Easy Fuel for Kelly Kettle that will store well?

[katilea]

ok I decided to go with a Kelly kettle set (with pan) and a couple of thermos flasks (one for food one for drink) to keep just in case of powercuts that may last longer than a few hours as I' m not keen on keeping gas canisters.

On Amazon they have Maya sticks and Tinder cards would these work with a long handled lighter? which would be easiest for me to get a little fire going in bottom of kettle if I'm using a long handled lighter instead of matches? Which would be safest to store in bottom of wardrobe with the kelly kettle set just in case they are ever needed.

As if it did snow the road here gets bad I wouldn't be able to get out and maybe a while before help got to me especially if no electric for me to be able to connect anyone via computer.

Thanks

[Plymtom]

The whole point of a Kelly kettle is to cut down on the need to carry stuff around, you burn stuff lying around, twigs, pine cones, around the house newspaper I suppose, what you don't need to do is buy expensive tinder these things once lit (and you can do that with a bit of cotton wool with vaseline on if you need a fire lighter of sorts) will burn anything, last time I used ours was in wet weather, sure it was a bitch to start up I had some bits of rubber inner tube and cotton wool with me, but once I had it running with the driest twigs I could find, then any damp twig would work, give it a try, practice, take it on little day trips and have a brew, they're great

[Yorkshire Andy]

Get a pack of kindling from the local garage diy store or supermarket
http://groceries.asda.com/asda-webstore ... -_-google-_-

And some hardwood logs (these will need to be split)

Kindling burns hot often dirty and fast where as hardwood burns long but with less heat but cleaner

http://groceries.asda.com/asda-webstore ... 0001300290

So experiment

As above you don't need fire lighters I find wood shavings light and burn well

http://groceries.asda.com/product/small ... s/79605057
Eg

Start fire in shavings

Add a bit of kindling once burning a sliver of hardwood and wait for it to boil adding more wood if needed

Have a play and see what works best for you

[metatron]

I've got one and have to agree, just burn whatever is around you, it the point of the thing. I don't use mine much as I don't like how dirty and bulky it is, but when I do, I run it on twigs and newspaper, sometimes some lighter fluid to get it going.

[katilea]

ok I have lots of paper about that could be burned so thought it be fairly easily to light a piece of paper with one of those long handled lighters and have that pet sawdust in the bottom, twigs and pine (weather) cones I can collect on walks before the snow comes (and have a small tree growing by my shed that I can always snap off branches if desperate!)

I just wasn't sure if needed anything special to get it going? The pet shavings is a good idea shame i didn't know about that when did my Pets At Home order last week! It would be much easier for me than trying to use a knife to shave bits off sticks.

I just wasn't sure from the description of the Maya sticks whether you just stuck them in the fire as they were or needed to be able to rub them together or chop bits off them to put in the bottom, as I don't have anything to do that with and as you can tell I've never attempted to make a fire like this in my life..lol!

so if I put pet shavings in bottom with a few twigs, cones and used paper and long handled lighter to get the fire started would that work for a quick fire just to warm up enough water for flask of tea and some soup or beans in the little pan (I'm getting a starter kit)

Bearing in mind it probably only be used in situation where I was snowed in and where the electric had been off for some time just so I can get an hot drink, warm soup up etc until someone could get to me.

I have a car porch area right by my 'front door' (which is actually at side of house!) so have a covered area thats still outdoors but would be a bit more sheltered from wind/heavy snow. I never get snow under that bit, but if it does get deep rest of drive and back garden will be unusable for me.

My plan would be to sit in doorway of front door (on floor) with Kelly Kettle just outside so the base was on concrete as I wasn't sure how hot the base would get, I have a bit of shelter myself then if temps are also freezing and would hopefully manage to get it going and fill a couple of thermos flasks and hot water bottles then put the fire out and go back inside.

Would it be safe to leave it outdoors with fire still going in base for when I needed it again? or would I have to start again making fire a few hours later if still had no electric?

Lastly while we're on subject of wood and fires.... I was thinking of getting my brother one of those VW wood burning patio heater things for xmas as he's a VW enthusiast and collects VW and would love it!




Would a box of those Maya sticks work to light it so we could try it out xmas day after he's opened his pressie? if I bought him a box of them just to start him off (up to him then were he gets wood from but he can chop logs) He'll probably have matches about the house too as he smoke to start it with too.. could he use some of some of those sticks and setting light to some to the wrapping paper to get it started?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fatwood-Firelig ... aya+sticks

Obviously if i ask him to get wood, matches etc beforehand its kind of going to give away the surprise! ..and I've never seen one working to know what I 'd need so we could try it after he'd unwrapped it!

Thanks!

Kati

[preppingsu]

I use a Kelly kettle every week for forest school. On a dry day kids collect sticks for it, I start it with a sheet of newspaper and a cotton wool ball rolled in Vaseline.

I have also collected a bin liner of dry sticks, kept inside, for when the ground is wet.

I suggest when you are out and about you fill a bag with sticks and keep them in the shed/garage/spare room. Eventually you will have plenty of free fuel for your Kelly kettle.

It only take a few minutes to boil water once you've got it going so it shouldn't use too much.

[katilea]

I use a Kelly kettle every week for forest school. On a dry day kids collect sticks for it, I start it with a sheet of newspaper and a cotton wool ball rolled in Vaseline.

I have also collected a bin liner of dry sticks, kept inside, for when the ground is wet.

I suggest when you are out and about you fill a bag with sticks and keep them in the shed/garage/spare room. Eventually you will have plenty of free fuel for your Kelly kettle.

It only take a few minutes to boil water once you've got it going so it shouldn't use too much.

That's great Thanks I'll add cotton wool and vaseline to the shopping list! ... this forums needs a Thankyou button..lol!

Anyone got one of those VW patio heater (wood burning ones not the gas bottle ones)? wanting to find out more about them to decide whether to get my bro one and what I need to get so we can try it out xmas day.

Be back later, doggies need walking!

[yorkshirewolf]

Kelly Kettles will burn most bits of twigs and rubbish, so storing fuel for it whilst good foretought, is IMHO not essential. Personally i'd concentrate on a good starting material, and as Plymtom said, old bike inner tube is perfect (though not the most environmentally friendly!)

A great benefit of inner tube is that it can be had for free if you visit a cycle shop, where their bin will be full of punctured/ripped ones, which can be cut to small pieces and stored wherever, because it makes no difference if they get wet, a quick wipe down and inner tube will burn nicely from a match, definitely enough to get a fire going (assuming your second and third stages are prepared well)

That'd be my focus anyway

[cornerstone]

have you thought about making those paper eco bricks ? that is easy fuel and stores well, it is just a tool or machine that you put wet paper in and dry out one brick burns about 3 hours.

you can just shove them in the loft once done.

[katilea]

I've been out collecting some twigs when took dogs out, couldn't find any pine cones but there's loads of conkers about broken and whole, can you use conkers as fuel? what about the fallen leaves as there's loads or will they just disintegrate too fast?

I do have a dog bike trailer for my old dog, so next time it gets a flat I'll keep the inner tube. I think one of my tyres has the green slime in though thats meant to be puncture proof stuff, will it be ok with that stuff on it?

I know I've got vaseline as use it on dogs paw pads to stop them drying out, but I may have run out of cotton wool, have plenty of paper (old bills!) I can burn.

Can anyone help with VW wood burner question too please? I'd like to get that ordered in case we get that 38 days of snow they are talking about in press! ..wanted to know if the wood shown in link in my post above was ok to start it off so we could try it xmas day after it had been unwrapped? My bro can buy big bags of wood then once its his..lol!