Hemp wick is a simple tool for lighting things at a lower temperature and from a short distance, usually 3 to 10 inches away. The basic move is the same every time: pull the wick taut, light the end, and use that flame to ignite whatever you’re after, from campfires and candles to BBQ grills, tobacco pipes, and sage bundles.
The reason people love it is the low burn temperature. Hemp wick burns cooler than a traditional lighter, which lets it burn slowly and better preserve the terpene profiles of your herbs. A quick safety note before we get into specifics: only use hemp wick within eyesight, and fully extinguish it after use.
Starting a campfire
Build a small pile of tinder from leaves, twigs, and pine straw. Add a layer of small-to-medium sticks in a teepee shape, gradually working up to thicker sticks until you can lean three or four logs around the outside. Take a few inches of hemp wick, wad it up, and tuck it into the center of the tinder. Then pull a separate piece of hemp wick taut, light the end, and use it to ignite the wad inside the tinder. That wad burns steadily and slowly lights the tinder around it. Done right, you’ll have a campfire in short order.
Starting a grill
For a wood-burning grill, make tinder from your wood and assemble a small pile, then add a few small-to-medium pieces on top. Wad up a few inches of hemp wick, set it in the center of the tinder, and light it with a separate taut piece of wick. As the wad burns, it ignites the tinder; once that catches, add the rest of your wood.
For a charcoal or propane grill, pull the hemp wick taut, light the end, and use it to ignite the lighter fluid or the propane burners. Hemp wick also works great mixed into a charcoal chimney’s tinder, and using it this way tends to cause fewer injuries than traditional combustion lighters.
Emergency lighting
Hemp wick can serve as emergency lighting. Take a spool, pull a few inches taut (tight, as if stretching it out), and light the end. Held vertical, it gives a small, steady flame. Tilt it at an angle to expose more surface area, and you’ll get a larger, faster-burning flame.
Making candles
Making candles with hemp wick is as easy as with any other wick. We offer a 1mm hemp wick, which suits most small candles. Cut a few inches, attach a wick tab to the end, pour melted wax into your container, and drop the tabbed wick in. You can also make candles by repeatedly dipping the wick into wax and letting it dry between dips.
Smoking
Smoking with hemp wick is just as simple. Pull a small segment taut, light the end, and use it to light your pipe at a lower temperature, which helps preserve the terpene profiles. It also takes toxic fuels like butane out of the equation, so you taste the actual flavor of the tobacco or herbs instead. It may take a little while to fully notice the difference, but once you do, you won’t want to go back to the butane taste.