Build your fire by catching sparks.

In some areas, camping season has begun! And that usually means practicing outdoorsy skills like starting a fire.

Here are three materials you can use to catch a spark and help a fire grow.

1. Greasy Cotton Balls

• Use a ball made of 100 percent cotton. Wipe it on some petroleum jelly, and then knead the jelly into the ball.
• Store the ball in a waterproof container (like a prescription bottle or baggie) until you’re ready to use it.
• To start the fire, shred the ball so it will catch the spark. It should burn for about five minutes, giving you time to build the fire.

2. Dryer Lint

• That fuzzy stuff you pull out of the dryer screen can be a great fire starter!
• Store it in a waterproof container or baggie until you’re ready to use it.
• To increase the flammability, you can add a little petroleum jelly as you would with the cotton ball.
• Note: Lint from cotton clothes will burn better. Synthetic lint may just melt or singe.

3. Natural Flammables

• Look around you for flammable materials like dry grass and cattail fluff. The finer, the better!
• When you catch a spark, quickly add leaves and twigs—called “tinder”—and build up to bigger sticks.