A person can start camp fires using pitch from trees, but if you know you are going to be camping, there are some easy firestarters you can make beforehand that make starting a fire, even with damp wood, a snap. (No pun intended.)

One way is to cut newspaper in 3" to 4" strips, then roll it tightly, until you have a roll that is about 3/4" in diameter. Tie one or two strings around this to prevent it from unrolling. Rubber bands can be used in a pinch. When you have 10-20 of these, melt some paraffin in a double boiler (or VERY carefully over direct heat, watching it constantly. NOTE: if you melt it over direct heat, be aware that paraffin has a very low flash point. Do not leave it unattended, or allow the wax to get too hot.) Once melted, one at a time, dip the rolls of paper into the wax using a pair of kitchen tongs. Hold them submerged for about a minute, then remove and allow to cool completely. Repeat until all have been coated.

These light easily, burn hot, and burn for several minutes, usually long enough to get a good start on the fire.

An alternate to the above is to use sawdust and paraffin. Melt paraffin and mix with sawdust. I prefer coarse sawdust like you might get when people are using chainsaws to cut firewood, but the finer sawdust available at lumber mills, hardware stores, and the like, will work. Pour the mixture into an empty cardboard egg carton. (Small dixie cups can also be used.) After the wax is set, the cubes are cut from the egg carton.

In both cases, I recommend storing the fire starters in a plastic bag, in a cool spot. Paraffin melts easily and leaves an oily residue.

Also note that these are also very good for starting up barbeques. Just put a fire starter in the barbeque, stack briquets around it, and light it, then sit back and wait for them to get going good.

Note: I've used these firestarters to start fires when snow camping. At the time, ALL wood wasn't just damp, it was wet, and snow was still falling. I had no trouble at all getting a fire going. Since then, whenever I go somewhere in the winter time, especially in bad weather, I take a few of these in my emergency supplies.

A couple of these in a baggie can save a life if you get stranded in snow country, especially since they generate so much heat to dry and burn wood even in a snow storm.

Fuzz sticks and rat nests.

To make a fuzz stick, you take a knife and cut into a thumb size stick so that the cut curls down. Repeat till the stick looks fuzzy. You will need a lot of fuzz sticks to get a fire going, like about 20.

To make rat nets, gather up dry organic material like pineneedles, dry leaves, shredded bark, fuzz tops of catkins, inner springy core of poke salad, what ever else you can find. Take the material in hands and roll it about till it starts to form a ball. You can all more material to make a palm size ball. A couple of rats nest are need to get a fire going.

To use these items, start with a twig platform. Place two or three rat nest in the center. Surround them with fuzz sticks, tepee style. Surround that with larger wood, progressing up to fist sized wood. Remember to leave a hole so you can keep feeding the wood and to knock down to make coals.

As well, take old tea-bags and dry them in the sun. When dry pour kerosene over them and leave them, keep adding dry tea-bags until the kerosene is all absorbed. Put out in the sun to dry again. These burn hot and make a good fire.

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"True godliness doesn't turn men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it, and excites their endeavor to mend it: not hide their candle under a bushel, but set it upon a table in a candlestick." - William Penn, 1682