Recently experimenting with a charcoal starter I had gotten. You know the type. looks like a big metal coffee can...put coals on top, under divider you put kindling to fire up the coals all without using lighter fluid. Love it, use it all the time.
Then I thought, "HEY, I have an extra starter that has never been used."
So, I used some paper to fire up my material ( I like to use soaked wood chips, they smoke forever and have a pleasant odor for the most part, nice cool smoke.)
Now, instead of having to get my material fired in the smoker itself, I just go out a bit earlier, fire up the starter and have a whole batch going, empty the material once it's going good into an outdoor fireplace and scoop the material into the smoker, ready to go and plenty left if I need more or if there is more than one bee handler in the yard, plenty to go around.
just sayin,
Big Bear