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Product Update: InstaFire

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Feature | Product Update: InstaFire

I had some issues with  my original article review of Instafire, and  with it getting closer and closer to summer camping season I thought it would be a good time to do an update on it.

My friends over at Survival Based have actually been members of Survival Life for quite a while and have recently reached out to me to offer their services.

From time to time I am going to be reviewing their products and when I can, I will be offering you coupon codes and or special discounts from them.

So that being the case, check out the site and leave me a comment to let me know if you see anything specific that you want me to do a review on!

If you feel like this is something that you should have in your gear at all times, don’t forget to add this  coupon code when you check out:

SurvivalLifeFire

The original Review with updated links:

Several months ago I went to the self reliance expo in Dallas Texas and ran into this product, I had seen it around a few other expo’s but had never been able to really give it much thought.

I read the shiny package and really thought it would be a bit of a joke.

It looked more like a freeze dried food than a fire starter.

When the guy actually pulled a handful out of a bucket of water and set it on fire with the first strike of a match I have to say I was impressed.

After spending a few minutes talking to the guy I really started to see the full potential of Instafire.

Check out this video that I found from the same expo and you will see what I mean: ( it’s a little long but well worth it)

After talking to him personally I really think that this should be added to every bug out bag.

The only question I have is since it is paraffin based, what happens when it gets warm… like say from sitting in the Texas sun all afternoon?

What do you guys think?

 

P.S. if you want to try it out for yourself check out the 10 pack mylar kit:

Or this if you want a bit more bang for your buck check out the 2 gallon bulk pack bucket:

 Again don’t forget the coupon codee SurvivalLifeFire for your 15% off discount!

Want more? Check out these related articles from our site:

Instafire Featured on Shark Tank

DIY Pill Bottle Fire Starter

I Never Knew You Could Make a Fire Starter Out of This!

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22 Comments

22 Comments

  1. Richard Shultz

    March 25, 2013 at 12:33 PM

    Hey “Joe”! I constantly see these expensive high-tech firestarters and, while they are very impressive, I have a fire starter that will do as well as any of them and better than some. They’re called “firebugs” and I’ve made them all my life. They consist of simple bundles of strike anywhere matches lashed together in bundles of 10 with the heads all pointing one way with waxed dental floss, and then dipped repeatedly in parafin wax until they are weather proof. They cost next to nothing, they’re waterproof, self-igniting,(you
    just rub the head of one against a rock until it ignites) and they burn for a good 8 to 10 minutes. I’d paste a picture of one in this note, but I can’t get the system to do it.
    But all you need is a box of kitchen size strike-anywhere matches(and they do need to be that kind), a box of waxed dental floss, a block of parafin wax, and an old sauce pan to melt the wax in. Easy as falling off a log. If you’re interested in the PDF file and photo I have, just e-mail me and I’ll reply with the whole thing.

    Rick Shultz

    • Joe

      March 25, 2013 at 1:51 PM

      Hey Rick,
      That sounds like a great idea! let me know if you are interested in writing up an article on how to do that! I’d love to feature it in an upcoming issue of the survival life newsletter

      • RICHARD SHULTZ

        April 18, 2013 at 9:35 AM

        Joe:

        I sent you an stricle written in Word about firebugs and a picture, but I didn’t hear from you so I don’t know whether it got to you or not please RSVP and let me know.

        Rick Shultz

        • Joe

          April 18, 2013 at 10:32 AM

          Hey Richard,

          I did get the article from you, I actually responded to it about 13 days ago. (might have went into spam for some reason) I’m actually looking to get it posted on monday’s newsletter!

          Im going to respond to your email again, if you get it reply back and let me know if you have a short bio you want me to throw in for you!

