one thing that i have found to start fires with that works really good is Ignito Packs. they can be found at walmart and other places. They are water proof to. they are little plastic packs of some chemical that will burn at like 1000 degrees for around 10-15 minutes. these work great because all you need is a lighter to get it started and you dont have to spend anytime trying to get your fire started. also you can start with bigger pieces of wood so you can get a nice fire going great.