Want a quick way to get a fire going during your time in the wild, but not interested in hauling a liter of gasoline in your backpack? Not a problem with Ready Fuel, a lightweight gel that ignites quickly and burns at high temperatures.
Unlike lighter fluid and gasoline, this isn’t just a fire starter. More than simply igniting when applied to a flame, it can double as the burning material all on its own, giving you a fire that can last between 15 to 20 minutes at a time. That way, you don’t even have to gather a bundle of sticks to cook your hot water in the morning — just drop this thing under your kettle and light it up.
Ready Fuel, which comes in 1.25-ounce packets, is clear, odorless, non-toxic and water-soluble, making it a safer option for an instant fire starter than almost everything else available. When used, it burns into a gritty, sand-like residue that can easily be swept away along with the rest of your garbage, making it very convenient for disposal, too. Ideal for outdoor use, it can burn even in cold temperatures, apart from having a 30-year shelf life (so even if you get stranded and lost for the next couple decades, you can still have fire).
Able to burn at temperatures of up to 1,200°F, you can use it to boil a cup of water in just five minutes all by its lonesome. Granted, the small clump of flame it makes isn’t likely to feed a campfire for roasting your caffeinated marshmallows all by itself, but you can definitely use it to start up a larger fire with a few twigs and branches in a clump.
Originally used by the military, Ready Fuel is now available to the consumer market. A pouch containing four 1.25-ounce packets retails for $14.95.