I haven't found my cold RMH to be hard to light at all [caveat] except when its warmer outside than inside. Paul's use of a propane torch seems like too much tech-- like using a chain saw to cut butter, or nukes to make electricity to heat your house. It suggests that lighting one is complicated. If I didn't already have an RMH the idea of needing to use a torch might put me off.
Lighting my cold RMH involves crumpling up one sheet of newspaper and loosely stuffing it in the base of the feed tube, adding about 6 thin sticks of kindling, then lighting (kitchen match or BIC lighter) and dropping it atop the kindling. The smoke and fire are drawn down, ignite the kindling and I add more and more as it quickly begins to roar. Too easy.
If its warmer outside, as with an 11 AM lighting on a cold sunny day (sunshine on the top of the black chimney) it'll light just fine, then after about 20 minutes it starts to burp before filling the house with smoke. I have to cover the feed tube with bricks to keep the smoke out. Then I open the upper clean out, and let a little damp, sticky, partially burned smoke into the house and stuff several crumpled sheets of newspaper in to the flue, trailing to the clean out entrance. Thats when I need a propane torch. The downdraft is so strong that I have even failed to ignite an ounce of gasoline-soaked newspaper. (NOT recommended) Its a miserable experience, last time it happened I decided to just wait until evening to build a fire.
FYI, my RMH was first fired October 2017, is 6" with (only) 12 feet of horizontal run and 22 feet of chimney rise. I believe my run is too short because the chimney riser gets too hot to hold your hand on it, maybe 150˚F. It draws beautifully.
