You will need the following materials to light your smoker:

• Starter Fuel - shredded paper works best, but pine needles, dry leaves, newspaper or any other dry kindling material will suffice

• Final Fuel - dry, compressed wood pellets are ideal; you may also use strips of burlap, twigs or chips of hardwood, bark, or other slow-burning material.  Stay away from wood containing a high sap content, such as pine, cedar or juniper

• Flame - A long-stemmed lighter is the easiest method of lighting, but long kitchen matches or a burning twig work fine as long as you have very dry, fast-lighting kindling

The selection of your starter fuel should be determined by how easily the fuel will light and how fast it will burn up.  We have found that shredded paper is ideal, as it lights readily and burns quickly.  The final fuel needs to be quick-lighting, slow-burning, produce non-toxic, cool smoke and not contain a high sap content, to minimize tarring of your smoker.  Compressed wood pellets seem to work best, but use any material that has all these properties.