Can we talk about those 'instant' fire starter cubes? | Camping Gear Reviews

Casey White · 2026-03-10T20:15:04.869425+00:00

I tried a pack of those wax and sawdust cubes on a trip to the Pine Barrens, and they just made a ton of black smoke for five minutes before fizzling out. My buddy said I should have broken them up first, but the box said to just light the whole thing. Has anyone actually gotten these things to work right without a hassle?

the_blair7mo ago

The box is wrong, you always have to break those cubes into quarters first.

5

mark_cooper7mo ago

Actually, breaking them up works way better.

2

dylan7507mo ago

Guess the box forgot to mention you need a degree in fire cube engineering. @the_blair is right, breaking them up is the only way to avoid a smoke show. Those things are basically a prank in a cardboard box.

2