survival / self reliance is very much a “manly” thing.

By: W

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 07:47:26 +0000

Seems very inefficient

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:47:44 +0000

@Brett
Just to pile on (in good humor, I assure you), aren’t you wimping out a bit putting your top premium liquor on the rocks? The cold dulls the subtleties of the liquor, making the drink very one-dimensional. If you don’t like the burn of the alcohol in a “neat” drink, I recommend cutting it with a bit of cool, not cold, water, which allows you to get past the alcohol and taste the nuanced layers in a good Bourbon or Scotch. Adding ice is kind of like shaking a martini, if you ask me…

Just make the hot chocolate yourself (i.e. no Swiss Miss), and a good hot chocolate can be as manly as any liquor.

By: Rick

Rick — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:28:10 +0000

+1 on priming the flue! I learned that lesson the hard way. I’ve also learned that less is more when using a gas starter pipe. The gas consumes a lot of the oxygen flowing into the fireplace, leaving less for the wood. As soon as the kindling lights turn off the gas and watch it go.