Awesome Fires

Did you know that a pencil sharpener can help you start a fire? John from Woodsbound Outdoors shows us how a the right kind of metal sharpener can provide magnesium to spark a fire and shave wood from branches for tinder. As a bonus, the leftover sticks have a sharpened tip you can use for hunting.

This compact version of the Solo Stove is designed for tabletop outdoor use. It burns small pieces of wood or pellets and is great for warmth on chilly days or roasting marshmallows. An optional deflector helps direct heat where you need it. It comes in a 5.1″ diameter model and a 7″ diameter Mesa XL version, both in various colors.

Start a warm and cozy campfire in seconds with Ignik’s propane-fueled portable Firecan. Designed like an ammo box, it cranks out up to 38,000 BTU of heat from a standard propane canister. Collapsible legs get it up off the ground for safety and to help prevent forest fires. A portable Gas Growler fuel canister is also available.

Tired of struggling to get your grill or fire pit started? The RocketFire attaches to a small bottle of propane or MAP gas and converts it into a rapid firestarter. The 17″ long stainless steel wand has a tri-flame cone tip that starts fires quickly with its focused flame and up to 2000ºF of heat.

Nico Vuignier and Jules Guarneri’s night skiing film is a visual masterpiece. It features amazing imagery which appear to be entirely lit by the orange glow of flares. It was shot without CGI, and looks like it was quite the shoot. (Thanks David!)

Germany’s IFEX Technologies makes this incredible tool for firefighters, which can smother an inferno in the blink of an eye. It uses compressed air to discharge water or a water/foam combo at speeds up to 400 km/h (~249 mph), making quick work of fires.

These ingenious, ignitable sticks combine a match and kindling in one. Each stick lights up like a match, then burns for up to 10 minutes to help you start campfires, fire pits, fireplaces, and get charcoal grills going without lighter fluid. Packed 40 per box.

It starts out as beautifully as most time-lapse nature footage does, but a couple of minutes in to Matt Johnson’s imagery of majestic Colorado, the fury of forest fires engulfs part of his frame. It’s at once both mesmerizing and haunting.

Sometimes you can’t get your campfire going. Here’s one way to turn smoldering embers into a massive bonfire in seconds. It might disturb the peace, and make everything smell like exhaust, but the end result is impressive.