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    Home made starters

    Posts: 53
    edited May 2014 in EggHead Forum
    So I learned this trick for camping a while ago. If you stick a handful of cottonballs in a tub of petroleum jelly and let it soak in, you have great home made fire starters. (In a sealed container no less!) My question is, is this a viable substitute for the startercubes or would there be a concern when burning the petroleum in the egg?
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    Comments

    • Posts: 491
      I would just use crisco and not worry about it.
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    • Posts: 8,364
      edited May 2014

      Buy those individual packs of potato chips for kindling and egg startups.  Fritos and Doritos work great in a pinch.  

      Brandon
      Quad Cities
      "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

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    • Posts: 53
      I get its unorthodox and I appreciate the input. I meant more along the lines of I have a boatload of these and wanted to make sure they would be egg-safe
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    • Posts: 529
      Just buy a propane torch and be done.
      middle of nowhere- G.I. NE
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    • Posts: 93
      The word "petroleum" just doesn't seem to settle with me when also talking about "egging" and "food" and "natural lump".   I don't deny it's a good fire starter.  So is charcoal lighter fluid.  I'm sure it's egg safe, but is it flavor safe and/or food safe?  I honestly don't know so I will stick with a chimney starter and paper or parrafin starter square.....
      Is it done yet? Is it done yet?
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    • Posts: 3,567
      +1 with what @lemonade‌ said. Petroleum seems like such a nasty word when it comes to food. I have have no idea about your question. I just couldn't do it. I can't even put Vaseline on cracked lips.
      Steven
      Mini Max with Woo stone combo, LBGE, iGrill 2, Plate Setter, 
      two cotton pot holders to handle PS
      Banner, Wyoming
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    • Posts: 53
      @Lemonade, if you are concerned about petroleum derivatives I would recommend you stop using the paraffin cubes as they are derived from petroleum as well.  Some other names petroleum jelly (a.k.a. Vaseline) is known by are Soft White paraffin, Liquid Paraffin and Petrolatum.   I have looked up the MSDS for any variation of Vaseline/Petroleum Jelly and the only hazard I can find is carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide when burned.  As for taste/scent I guess I will just have to test this out on my old grill I have been meaning to send to the big ol’ grill farm in the sky.
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    • Posts: 2,061
      Try this. Take a cardboard egg carton and fill ithe cups with dryer lint. Melt your used candle wax and poor over the dryer lint. When it hardens you have instant fire starters. Tear off what you need from the carton and go. My wife learned this in Girl Scouts when she was a kid.
      Mark Annville, PA
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    • Posts: 53
      That's a pretty neat trick cortguitarman!  When I first started camping minimalist style lint in a TP roll was my go to in a pinch along with the Dakota Fire Hole. (Same concept as an egg)
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    • Posts: 10,490
      Here is another alternative:



      Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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