Always Pack This Salty Snack For Camping, It Doubles As A Fire Starter

In case you needed another excuse to pack Doritos for your next camping trip, we've got a hot one for you — literally. Imagine pulling up to the campsite, whether by car or on foot, to discover that you didn't bring a fire starter. Fear not, for a trusty bag of chips, whether made of corn or potato, can save the day. The fat, oils and carbohydrates in many of your favorite chips brands are flammable, and make the humble chip a viable fire starter, prepackaged in a waterproof container.

Most chips comprise a thin mass of calorie dense, starchy and flammable carbohydrates, coated by a layer of fats like sunflower oil, canola, or vegetable oil, all of which are highly combustible. Because of differences in chip composition, size or shape, not all chips burn the same, however.

A study by the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland showed that blue corn tortilla chips greatly outperformed both sea salt and vinegar and plain potato chips, measuring overall heat produced, maximum burn temperature, and burn time. They also tested a range of other potential trail foods, and all chip-type snacks they tested did ignite, meaning that if you brought any type of chip, you may have a viable fire starter. The study found that foods that were more calorically dense but with relatively lower protein content were more flammable, and those with less saturated fat (not overall fat) burned longer.

Those academic findings are echoed by anecdotal tests across the internet, with corn-based chips like Fritos and Doritos catching fire more easily, and burning hotter and longer. For the spud-carriers, even potato-based chips like Lays (perhaps due to their thinness and shape that allows airflow) seem to be very effective. Chips with excessive seasoning, however, seem to be the most flame resistant. Plain or ready-salted flavors appear to be the most reliable as fire starters while Flamin' Hot Cheetos might, ironically, not burn as well.

It's important to remember that chips make great fire starters, but won't necessarily replace kindling. Technically, the cooking oils on chips are combustible rather than flammable, which means that they won't catch fire at ambient temperatures, rather needing a helping hand to get hot enough to actually burn. Because of this, chips require an open flame to ignite, so you won't get very far sparking a flint over a Tostito. Most chips can catch fire using a single match, however, then you can add more chips to get a small but strong flame burning, hot enough to get your kindling alight. Any leftover corn chips you have can be made into campfire nachos for everyone to enjoy around your roaring fire, on which you can then cook up one of our 30 tasty campfire recipes.