OB Approved How to make a great fire starter

[Dakota Houligans]

Thanks, some good info here. We've been using paper egg cartons with wood shavings from the chain saw and melting wax over them. Tempting to try mixing in the petroleum jelly to see if they burn longer. Also going to have to make some of yours. They would take up less space.

 

[Darthwj913]

Personally,

Im a Cotton ball in the Petroleum guy...I keep petroleum jelly soaked/coated cotton balls and Small Fatwood pieces in my tinder bag. Screw a lighter if its wet its done my ol ferro rod in my knife is how I roll even if I have a lighter.

 

[Kao pii]

Coffee mate powdered creamer is like napalm.

Wow, can elaborate on that? How would you use it to start a fire?

 

[toxicity_27]

Personally,

Im a Cotton ball in the Petroleum guy...I keep petroleum jelly soaked/coated cotton balls and Small Fatwood pieces in my tinder bag. Screw a lighter if its wet its done my ol ferro rod in my knife is how I roll even if I have a lighter.

I do the same thing. Though now I'm curious about using the wax with petroleum jelly and a cotton ball instead of the cotton pad..

 

[tundraconvert]

I use cardboard egg carton, stuff it with dryer lint, melt some wax over it. Very reliable and easy.
But these will take up less space, thank you.

 

[Retinens803]

So i have always been newspaper and lighter kinda person myself. However I have for the past few years been looking at keeping petroleum jelly (pj) soaked cotton balls in the kit. SO I started testing!

Dip cotton ball in pj and test that worked really good so my mind was like lets try more pj. Dipped the cotton ball in and got more pj on the cotton, tested worked a bit better. My over thinking brain said lets melt the pj to a liquid and submerge the cotton ball that should be excellent. Lesson learned you need dry cotton to catch the spark otherwise that little ball is going to be a pitb to light. Fixed that batch with wrapping the 100% saturated cotton balls with fresh dry cotton balls.

What was learned sometimes just leave good enough alone!

Now I keep half cotton ball half pj in a Ziploc bag in the kit.

I like the idea of keeping fat wood in the kit. I used to keep it in the "go bag" along with char cloth. Not sure whatever happened to all of that.

I am going to make a new batch and try the wax idea as I get my eggs from the neighbor I have no paper cartons.

 

[Kao pii]

OK guys, we all have our favorite fire starters but you need a way to light those starters. Besides the easy way like butane or fluid lighters, matches, side people use a small torch. I found this video on youtube by the Outdoor Boys channel that demonstrates a bunch of other ways to get a spark going. I know I know there are easier ways to start a fire, but I myself plan to try some of these methods if not just for fun it's a great activity for on the trail and who knows when you might need this someday.
Here's the link:

 

[Kao pii]

I keep an assortment of things in my fire kit. Dryer lint,steel wool,block of magnesium,birch bark I also keep the usual stuff like water proof matches bic lighter flint and steel

That's the best plan. Always have a backup fire starter method and there are several of them as you can see here. There's more than one way to skin a cat as the old saying goes.

 

[torqd]

I like this...when dry how are you storing them? Im a little concerned about heat in the Jeep.

You can try storing them between pieces of waxed paper which should split / peel apart if they remelt in a warm vehicle.

 

[pnwcruiser]

Steel wool, 9V battery, dryer lint. Keep each in separate ziplock bags. As long as that battery has a charge, you can get spark instantly rubbing it on the steel wool.

 

[ScottEtkin]

Fatwood works great for me.

 

[goldfish]

Here's a sample...View attachment 69394View attachment 69395View attachment 69397

Came here hoping someone would posted the cardboard egg carton + dryer lint move. The only thing I do a bit differently is completely soak the lint and carton with melted wax, that way it’s essentially waterproof. Those things will burn for 5-10 minutes on their own. More than enough time to get a fire started!

I use them in the backyard and on trips - recently I’ve been wondering though, shouldn’t I be practicing fire building without that cheat code??

 

[Outdoordog]

I use a knife to feather stick some branches laying above the ground.

But I usually bring my bernzomatic map torch.

 

[Big G]

Hi Cort, thanks for sharing your recipe for making cotton ball fire starters. I am very familiar with them. I see you are from Grand Rapids, I assume Michigan. I lived there for nearly 20 years until 2003 when I moved to Grants Pass, Oregon. Hoping to be back there in early May to attend a conference and see my daughter and her family. Take care.

 

[M Rose]

Came here hoping someone would posted the cardboard egg carton + dryer lint move. The only thing I do a bit differently is completely soak the lint and carton with melted wax, that way it’s essentially waterproof. Those things will burn for 5-10 minutes on their own. More than enough time to get a fire started!

I use them in the backyard and on trips - recently I’ve been wondering though, shouldn’t I be practicing fire building without that cheat code??

yes and no... if it’s always on you then no need, if you don’t carry your cheat code in your pocket or in a pack that is always on you, then yes.

 

[AaronB]

I've been using cotton balls and vaseline for as long as I can remember and this combo has never failed me. That and a bic lighter. I know a lot of people look down on the bic lighter, but in three decades that I've been camping it has never failed me. That being said I do adhere to the old saying "One is none, two is one". I typically have at least 4 stashed away in my gear/truck/pocket/bags etc.

But regardless what I or anyone else says, find what works for you and use that.

 

[Atlost67]

Sounds like a good idea, I've used dry cotton and cotton with vaseline with no problems

 

[Cort]

A lot of great posts in here. Thanks all for contributing. As usual, there are many right ways. As a standard for SAR we carry three different ways to start a fire. 2 is 1 and 1 is none mindset. Fire is pretty important. Keep posting.

 

[jonald]

Waxed cotton disks are great. So are petroleum jelly soaked cotton balls or lint. Either way, they are candles in which the wax or jelly act as the fuel and the cotton or lint act as the wick.

The same thing can be done with jute twine and wax or a scrap of cotton with frayed edges and lip balm. Essentially anything that will act as a wick and any fuel you can apply to it.

Personally, I use the discs, the pj cotton balls. I also carry a stick candle remnant and trick birthday candles (if you have a lit candle, you have a fire - you just need to make it bigger). I use the candle to get a fire going, then extinguish it for reuse later. I live in the rain forest of the PNW, where getting fire going can take some practice and patience.

I always have a ferro rod and a lighter on me. I actually prefer the wheel striker (like what sparks for a Bic lighter) because it can be operated with one (either) hand in the event you are injured.

 

[AaronB]

Waxed cotton disks are great. So are petroleum jelly soaked cotton balls or lint. Either way, they are candles in which the wax or jelly act as the fuel and the cotton or lint act as the wick.

The same thing can be done with jute twine and wax or a scrap of cotton with frayed edges and lip balm. Essentially anything that will act as a wick and any fuel you can apply to it.

Personally, I use the discs, the pj cotton balls. I also carry a stick candle remnant and trick birthday candles (if you have a lit candle, you have a fire - you just need to make it bigger). I use the candle to get a fire going, then extinguish it for reuse later. I live in the rain forest of the PNW, where getting fire going can take some practice and patience.

I always have a ferro rod and a lighter on me. I actually prefer the wheel striker (like what sparks for a Bic lighter) because it can be operated with one (either) hand in the event you are injured.

I really like the candle idea! I hadn’t thought of that one. I’m gonna have to add some to the kit.