Am I Doing it Wrong?

I always see discussions on here about getting the fire going use different methods. The most useful method I have found is have confidence that I built the fire right and that it will take off. I have seen many long time burner struggle like newbies to get a fire blazing over more than a 20 minute period. Me, I load the stove, light the paper and close the door completely. Within 10 minutes I have a full blaze. Am I doing it wrong?

I make my own firestarters usually, but this fall when I was cutting up some ancient hand-hewn barn beams, I found a couple of those beams were LOADED with fatwood (crystallized pitch) in the middle. I slivered them up into 1/2" slivers and cut them around 4" long, light one with a match and you're off to the races. I light one, and build a small teepee of pine kindling around it. Then, lay a couple of 2-3" splits across them, and put some regular splits on them. Crack the door for around 5 minutes and it's good to go!!

Sounds like you're doing it right. There are different ways to do it.

As long as I get a nice fire in a short period of time I guess I am doing alright.

BINGO.....

Correct . . . doesn't really matter how you get there -- top down method, teepee method, log cabin method, crazy Jake method (I made that last one up -- there is no crazy Jake method) . . . well I take that back . . . someone using flammable fluid to get a fire going quickly or some other dangerous method is not a good method . . . but yeah . . . keep doing what you're doing . . . the goal is a hot fire in a short period of time.

It sounds like you've been reading the threads with all the talk about top down fires and the video from Canada. Many think that is a great video and I've not stated much on this before but I was definitely not impressed. Geeze, this doesn't take a college degree to figure out how to light a fire...

Did mr. Grumpy pants have a bad day ?

Grumpy had a great day!

Yep pretty sure I was lighting fires before 8YO - then again I was a genious

Whatever works, go with it.
zap

HehHeh . .. "genious".

Genius?

I would use those slivers for a top down start. Then you won't have to be sticking your hands in the fire laying bigger wood on top. Just lay out your fire, stick a couple of those slivers in between the splits and several on top. Light it and forget it.

Top down beats anything else I've ever tried.

Someone had to say it.

Seriously, whatever works for you! Stay warm!