Get an offset smoker with a decent size firebox. My firebox is about 20 inches long. I put in my lit charcoal at the end furthest away from the cooking area. Then I fill the rest of the firebox with unlit charcoal. The lit charcoal will light the unlit coals. As the lit coals move closer to the cooking area, I just move them further away from the cooking area and add more unlit coal. I only light coals once at the beginning.
Just make sure the charcoal you are using does not have any added chemicals to make igniting the coals easier. Those chemicals will make their way into your meat.
-Michael