I have to be honest...

T

telocky

Joined
Nov 30, 2007
Messages
63
I am not one to buy into gimmicks especially when it’s something as important as fire starter in the backcountry. But I received some Coghlan’s Emergency Tinder as a gift and figured I would field test it to see how it performs. I followed the instructions and was amazed by the fact that it only took one strike on the small fire steel rod (flint?) attached to the bottom of those plastic orange match cases to ignite this stuff. It burned very well. I attempted to put the small fire out with a kitchen faucet and the fire was extremely stubborn, only going out after being completely submerged under water. Like a grease fire, the water at first seemingly ignited it further.

After the tinder was fully submerged and fire extinguished, I took the Tinder and squeezed it between my fingers to ring the water out and flatten it per the instructions. I once again, per the instructions, tore the piece in half to make fuzzy fibers… and ignited it again… while wet… with one more strike on the tiny flint!!!!!! I do not get impressed easily… but I have to give kudos where kudos is due. I will be carrying this stuff in the future and it is replacing (or at least complimenting) my magnesium blocks, which I have never been able to use that easily. Just a heads up on what I think is a great product. :thumbup:
 
Those aren't gimicky at all, they are basically a less expensive version of the Tinder Quiks. I buy them at Target and keep several around. Good stuff.
 
i actually really like those coghlan's emergency tinders.. they work very well and stay lit forever....:thumbup:
 
Well most of the time speaking in the long term of course but honesty is a survival skill:thumbup:;)

I have the tinder quick and love them. I'd rather have a steel and those than a lighter and matches any day.
 
tknife said:
Those aren't gimicky at all, they are basically a less expensive version of the Tinder Quiks. I buy them at Target and keep several around. Good stuff.
Click to expand...

I agree... perhaps it is the packaging that made me think twice... There are a lot of products out there in cheap tacky packaging that I have tested and would never trust for its intended purpose. After giving these a whirl - I'm sold. Best tinder i have found to date and i've tested many- other than home made cotton ball stuffed straws.... (perhaps tonight...) :)
 
I think the tinder quick type seems to burn longer than even the cotton balls.

Position a handful of really fine dead spruce twigs over it and you better be running for bigger stuff cause it's gonna catch:thumbup:
 
I have a magnesium flint that I bought just to test. Although it does light a fire, it takes a lot of work and it seems very easy for the knife or whatever your using to scrape off the magnesium to cut you.

I generally just carry a lighter with me. It's somewhat more reliable.
 
bsebllplaya24 - I have had the same issues with mag blocks. Try this other stuff - you may like it. (i have no affiliation with any company that makes this sort of gear) Lighters rarely work where i hike/camp due to cold/altitude... but if they work for you - go with what works.
 
When I lived in Mesilla NM I used to grab a couple of real cotton bolls from along the roadside during harvest time. A cotton boll preceded my use of a cotton ball for fire starting tinder back 18 years ago. I found that a ntural boll was light, easy to pack, could be used to start a fire by pulling some cotton fiber off of the boll, and scraping some magbar into it. Lit on the first spark every time! One time I was without magbar and I just sparked the cotton boll fibers and they go up like magic! It does burn quickly so other tinder is needed close by, but it's still my favorite tinder when I can get some.
 
Thanks for the tip. I've been using the tinder quick and had no clue that Coghlans put out a cheap version of it that's readily available at target. Gonna have to check it out.
 
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