Need Additional Help Getting Your Fire Started? Try a few of these methods: Dryer Lint Tinder Bundle (LINK); Gorilla Tape Tinder Bundle (LINK); Rub Cloth (LINK); Dragon Ball Fire Starters (LINK); Char Cloth (LINK); Solar Ignition (LINK); One Stick Fire (LINK); Fire Pad (LINK); DIY Fire Starter: Cotton & Petroleum Jelly Modification (LINK); Camp Fire vs. Survival Fire vs. Cooking Fire (LINK); Building a Sustainable Fire In Wet Conditions (LINK); Split Match Trick (LINK); Survival Resources 4x Fresnel Magnifier (LINK); Fatwood Fire (LINK); Evolution of My Pocket Fire Kit (LINK); Split Wood Fires: Using Your Knife As A Spokeshave (LINK); Cattail Fluff Used as Flash Tinder (LINK); Wetfire Tinder (LINK); Twig Bundle Fire (LINK).
Natural Tinder Sources:
Don't Have a fire Kit? Buy One Here:
Man-Made Tinder Sources
Dryer Lint: Moisture is your enemy with dryer lint but I have got it to work well in the winter with flint/steel, ferro rods, and magnification, you just have to keep it in a sealed moisture proof container. If it gets moist you will have your work cut out for you. The great thing about lint is that you just need to scrape the clothing you are wearing with you knife and you will have ready made tinder ready to deploy.
WetFire:This stuff works extremely well; however, it does have a fairly short shelf life when opened and once that time frame is over its no good to you whatsoever. You can also reuse this tinder as it is fairly easy to put it out and reuse if needed.
Cotton & Petroleum Jelly: A lot of people love this fire method and I can understand why as it is so easy to ignite and get a fire going using this method. I personally don't like this method due to the mess it makes and the fact it isn't multifunctional in any way,
Fire Pad Fire Starters:This little fire starter is the perfect size to fit two into an Altoids container. I personally split it into four sections before striking my ferro rod into it and the newest ones I made will burn for up to 15 minutes with great intensity. The best thing about these fire starters are they are waterproof, can be made in a few hours and you only need cotton makeup pads, camp fuel and wax.
Dragon Ball Fire Tinder: These are essentially the same as the Firepad fire starters except cotton balls are used in place of the makeup pads and have a shorter burn time. These are also a little harder to light as they are more compact that the Firepads and you have to cut them into quarters instead of ripping them into quarters.
Gorilla Tape: This multi functional item can be made into a Container (LINK), Cordage (LINK), used for first aid or even as a fire starter/ fire extender. I do have to say that this is one of the harder kit items to light on fire, as you have to process it down to very fine fibers which can be difficult due to how sticky it is. It can be added to a flash tinder bundle to extend your flame if needed as well so this is without a doubt one of the most multipurpose portions of your fire kit.
Conclusions:
There are a wide varieties of tinder and sure fire options out there that can be used for a wide variety of circumstances. I personally prefer natural tinder like grasses or inner barks with a little fat wood mixed in on occasion. For some reason I find it hard to use my homemade or purchased fire starters when others are right there ready for you and help me hone my skills at the same time. While I do believe everyone should practice with sure fire type options and keep them in their kit I also think one should not get to the point where they need those man-made fire starters to start a fire. To hone your skills use as many different natural tinder materials as you can get your hands on each time your are out honing your skills!
Have something
outdoor/bushcraft/trapping/preparedness/hiking/camping/fishing/hunting related
you want me to make a post about? Leave me a comment and I will see what I can
do! As always feel free to leave your questions and comment below! Also if you
enjoy the blog please vote for us on the following websites to help us reach a
wider audience:
You are only able to vote once DAILY using this site! Currently we are just
outside the top 20 on this site.
AND
Cotton and petroleum jelly can be used for: Chapped lips, blisters, scrapes, sun burn. Lubricating weapon actions, oiling blued finish rifles, carbon steel knife blades, to stop rust. Also patch material for black powder weapons. Just to name a couple uses, hope this helps. Preston/ Katcv's Edge Outdoors
ReplyDelete