          Thanks again
          Joe

    • FLOYD

      March 28, 2013 at 3:25 PM

      HI RICK I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A PDF FILE AND PHOTO OF YOUR FIRE STARTER.THAT’S A GREAT IDEA.THANKS.
      FLOYD
      smithfl1@att.net

      • Rick Shultz

        April 4, 2013 at 7:11 PM

        Hey FLOYD,
        I’ll take a shot at gettin you that file and photo bud. I’m disabled and retired and currently writing a book(quite a ways to go yet before it’s finished) on backpacking called “Advice From A Woodsrunner” but I can sneak in some time to shoot that stuff to you.
        Yours Truly,
        Rick Shultz

    • Nanook

      April 1, 2013 at 8:39 PM

      Firestarters are only a problem if you let them be. My favorite is cotton balls saturated with vasoline. I carry them in plastic medicine bottles. Take one, set it on tender, dryer lint, gunpowder, or whatever. Ignite it with whatever you have; lighter, flint & steel, stormproof matches. Poof, you got fire. As for building a small cooking stove or latern, you can use peanut butter in a tin can or a can partly filled with sand soaked in gasoline or kerosene. I like free & I like cheap. It really pisses me off for people to try to make money instead of trying to help their mates. Here is something for all to ponder: Governor Thomas was so pleas’d with the Construction of this Stove (Ben Franklin’s pot bellied stove), as describ’d in it, that he offer’d to give me a Patent for the sole Vending of them for a Term of Years; but I declin’d it from a Principle which has ever weigh’d with me on such Occasions, viz. That as we enjoy great Advantages from the Inventions of Others, we should be glad of an Opportunity to serve others by any Invention of ours, and this we should do freely and generously.

    • ArkPrepper

      April 25, 2013 at 11:51 AM

      I would love to get that pdf file for the fire starters if you would be so kind to email it to me, and anything else you have that you use. Im trying to learn how to get started prepping, but there is so much info its overwhelming.

      thanks!

      arkprepper@gmail.com

  2. Richard Shultz

    March 25, 2013 at 12:43 PM

    BTW Joe I have your “How To Hide Your Guns booklet and there are some good ideas in that little woofer. Most cops can’t find their rear ends with both hands and a flashlight, buy why take unecessary chances?

  3. Dutch Kinderknecht

    March 25, 2013 at 2:46 PM

    I don’t know how much paraffin it has, by weight, but if I were carrying it, I’d put portions in snack-size zipper baggies, and then into my BOB. That way, if they should get “goofy” in the heat, you can just knead it, squeeze it into whatever shape works, then open the baggie and use it.

    Like Richard, above, I have a low-tech approach, too: charcoal briquets, dryer lint, and paraffin. Crush the charcoal as fine as possible; there will be a lot of “dust”, but that is good. Pick the dryer lint apart, into fine fuzz. Mix the charcoal and dryer lint in a 2:1 to 3:1 portion, by volume. Once it is mixed well, most of the charcoal dust will be blended into the lint. Pack the mixture into small cups (the dispenser cups at fast-food restaurants are great!–or paper egg carton ‘cups’). Slowly pour melted paraffin into the cup. While the paraffin is still liquid top the cups with more dryer lint (this serves as a quick tinder, for starting). Lighting and use are pretty self-explanatory.

  4. ron

    March 26, 2013 at 8:38 PM

    thanks for the good ideas. how about cotten balls with vaseline
    worked into them? never tried it but did read that they work pretty good.

  5. Ken Robinson

    March 27, 2013 at 10:13 PM

    Rich is on the money. I learned about “Firebugs” years ago in the Boy Scouts. They are small, easy to make, and work like a champ, even in the wet (however not floating in the water [eh…might work with a bit of finess, Honestly I never tried it])
    So go get ’em Rich. I hear rumor about goodies if you write a Tutorial.

    Take Care and Be Well,
    Ken aka Canyonman

  6. FLOYD

    March 28, 2013 at 3:37 PM

    HI JOE THIS WAS A ARTICAL THANKS.KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
    FLOYD

  7. Wes

    March 29, 2013 at 9:42 PM

    Emergency Camp Fire and Cooking!

    Use cookie can like the kind you find with decorations on them, either round square, retangle etc. Cut cardboard strips long enough to incircle inside and coil up in semi tight coil little gaps between coils, fill with wax, light and you have an emergency fire, use in well ventilated area, also small cans such as tuna cans can be done the same way, use pots and pans for cooking over as soot developes from smoke and would not be good to cook on open fire, use lid to smother or cover with pot or pan, let cool wax will be hot! I use small can to start fireplace, instead of tender!

