Fire Starter Trick/Knack

[Timelord]

i'm told pine cones are good for starting fires too!

I use pine cones. Not as tinder as they do not catch as easily in my experience, but applied soon after the tinder takes. They then burn well and turn quickly into cherry red hot coals that concentrate the heat to their immediate surroundings, so are good for rapidly & reliably spreading the fire coal ember effect to the larger timbers. This would be useful in damp conditions as long as you have not allowed the cones to draw in humidity beforehand.