If You Want to Start a Fire Quickly and Easily “Pull Start Fire” Should Be on Your Radar
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More often than not, some of our favorite buys are small, how-didn't-I-know-about-this products that solve an everyday problem. That's what we're highlighting in our Little Lifesavers series: cheap, simple purchases that you'll use on the daily. Hit "Add to Cart" and thank us later!
The Problem: If you’re dealing with wet firewood or the elements, you're probably familiar with the frequent struggle of getting a fire to catch.
The Solution: The Pull Start Fire is a portable fire starter that ignites instantaneously under almost any condition.
Match-free Pull String Firestarter
$17.98
amazon.com
Building a successful fire is oftentimes easier said than done — especially if you throw some wet logs in the mix. Although I’ve been on multiple weeklong camping trips while I was living in Utah and can tell you the difference between tinder and kindling, I don’t consider myself an outdoorsman by any means. If you’d hand me a machete and flint, I’d know what to do but would struggle and would much rather have some matches and lighter fluid.
So, when I was offered the opportunity to test a fire starter that claims to be the “fastest and easiest way to start a fire,” I was intrigued but also slightly skeptical.
It’s called the “Pull Start Fire,” and the product came to fruition after the inventor, Mike Beyrodt, and his buddies went on a snowboarding trip in Snowshoe, West Virginia, and couldn’t get a fire to catch because of the snow and frigid weather. His friend joked that there should be “an app for that,” and they should be able to push a button and “poof, there’s fire!”
Beyrodt decided to build just that — but rather than pushing a button, you pull a string … sort of like you would start a lawnmower — no match needed!
The Pull Start Fire — which rather fittingly is about the size of a matchbox — was built from 89% of recycled materials. Its exterior is made of sanding dust and wax. The inside is composed of an eco-friendly flint flare powder pack with a spark generator.
During my tests, I was blown away at how simple the Pull Start Fire was to use. All you need to do is loop a green string over a log to secure it into place, build a structure of logs (your choice of the cone, log cabin, or pyramid method), and then pull a 25-inch red string, which creates a chain reaction.
Despite not using any kindling, after pulling the red string, I heard a loud pop, followed by a hissing sound, and then saw some smoke (I recommend positioning yourself upwind if you can so it doesn’t get in your eyes). Within seconds a small but mighty flame appeared.
The best part about the Pull Start Fire is that the “brick” will continuously burn even if your fire is surrounded by snow, your wood is damp, or if there’s rainfall or heavy winds. “When it rains, the moisture can’t get to the core of the product where the fire is burning,” Beyrodt said in a Henry Ford Innovation Nation segment. “For high winds, the fire tucks itself into the product and peaks back out.”
Although I haven’t personally tested the Pull Start Fire on an extremely windy day, you can see it impressively withstand the “wind” from a 200-plus mile per hour leaf blower on YouTube.
I did use it during a drizzly Columbus evening, and the flame continuously burned. Sean McCoy, the editorial director of GearJunkie, even covered the block with a large snowball, and the fire didn't go out. It burned for 5 minutes until it melted the snow. I’ve had six successful fires with the Pull Start Fire, and it has lit every time, and the product remains engulfed by a flame for a half-hour — plenty of time to get a solid fire going.
The firestarter only weighs 4 ounces, so it’s perfect for hikers and backpackers who travel light. I can’t recommend it enough for anybody looking to build an emergency kit.
As for me, I bought 30 of them to use with my SoloStove and wood-burning fireplace. I plan to keep one in my winter car emergency kit and gift a couple to my old camping buddies, who surely will get use out of them this winter in Utah during their backcountry skiing trips. At around $5 a piece, the Pull Start Fire surely isn’t as cheap as matches and kindling, but I think the convenience and reliability are well worth it.
The Bottom Line: The Pull Start Fire is a hassle-free and amusing way to get a fire going anytime and anywhere. Without an ounce of doubt, it’s the simplest way I’ve lit a fire. And if you’re off-grid dealing with heavy winds, the elements, or wet wood and can’t get a fire started, it could be a literal lifesaver. Priced between $4 and $6 (depending on how many you purchase) the Pull Start Fire is a reasonably priced way to start a fire in seconds.
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