Post by: konrad on December 04, 2010, 10:10:33 AM
Have you ever been out in damp or rainy weather and needed to start a fire, but had nothing dry enough to use? Here is an old trick that Scout Masters have taught for years.
Buy a bag of 100% cotton balls and a large jar of Vaseline or other petroleum jelly. Saturate the cotton balls in the Vaseline. Some do this by hand, others melt the Vaseline down to liquid form and pour it on top of the cotton balls. If using hot Vaseline, place the cotton balls on some aluminum foil or an old baking sheet that you don't need anymore. Allow the soaked cotton balls to cool completely. Use extreme caution with hot petroleum jelly. It will leave a nasty burn on skin.
Store the fire starters in a quart-size zip top bag, film canister, etc. This item will take up very little pack space and weighs next to nothing.
When in need of a fire starter, simply take out a saturated cotton ball, place it where you want your fire (not in your hands), open it up to expose the cotton fiber, and start the fire with a match or lighter. Once the ball is burning to your satisfaction, add kindling. Before you know it, you're on your way to being warm and dry.
Post by: bow4elk on December 04, 2010, 10:30:46 AM
Vaseline works really well with dry tinder, moss, or punky wood from a rotten stump. Some people just carry a small tube of it, which is much more convenient.
Good tip - thanks for sharing!
Post by: 400out on December 04, 2010, 10:35:38 AM
Post by: bow4elk on December 04, 2010, 10:46:38 AM
I use gas and Styrofoam, put a little gas in a can the add Styrofoam until you get a thick paste then role into strips and let harden then place in a bag. It works just like sap :twocents:
Wow - never heard of this! How about odor?
Post by: boneaddict on December 04, 2010, 10:48:06 AM
Post by: PolarBear on December 04, 2010, 10:57:47 AM
I use gas and Styrofoam, put a little gas in a can the add Styrofoam until you get a thick paste then role into strips and let harden then place in a bag. It works just like sap :twocents:We use to call that hillbilly napalm. If you leave it soft it will stick to anything. It smokes like a mother, stinks and is pretty toxic. I use to use trioxane and dryer lint.
Post by: HuntandFish on December 04, 2010, 11:02:56 AM
Post by: Hornseeker on December 04, 2010, 05:03:56 PM
Lets expand on this. Lets say you NEEEEEED a fire bad... its cold, your fingers are numb and cold, the woods are wet... what is the BEST way to get a fire going?
I know how to find dry tinder and dry wood... tell me...what is the SURE FIRE ignition source!? I'm thinking of getting a mini flare or something just for those days when the fire HAS to come and it has to come fast....
By the way, the day I finally got the fire going...I got a little carried away...but it felt gooooood!
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv351%2Fhornseeker%2F2010%2FWarmFire.jpg&hash=5ec9e530296e4f9abc7edfd315fa6a14aedb0f50)
Post by: woodswalker on December 04, 2010, 05:05:49 PM
Post by: boneaddict on December 04, 2010, 05:07:25 PM
Post by: ICEMAN on December 04, 2010, 05:08:09 PM
Post by: billythekidrock on December 04, 2010, 05:11:48 PM
Post by: MikeWalking on December 04, 2010, 05:25:46 PM
The cotton ball/vaseline is a lot easier. I always have some of those, a couple new lighters and some storm proof matches, kitchen matches and my flint/magnesium block.
Post by: Sumpnneedskillin on December 04, 2010, 05:27:58 PM
Post by: 400out on December 04, 2010, 07:34:49 PM
It does have a odor but once you get it in a bag it's contained until you pull it out. Just remember more fome too gas. We used to use it to burn stumps as a kid.I use gas and Styrofoam, put a little gas in a can the add Styrofoam until you get a thick paste then role into strips and let harden then place in a bag. It works just like sap :twocents:
Wow - never heard of this! How about odor?
Post by: longstevo on December 04, 2010, 07:51:23 PM
I'm understanding how to spark a fire. But what happens if you're out in weather like it was this weekend, and EVERYTHING is soaked? Wood, branches, lichen, twigs...everything?