    • Gabe

      April 1, 2013 at 11:37 AM

      For those who have pets, pet food tine can be cleaned and used as well.
      Many tuna sized cans are extremely light weight ……cat foods come in these.
      Also, canned beans come in good sized cans as well.
      I wonder if there is any reason you couldn’t place the cardboard in the cans and then immediately before pouring the hot wax into the cans just mix a decent amount of sawdust into the hot wax? Finely Crumbled oak leaves mixed in the wax might work well also. Ever wonder what to do with those pistachio shells…….how about pulverize them and mix in hot wax also? Could use any shells from nuts you buy (in the shell) .

  8. Wes

    March 29, 2013 at 9:49 PM

    Oh, also wind and wheather resistant! Can carryin back pack!

  9. Wes

    March 29, 2013 at 9:50 PM

    Oh, also wind and wheather resistant! Can carry in back pack!

  10. Gabe

    April 1, 2013 at 11:31 AM

    You guys are simply awesome! There is nothing I respect more than a creative mind.
    Love the suggestions.

  11. sparkyjim

    May 31, 2013 at 9:51 PM

    a 9 volt battery, touched to a steal wool pad, will almost instantly glow red hot. tender on top of it, and poof. you only have to keep the small battery from water, i.e. a baggy, plastic film container, etc.

  12. Jan Rasmussen

    February 8, 2014 at 8:15 PM

    I have never found any fire starter I like more. No mess or hassle. I have used Instafire for about 4 years now in all kinds of conditions. I used it on a trek in Wyoming where the freakin wind was blowing 30 – 40 MPH all day. If I didn’t have it I would have never gotten my charcoal to light. I have used it on winter scout trip where we were snowed on 2 feet during the night. I have cooked in the snow, and started fires in almost blizzard conditions. I have buckets and buckets for my emergency prep storage. For our camping I don’t gather kindling any more – just put some on the ground and light and put the logs over the top. Wa la – I have fire. I wouldn’t go anywhere in the wilderness without it.

  13. Jan Ras

    May 20, 2014 at 11:43 AM

    One of the inventors showed me Instafire a few years ago on a scout winter camp and I was amazed because none of the rest of us could get a fire going with the wind and snow and soaked wood. He just put a pile down and then split logs and it fired right up. We had 5 other troops standing around the fire. You asked about he paraffin in it so I asked one of this owner who I have come to know. They use 160 degree wax so it will be fine even in Texas or Ariz. If you are in temps of more than 160 degrees you have other things to worry about. I.f. will float and burn on water, so if you do tip over in a canoe or whatever you are still ok to get a fire going. I have found the firebugs does work good except in higher winds. I have had I.F. in 40 mph winds and it still works great. I have also had it in a blizzard winter camping. I was also told Canadian Special forces uses it in Military applications and I know many marines that use it as well. I really like it. It’s just simple and works. Like you I have found other things that work pretty good in most conditions but I just never want to worry about it so I use instafire. Thanks for your other ideas as they have been helpful.

  14. Konel Banner

    May 20, 2014 at 12:11 PM

    Jan Ras turned me on to your blog. I am one of the owners of Instafire so my opinion will obviously be biased, so as you read my comments, know this as well. Instafire was designed for several uses 1. you can actually cook with it. This will take approx 1 cup and will burn around 20 – 30 minutes with occassionally stirring. We used it to cook rice in Haiti after that disaster and for cooking after hurricane Sandy as well. It burns at nearly 1000 degrees and so that is why just a little bit of it works great in getting wet wood going or lighting charcoal briquettes. If you are just needing to start a fire and have tinder or smaller sticks the cotton balls with vasoline or the firebugs work pretty well, but if you are looking for a long term storage fuel source Instafire gives you that option as well. I would also recommend storing charcoal in waterproof containers for cooking breads or a stew or something that needs a real even heat. Then use Instafire to start the charcoal like in a charcoal chimney or grill.

    The rock we use is a natural insulated rock so yes it will burn in your hand, on ice, one snow, on water etc. and take high winds. You can store it right next to food or by a water heater etc. It will not flare up or explode. It is also a natural fertilizer when done, so throw it out in nature or in your houseplants when done.

    Let me know if you have any questions or go to http://www.instafire.com to see videos etc. Thanks,

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