You may be starting to get sick of it taking so long to get your little campfire cranking each time, and
the wood just seems to take longer every time before it catches alight. This is because of the amount
of moisture inside your firewood, even though it may look completely dry. There is only so much
hard work that a little firelighter and some newspaper can do, so it is time to call in the big guns…
charcoal!
What is charcoal and why is it good for camp fires? Well charcoal is basically wood that has been
specially burned while being starved of its oxygen. It has been drained off as much moisture and
other contaminants as possible and is left as a dry lump of… charcoal! Charcoal burns in a much
different way to wood and can sometimes even be burning with little to no flame, simply throwing
out nothing but heat in whatever you’re using it in.
The main reason for using charcoal is that it is an effective heat source that will burn for longer than
wood, while pumping out a much higher temperature. You can either replace your firewood
completely with charcoal depending on your requirements, or you could get your little campfire
burning by way of using charcoal to build up the heat quickly around your firewood. You can buy
charcoal fire starters, and these will effectively burn and heat up rather quickly, make it easier for
your fire to take off and burn efficiently for your warming needs.
Charcoal depending on the type can be used in many different ways. It can be used for starting and
stoking a fire, in a small fire pit, in firepit or charcoal smoker that is going to be used for cooking, or
simply underneath a small grill where you want a quick heat source to burn off some snags. When it
comes to cooking above charcoal, you will see the benefits of fast burning and high temperatures
and it will not negatively effect your food in any way. Some other forms of cooking or smoking meat
may produce a little more flavour in your food than charcoal does, but it will certainly take a lot
longer to heat up and keep at a high temperature, so in terms of usability, charcoal is very low
maintenance once it begins to burn. This is its main feature and the reason that a lot of people turn
to charcoal when out camping and adventuring so that they can quickly warm up or cook some
tucker without a fuss and having to wait for the firewood to take on its own.
Now although fast burning and easy to use, starting your charcoal burn can sometimes be a little
tricky unless you have the correct artillery to get it moving. You will need to look at a charcoal starter
like the one from Kings. The Kings Charcoal Starter is an absolute must have for all of your charcoal
burning applications, whether it be standard campfire, firepit cooking or for use with a charcoal
smoker. Small and mighty in all its glory, this charcoal chimney can basically fold it up into the size of
a book when you
are not using it but be sure to check if it is hot first before stowing it away after using. The last thing
you want to do is shove your charcoal chimney starter in the back of the 4WD while it is still emitting a
large amount of heat. Due
to its foldable nature, assembly is required when you want to use it, but this will literally take a
matter of seconds, so it makes it perfect for storage and usage!

Made from tough stainless steel it is not only aesthetically pleasing but it will also last time and time
again and will have no problem standing up to the high temperatures that your charcoal will pump
out. An easy way to use your charcoal starter is to play some charcoal starters beads inside the
metal tunnel and use a heat source from the bottom to get things moving. This can be a small
amount of paper or kindling just enough to stay burning and begin heating the charcoal from the
bottom up. If you’re dealing with moisture in the air or slightly wet weather, then it may pay to use a
good old fire starter cube which will burn in just about any atmosphere. Light it up and sit your
charcoal lighter over the top so it can take in all of the heat. Eventually the heat will grab the beads
or charcoal and heat them all the way through. This process will take anywhere from 10-20 minutes
depending on the quality and type of charcoal that you are using. The best way to tell if your
charcoal is ready to use properly is to check if the top layer has turned to an ashy grey colour. Once
this has happened it means it is just about go time, you’ll be able to carefully tip your beads of coal
into the fire source of your choice, being careful not to burn yourself in the process. Once all poured
in, it is up to you how you continue the burning. You can add your cooking pot on top and keep it
tightly contained to use the heat of the beaded charcoal only, or you can simply add some extra
firewood and burning material, which will take quite quickly due to the heat coming from the pre-
heated charcoal bits. This will have your campfire, or cooking set up well and truly burning in no
time, and there will be very limited waiting around just to warm up the gloves on a cold wintery
night.
Be sure to get ready for your next weekend away with a charcoal starter pit to get things moving, you
will no longer have to shove it all in the fire pit and struggle to get it started, as there is actually a
proper way to go about it, once you have tried it you won’t go back!