Another firestarting idea

J

joeshredd

Joined
May 8, 2002
Messages
2,254
Okay, I know we've seen several threads on stuff to use to start a fire, from matches and lighters to ferrocium rods or simple bows, even flint and steel...
A lot of y'all espouse the use of cotton balls dipped in various substances...

How about a dual purpose item instead - anybody ever try using nylon cord???

I carry 50' of (IIRC) 5mm nylon cord... Take your trusty bic (or a match) and light one end of it - it burns, hot and somewhat stubbornly... then it drips...

As a boyscout, some thirty plus years ago, we used to do this for fun... watching all the little spot fires pop up as we swung the stuff around... Yes, foolish...

But, having read some of the treads lately on what to carry, someone mentioned that dual use objects for an emergency kit can cut down on weight/space needs...

Just a thought, especially if you are already carrying nylon cord...
 
If you're packing some form of tinder, try 0000 steel wool. It will ignite with a 9-volt battery. It works better in the rain than a lot of lighters. It also isn't as reliant on wind. Cotton balls dipped in random liquids provides the issue of finding the given liquid. I would also suggest (for a survival situation) that you keep your fire burning if there is someone there to watch it (don't leave a fire unattended, remember California this summer?). This will reduce the need to restart the fire all the time, thus conserving tinder and your firestarter (such as your lighter or matches). If you have multiple people, have one tend the fire and the other go work. This can be avoided if you have an available way to create fire (such as you know how to do a bow & drill).
 
Although using nylon cord to start a fire may be an option, I can think of better uses for the small amount of para-cord you might be carrying. Once burned it's no longer dual use. Packed cotton or a bit of steel wool in a film cannister don't take up much room or weigh much.
 
Those alcohol prep pads in the small flat packets work well. They cost about two bucks per box of 100. Will work with open flame or spark. You should have some in your first aid kit anyway. Hope this helps
 
TPU said:
Those alcohol prep pads in the small flat packets work well. They cost about two bucks per box of 100. Will work with open flame or spark. You should have some in your first aid kit anyway. Hope this helps
Click to expand...

I gotta try that!
 
Hey guys,
All these ideas are great - mine was simply another offering of an emergency source of fuel that you might already have with ya!
And the alchohol swipes sound like another idea... although the only alchohol I might have with me would be the 110 proof bourbon in my nice hinge-capped SS flask! LOL!!!! (that was for Nic Ramierez... I do always include a flask when hiking - if only for that mid afternoon break by a nice alpen tarn!!! :D )
 
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