Exclusive torch lighter here. A few passes across the top front to help pull a draft, then hit the kindling bed. Two cans of Coleman propane ~$5 and one lasts over a season
Agreed . Ive used about every method over the years. My method is a 5 gallon bucket of sawdust soaked down with cooking oil,used oil and a splash of diesel. 2 layers of newspaper in the palm of my hand and grab some out of the bucket. Wad up and place some kindling and some larger pieces on top. I can light and walk away for 20 minutes and have a guaranteed fire when I get back. I light with one of those long handled grill lighter doohickeys. The bucket recipe wouldn't appeal to most. My wood/furnace room is somewhat separate from the rest of the house. No muss no fuss.
I do the torch as well, really comes in handy late at night when reloading the wood burner, usually back up and burn'n bright in only a couple minutes, then it's back to hit'n the hay.........
I am a MAP torch starter for 2 years now. Two large kindling pieces e/w, 4-5 small slivers n/s, 2 med kindling e/w then stack the logs n/s. I use the torch to start the flame in the kindling then blast some flame up and over the fiber board to get the flow rolling. No more paper, no more waiting. Quick and clean fire.
Only when I miss the reload and awaken to a cold house... I don't want to screw around- I want heat right now. Kindling first, couple of splits on top, mapp torch to get it burning fast. Heats right back up and I go back to sleep. Say what you will, I'm tired and I'm cold.
With a group this size there is gonna be so many different ways to light a fire. We all know one size doesn't fit all. The best way for firing up the stove, is the one that works best for you.
I've used a torch and it worked well. Then I hit the fatwood jackpot on one of the pines I took down. My current system is to put some splits in a V shape with the wide part at the front and smaller splits on top of that. Then a pile of pine cones and a fatwood fuze to get it all going. That way I can light the fatwood, close the door, take a shower and come back to a warm stove. If I just light the pine cones straight, it takes a few seconds with the lighter. With the fatwood, it is almost instantaneous with a small piece. No use wasting butane. Sometimes there will be some needles stuck to the cones and that goes up really nice. Pine needles are a quarter notch away from Diesel fuel. I'm not above using the fat skimmed off the ham and bean soup either.
Im hoping to find some of my own fatwood bert the turtle I opened up a few old rotten stumps this last fall and but didnt try to hard. Once the stump turns to punk its hard at least for me to find the difference between a fir, pine, or spruce. Ive been unsuccessful but I have renewed vigor for this season!