I have no problem starting a fire, but sustaining it would be difficult at best, I'd think.
Post by: GlennGTR on December 04, 2010, 07:54:35 PM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on December 04, 2010, 08:01:03 PM
Post by: Huntbear on December 04, 2010, 08:02:36 PM
Post by: ICEMAN on December 04, 2010, 08:05:45 PM
Alright.
I'm understanding how to spark a fire. But what happens if you're out in weather like it was this weekend, and EVERYTHING is soaked? Wood, branches, lichen, twigs...everything?
I have no problem starting a fire, but sustaining it would be difficult at best, I'd think.
Here is a story I wrote years ago on this subject. You just have to keep moving materials into and nearby your fire so as it burns, it is warming, thawing and drying your next fuel....
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,16151.0.html (http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,16151.0.html)
Post by: high country on December 04, 2010, 08:05:58 PM
Post by: longstevo on December 04, 2010, 08:13:36 PM
There is always dry tinder to be had if you know where to look. Use the force Luke.
...you ask the impossible...
lol :chuckle:
Post by: Todd_ID on December 04, 2010, 09:50:06 PM
I use old denture material for fire starting, so I thought I'd burn one to see how it compared to the cotton ball. The denture was harder to light: needing a direct flame for 2-3 seconds. It burned with a 8" x 2.5" flame for 8:40 before it could be considered useless (less than 2" flame). Talk to your dentist about where to get the denture material; a buddy gave me some chuncks that he got from his dentist. There's extra material every time they pour a mold to make a set of dentures. It weighs basically nothing and should be free. Each piece is around 3" diameter and .5" thick. It's hard plastic, so moisture is not a concern.
As good as the denture material did, I still made 4 bags of the cotton balls for my friends. I'll carry some cotton balls to get the dentures burning as I think I'll be able to get the cotton ball to burn with the magnesium stick but not the denture.
Post by: MikeWalking on December 04, 2010, 10:30:07 PM
Post by: LoveofGame on December 04, 2010, 11:13:37 PM
animal hair... most people own an animal, right?
a candle.... unscented or scented, it doesn't really matter
and an egg carton - don't use the Styrofoam kind
Once you have your supplies, put the animal hair in the carton, pour candle wax over the hair, and then cut out each egg holder... now you'll have 12 fire starters, which can be used on a raining day or a dry day. You can easily take these with you because they're small in size.
Post by: robodad on December 04, 2010, 11:27:14 PM
Post by: Wild Bill on December 05, 2010, 07:01:48 AM
Hand sanitizer is also a great fire starter and also a first aid antiseptic but it will sting a bit !! Comes in small bottles and lights really fast too !! I keep some twigs (actually I cut some 1/4" dowels into 6' lengths) and drier lint vacuum packed in a tight bundle. The dowels can be used for tent stakes if needed too !! ;)
Works great unless its sub zero out :o The stuff dont freeze... Back when I was a Survival Instructor for the USAF we used to get students with frost nip and even frost bite because of this stuff.......
Dry wood? If you can find a hemlock the needle thin bows at the base could withstand a monsoon before getting moisture... If not, breack some quarter size and smaller fir, pine etc... and split with your knife...
Post by: spikehunter on December 05, 2010, 07:17:20 AM
Post by: MikeWalking on December 05, 2010, 08:57:17 AM
Dryer Lint. clean the lint filter out.. ;)
Post by: Hornseeker on December 05, 2010, 10:39:29 AM
As for dry wood, like was mentioned...you can find it. UNder old dead logs, under super thick trees. The best is the dead branches near the base of big live treess....they may be wet on teh outside, but are pretty darn dry and quick to dry out near the fire you get started.
Post by: gasman on December 05, 2010, 08:34:31 PM
I have alsp heard of guys putting diesel in a spray bottle and spraying the wood to act as fire starter.
A buddy did not believe how good it works untill i started a fire on top of 10" of snow ;)
Post by: BallisticsNut on December 06, 2010, 09:49:42 AM
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-make-mini-chemical-fire-starters-272615/ (http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-make-mini-chemical-fire-starters-272615/)