Lighter Fluid Options

The lighter fluid makes it easy to start a fire, whether you are cooking a barbecue in the backyard or trying to get through a survival scenario.

It is easy to use, too, since it only takes a dash of lighter fluid and a matchstick, and voila!

You have a brisk fire that can be used in cooking food, keeping warm, and warding off predators.

What’s a good substitute for lighter fluid? There are many, including butane, naptha, kerosene, paper, twigs, and matches.

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Read on and see how these can be good substitutes for lighter fluid.

We want to emphasize that each one has its risks, so precautions are a must.

Electric Metal Lighter

As easy to use as lighter fluid is an electric metal lighter, such as the BIC Multi-Purpose Lighter.

Its tip becomes heated until it becomes red-hot and, thus, able to light a fire.

Naphtha

Known as benzene (C6H6), naphtha is a highly flammable hydrocarbon with a sweetish odor.

It’s a colorless chemical compound that eventually turns a light yellow shade when it reaches room temperature.

Ronsonol lighter fluid is among the famous brands. You can use it as a substitute in wick-type lighters, too.

Kerosene

Yet another multipurpose substitute for lighter fluid is kerosene.

It’s effective in lighting up charcoal, dry tinder, and wood, among others. It’s even used as fuel for wick-style lamps.

Metal Chimney

If the abovementioned fluids aren’t available, a metal chimney will come in handy.

It looks like a large flour sifter or funnel with external holes for airflow. It should be placed on top of the grill and filled with crumpled newspaper and charcoal.

Place a lighted match at the bottom of the metal chimney and let both the newspaper and charcoal burn.

The metal chimney’s design focuses the heat inside the structure and forces it upwards.

The buildup of heat makes the charcoal catch fire faster and better than without it. 

Twigs, Paper, And Cardboard With Matches

Without a lighter fluid and a metal chimney, you can still start a fire with whatever is available in your surroundings.

If you’re in an outdoor setting, dry twigs, branches, and leaves are great as tinder.

Start with a small mound of brittle twigs and light it using a match, a flint, or a magnifying glass.

When the twigs catch fire, be sure to add larger branches and even chunks of wood. The final touch is charcoal, if you have it. 

If you have paper, such as newspaper, cardboard, or egg trays, you can use these as tinder.

Be as fast in lighting these paper materials since these aren’t ideal tinder, especially in windy conditions.

And if the worst case happens, you can use spirits with high alcohol content as a substitute!

Whiskey is an excellent choice because of its high sugar content that causes it to burn quickly. 

Conclusion

Lighter fluid is a handy thing to have in your grilling area at home and in your survival pack.

But it doesn’t mean raw food and cold nights if you run out of it. You can find a lot of options that will do the job just as well.