Handy Hints, Gadgets, Products & Gizmos

[GizmosMom]

Another member suggested a new forum section with new products but it doesn't look like it will be feasible. So I thought I would post this here under General RVing Issues. If enough people post (even if you have mentioned it before in another post) we can keep it near the top?

Do you have a handy hint, a new product or an old product that makes your RVing or Camping much better?

(Sorry, no commercial advertising allowed)

I'll start:

Someone in the Camping Van posted a reference to using a Super-Chamois to wipe down their shower. I have been using an icky old thick sponge and I like the chamois idea so much more.

Now I want to hear what works for you

[tvman44]

popeye59 I was wondering about that too.

[popeye59]

So just out of curiosity, when you guys are mixing the sawdust with the wax, how much sawdust to wax do you use? How do you know when enough sawdust is right or too much?

[TimOnTheRoad]

tvman44 wrote:
Never thought of sawdust and I have plenty in my workshop. Wonder about sawdust and wax, that should be about almost like the fire starter blocks you buy?

'

As a kid in Maine my uncle showed me how to make these, melt parafin wax in a double boiler, when melted mix with your saw dust and pour into the card board tube from a roll of paper towels, once set slice them up into one inch thick pieces and it will start a fire even in a decent rain...T

[TimOnTheRoad]

tvman44 wrote:
Never thought of sawdust and I have plenty in my workshop. Wonder about sawdust and wax, that should be about almost like the fire starter blocks you buy?

'

As a kid in Maine my uncle showed me how to make these, melt parafin wax in a double boiler, when melted mix with your saw dust and pour into the card board tube from a roll of paper towels, once set slice them up into one inch thick pieces and it will start a fire even in a decent rain...T

[TimOnTheRoad]

tvman44 wrote:
Never thought of sawdust and I have plenty in my workshop. Wonder about sawdust and wax, that should be about almost like the fire starter blocks you buy?

'

As a kid in Maine my uncle showed me how to make these, melt parafin wax in a double boiler, when melted mix with your saw dust and pour into the card board tube from a roll of paper towels, once set slice them up into one inch thick pieces and it will start a fire even in a decent rain...T

[Pangaea_Ron]

That's hot

[RedRocket204]

Cotton balls and Vaseline make great fire starters as long as you can your mind out of the gutter 😉

[dewatkins]

mike4947 wrote:
Sawdust works as well as wax for making homemade fire starters. We also kept the nubbins of crayons from my son to use along with boughten parrafin.
Last time I made a batch it cost me an extra $.50 because the cheap eggs were in plastic/foam packaging. Worth it to me me to get the paper packaging rather than burning stryefoam.

Also if you pour melted wax in the Styrofoam they melt.

[JimBollman]

I have done the egg carton approach. I used a mixture of dried coffee grounds and the cedar chips you can buy for pet cages. Just mix them together in wax and spoon the mess into the egg carton.

[mike4947]

Sawdust works as well as wax for making homemade fire starters. We also kept the nubbins of crayons from my son to use along with boughten parrafin.
Last time I made a batch it cost me an extra $.50 because the cheap eggs were in plastic/foam packaging. Worth it to me me to get the paper packaging rather than burning stryefoam.

[tvman44]

Never thought of sawdust and I have plenty in my workshop. Wonder about sawdust and wax, that should be about almost like the fire starter blocks you buy?

[theoakman]

dewatkins wrote:

bondebond wrote:

At our cub scout meeting a couple of weeks back, I had the boys make their own firestarters out of dryer lint and Gulf wax. We go the mini muffin paper cups, stuffed lint in them, stuck a piece of natural twine out of them (read, wick) and poured melted wax on them. I'm happy to report that they worked beautifully this weekend. My son had a sense of contributing when I let him light his own starter for the family to enjoy a nice campfire and round of smore-making. Of course, he's a boy, so anything with fire...well, you know.

Another and easier way is to put the lint and wax in a paper egg crate then let the wax harden and cut or break apart the crate and you have 12 fire starters and you just light the cardboard corner no wick needed. I shared that in the scouts many times over 20 years. In fact I just made some more on Saturday because only had a few left over that I made before I stepped down in 2000.

That works well if you have a drier. I'm thinking many RVers do not have one....we don't....we use a solar model.

I couple of years ago we were in a B&B on a remote ranch in AZ. Our cabin had a working fireplace and owner supplied firewood.....and a coffee can that contained kerosene soaked sawdust. A scoop of sawdust on the firewood worked very well as a fire starter.

The sawdust was by no means wet or dripping with kerosene....almost like used coffee grounds after they set for a day or two. Seems this could be a substitute in starters mentioned above.....if you have access to sawdust and kerosene.

[bigred1cav]

bertnspike wrote:

bigred1cav wrote:


Please explain how this works, sounds good but I can not envision the how?

A Diaper Genie is meant for used disposable diapers. It's overkill for wads of toilet paper, but it does the job. The dispenser holds plastic bags that are large enough for a used diaper. It sits in the top of the Diaper Genie. When you open the lid on the Diaper Genie it automatically pulls down a fresh bag and holds it open for you. When you close it, it seals the bag and loads the edge of a new one.

It fits in the corner of my bathroom right next to the t.p. holder. Very light weight, doesn't tip over on the road (but wouldn't matter if it did), and serves the purpose well. NO smell at all.

OK, now I get it store in it not flushed. Will try,


Thanks

[dewatkins]

bondebond wrote:

At our cub scout meeting a couple of weeks back, I had the boys make their own firestarters out of dryer lint and Gulf wax. We go the mini muffin paper cups, stuffed lint in them, stuck a piece of natural twine out of them (read, wick) and poured melted wax on them. I'm happy to report that they worked beautifully this weekend. My son had a sense of contributing when I let him light his own starter for the family to enjoy a nice campfire and round of smore-making. Of course, he's a boy, so anything with fire...well, you know.

Another and easier way is to put the lint and wax in a paper egg crate then let the wax harden and cut or break apart the crate and you have 12 fire starters and you just light the cardboard corner no wick needed. I shared that in the scouts many times over 20 years. In fact I just made some more on Saturday because only had a few left over that I made before I stepped down in 2000.

[bertnspike]

bigred1cav wrote:


Please explain how this works, sounds good but I can not envision the how?

A Diaper Genie is meant for used disposable diapers. It's overkill for wads of toilet paper, but it does the job. The dispenser holds plastic bags that are large enough for a used diaper. It sits in the top of the Diaper Genie. When you open the lid on the Diaper Genie it automatically pulls down a fresh bag and holds it open for you. When you close it, it seals the bag and loads the edge of a new one.

It fits in the corner of my bathroom right next to the t.p. holder. Very light weight, doesn't tip over on the road (but wouldn't matter if it did), and serves the purpose well. NO smell at all.