Pine needles for firestarter?

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myzamboni

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
May 22, 2007
1,071
Silicon Valley
My neighbor across the street has a HUGE pine tree. It is a double-trunk (main trunk splits into 2 trunks about 10 feet off the ground). The main trunk is about 7-8 foot and the doubles coming off are 4-5. This thing drops a 5 gallon bucket of needles twice a week, so I obviously started thinking "Wow, a handful of that with some paper and splits and I've got an easy-start fire"

So, where is the flaw in my idea (because I know it is too convenient to be a sure thing)?
 
Other than a little bit of a mess (handling them with the pitch), and possibly some storage issues - dampness, critters, etc. I wouldn't think it would be a problem. Just keep an eye on it, and don't have a huge pile in there to start, since they can really flare up.
 
I was thinking of keeping them in a metal can in the yard. Cover the can come rainy season. To avoid the pitch I would use a piece of newspaper to grab the handful needed and put the needle/paper combo in the stove.
 
I use pine needles all the time when camping as a fire starter just dont do it here as I have a pile of pine fat wood. If you let the needles dry out some the pitch really isnt bad. ( At least with ponderosa and sugar pine ) But be carefull they burn like a blow torch.
 
My only concern is that pine needles burn so fast I'm not sure they'd have enough time to get the rest of the fire going before they burn out.

What I use for "starter stuff" is all the bark and wood chips that I rake up from around my splitting area. I rake up once or twice a year and store it in a garbage can - cleans up the area and gives me plenty of starter material. I use a sheet of newspaper, and a couple fist fulls of "stuff" under some of my smaller splits and I'm going full blast in just a few minutes.

Gooserider
 
Goose-

I have kindling and 'starter stuff' akin to yours, but I'm seeing another source that is currently going to our waste processing facility (and I dont' know if they are throwing the needles into the composting generation area). It might be more trouble than its worth, but I figured I would start with the right question before I even started collecting the needles.

Thanks,
Tom
 
myzamboni said:
Goose-

I have kindling and 'starter stuff' akin to yours, but I'm seeing another source that is currently going to our waste processing facility (and I dont' know if they are throwing the needles into the composting generation area). It might be more trouble than its worth, but I figured I would start with the right question before I even started collecting the needles.

Thanks,
Tom

Not saying it wouldn't work, I haven't tried it and indeed it might work well, just pointing out the possible problem. However if you are using bark and chip starter like I am, then I'd think the pine needles should work to get that going.

Gooserider
 
I have found the wax cardboard boxes the vegetable's come in are for the best firestarters.
 
johnsopi said:
I have found the wax cardboard boxes the vegetable's come in are for the best firestarters.

funny you mention this as I thought about them this morning while breaking down regular cardboard boxes.
 
johnsopi said:
I have found the wax cardboard boxes the vegetable's come in are for the best firestarters.

Are you trying to impersonate DYLAN???

Gooserider
 
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