by Todd Walker
Fire is life out there!
In fact, it’s so important I carry at least three emergency fire starters with me on wilderness adventures. I’ve made my own DiY starters in the past from waxed jute twine, char cloth, cotton balls and petroleum jelly, and dryer lint and wax. In a true survival situation, having the ability to start and sustain a fire is crucial. This component of survival skills should be practiced by all who venture into the great outdoors.
Even if you’ve never started a fire in a barbecue grill, you could start a campfire with this amazing product. First off, InstaFire is an all natural fire starter made from volcanic rock and other natural ingredient, mixed with wood pellets and then sealed with food grade paraffin wax.
I was contacted by the CEO of Inst-Fire, Inc., Konel Banner, who sent me two packets of InstaFire to try. As our regular readers already know, I don’t advertise on our blog and receive no compensation for reviews. If I review a preparedness product or piece of self-reliance gear, I’ll gladly recommend it if I think it would add value to our journey together. If not, I’m tell you the truth and move on.
Trading Theory for ACTION!
I’ve heard and read a lot of hype about many preparedness products flooding the market today. I’m afraid some products don’t live up to their epic claims. Marketing shapes and bends consumer choices without real world testing in some cases. I finally got some dirt time scheduled to give InstaFire a whirl.
Here’s what I found…
It Burns On Water
No commercially made fire starter I’ve tried matches the ease of use and combustibility of InstaFire! No need to prep the material – just pour and light.
For my first test, I poured a small amount in the edge of the creek near my personal space. It floated atop the water with only a few pieces drifting down stream. I wasn’t concerned about chemicals contaminating the water since the product is human and environment friendly. You can safely store it inside your home or next to your food in your Bug Out Bag or backpack. When lit, it reaches almost 1,000º with no noxious fumes or odor.
The floating pile of InstaFire took a spark from my Fat Ferro Rod… instantly.
Fire on the water!
A lighter or match also works. It would probably be more difficult to light with a flint and steel striker – but judging the results of my ferro rod test, it should catch. There was no snow or high wind in Georgia for my test. However, the floating flame convinced me of its usefulness.
Lightly stir to continue the burn.
The flame began to die down in 5 minutes. I lightly stirred the burning pile and the flame burned another 5 minutes or so on the water. And this was with about a quarter of the contents from the InstaFire mylar bag (1.75 oz size). While burning atop creek water has no practical survival use for us, it demonstrates its combustibility in wet conditions. When you’re wet and cold, a pile of InstaFire would be a great fire extender to dry kindling for your next fire.
Next, I built a log cabin fire lay with another 1/4 serving from the bag on a damp fire ring next to the creek.
Obviously, you’ve got to do your part in gathering the wood. It’s not a blow torch! I used a dead fall poplar limb which made a crisp snap when broken. Kindling included pencil-lead-size twigs, pencil-size, and thumb-size at the ready when the InstaFire took another spark from the ferro rod. Here are the results…
Instant fire!
Benefits of InstaFire
- Safe – no toxic chemicals for a “green” burn
- Storage – 30 year shelf life
- Combustible – but with no accelerant flare ups; just a steady, controlled burn
- Lightweight – ideal for Bug Out Bags, lightweight backpacking, bushcraft kits, or camping
- Starter – use to start charcoal briquettes for dutch oven cooking or backyard grilling
- Backyard Fire Pits – when you don’t have time to practice your fire skills 😉
- Emergency Scenarios – hunting, fishing, day hikes, and wilderness outings – ya just never know
InstaFire is available in 2 and 5 gallon buckets for home/RV use, 1 cup single use packs, and boxes of 24 one-half or 1 cup packs. You may order online via their website or through retail stores. Check their site for store locations. The single use packs I used cost $1.49 each.
This is a product I DO recommend for all who are pursuing preparedness and self-reliance! I’ll be adding more to my preps for sure.
How about you? Have you tried InstaFire? Leave us your thoughts in the comment section.
Keep Doing the Stuff,
Todd
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