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Maya dust straw!
- Thread starter Snakedoc
- Start date
I hope this doesn't come off as too negative:
I've never really been impressed with the "cotton-ball-&-petroleum-jelly-packed-into-a-straw" concept because a simple stick of fatwood seemed better to me in every way. Now that I see fatwood dust packed into a straw, again, I have to say that a plain old stick of fatwood again seems better to me in every way.
How much more fatwood could you carry in the same volume, in pre-saw-dust form? Perhaps ten times as much? How long does it take to scrape enough fatwood from a stick to start a fire? I'd say about 5 seconds in good conditions, perhaps 8 to 10 seconds in bad conditions. So, I don't really see any speed advantage to cutting open a straw, compared to shaving a piece of fatwood. Which is more durable, and better protected against the elements? I'd say a stick of fatwood beats the straw full of shaven fatwood handily, in terms of resistance to breakage, and in terms waterproofness.
So, what is the advantage of the straw versus just a stick of fatwood? I have a hard time seeing one, but I have an easy time seeing a number of disadvantages.
Having said the above, "fatwood-dust-filled-straws" is fresh and innovative thinking. Good on you for your experimentation!
I've never really been impressed with the "cotton-ball-&-petroleum-jelly-packed-into-a-straw" concept because a simple stick of fatwood seemed better to me in every way. Now that I see fatwood dust packed into a straw, again, I have to say that a plain old stick of fatwood again seems better to me in every way.
How much more fatwood could you carry in the same volume, in pre-saw-dust form? Perhaps ten times as much? How long does it take to scrape enough fatwood from a stick to start a fire? I'd say about 5 seconds in good conditions, perhaps 8 to 10 seconds in bad conditions. So, I don't really see any speed advantage to cutting open a straw, compared to shaving a piece of fatwood. Which is more durable, and better protected against the elements? I'd say a stick of fatwood beats the straw full of shaven fatwood handily, in terms of resistance to breakage, and in terms waterproofness.
So, what is the advantage of the straw versus just a stick of fatwood? I have a hard time seeing one, but I have an easy time seeing a number of disadvantages.
Having said the above, "fatwood-dust-filled-straws" is fresh and innovative thinking. Good on you for your experimentation!
Fatwood in unshaven form is waterproof. You could take a stick of fatwood the diameter of a straw, submerge it all day, pull it out of the water, give it a quick wipe to brush the beads of water off the surface, scrape it and light it on the first try, within ten or twenty seconds of pulling it out of the water.
Fatwood is wood saturated with pitch, i.e., saturated with the material used for waterproofing boat hulls since time immemorial.
Fatwood is wood saturated with pitch, i.e., saturated with the material used for waterproofing boat hulls since time immemorial.
Have to agree with Evolute here on this idea, even though the concept was intended to go in the right direction. I've used fatwood for going on 30 years now, in all it's various forms, and the one form I prefer is sticks. Durable, and you only have to uses as much as needed, no waste.
Now sittin' around watchin' the boob tube you might could scrap you some mag bar shavings during the lulls and fill straws with them.
Now sittin' around watchin' the boob tube you might could scrap you some mag bar shavings during the lulls and fill straws with them.
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Those are neat Ill have to try that.
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2007
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Great outside the box thinking!
However, like Evolute said, it is more advantageous to leave the fatwood in stick form.
Fatwood is already waterproof!
Pine pitch used to be used to waterproof wooden boats, and guess what, fatwood is impregnated with the stuff. It is as waterproof as you can get.
Sorry, I hate to be a buzz kill, but I think you set out to solve a problem that didn't exist.
ETA: Reading this thread agian, I see Evolute already mentioned the fact that pine pitch is used in waterproofing ships.
However, like Evolute said, it is more advantageous to leave the fatwood in stick form.
Fatwood is already waterproof!
Pine pitch used to be used to waterproof wooden boats, and guess what, fatwood is impregnated with the stuff. It is as waterproof as you can get.
Sorry, I hate to be a buzz kill, but I think you set out to solve a problem that didn't exist.
ETA: Reading this thread agian, I see Evolute already mentioned the fact that pine pitch is used in waterproofing ships.
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- Feb 28, 2007
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- 9,786
I like the Petroleum jelly/cotton balls since I don't have a ready supply of fatwood and the vasoline & cotton balls are in great supply (wife and daughter keep these things on hand like they were emergency rations in a bomb shelter or something).
One nice thing about the cotton balls, when pasted with a good dose of jelly is that they really burn for a long time - about 1 min or so. The maya dust kind of goes quick, I found about 10 seconds, and makes you have to prepare your tinder a little more carefully.
Certainly fatwood shavings/fuzz will burn longer than dust will but I imagine most of you will just scrape dust to preserve your favorite little fatwood stick. So in the end, I think the cotton balls are still a good approach particularly for the lazy guy.
The cotton ball/vaseline straw combo just makes a lot of sense. Not smearing jelly all over your WSK. Also, you can cut the straw and place it in convenient spot to light with the firesteel, like the ledge of your fire pit. This way you aren't trying to do the old awkward, twister-game style, strike the firesteel in an enclosed pit where you can't see anything maneuver (I think you know what I mean hear). Once lit, you can then grab the edge of the straw and move the flame to your tinder pile.
One nice thing about the cotton balls, when pasted with a good dose of jelly is that they really burn for a long time - about 1 min or so. The maya dust kind of goes quick, I found about 10 seconds, and makes you have to prepare your tinder a little more carefully.
Certainly fatwood shavings/fuzz will burn longer than dust will but I imagine most of you will just scrape dust to preserve your favorite little fatwood stick. So in the end, I think the cotton balls are still a good approach particularly for the lazy guy.
The cotton ball/vaseline straw combo just makes a lot of sense. Not smearing jelly all over your WSK. Also, you can cut the straw and place it in convenient spot to light with the firesteel, like the ledge of your fire pit. This way you aren't trying to do the old awkward, twister-game style, strike the firesteel in an enclosed pit where you can't see anything maneuver (I think you know what I mean hear). Once lit, you can then grab the edge of the straw and move the flame to your tinder pile.
Hey Evolute,
Is there a video somewhere of someone striking fatwood? Every time, I scatter it everywhere, cuss it out, put it away, then pull it back out 6 months later and repeat... I would like to see how it's done properly, didn't know if it was on youtube or anything like that. Thanks!
Is there a video somewhere of someone striking fatwood? Every time, I scatter it everywhere, cuss it out, put it away, then pull it back out 6 months later and repeat... I would like to see how it's done properly, didn't know if it was on youtube or anything like that. Thanks!
kgd,
Your experience differs from mine. If you get superior results with cotton balls and vaseline stuffed into a straw... great!
sodak,
I don't have any videos of lighting fatwood, though I've come across some, occasionally, on the 'net. Use google, and I'm sure you'll find them. Also, perhaps this article will help you:
http://www.mikespinak.com/articles/Essays/e994firesteelhowto.html
Your experience differs from mine. If you get superior results with cotton balls and vaseline stuffed into a straw... great!
sodak,
I don't have any videos of lighting fatwood, though I've come across some, occasionally, on the 'net. Use google, and I'm sure you'll find them. Also, perhaps this article will help you:
http://www.mikespinak.com/articles/Essays/e994firesteelhowto.html
Do you mean advantage in comparison to just using fatwood? If so, I don't see what advantage you are referring to. Fatwood is mostly pitch (~80% pitch for good fatwood), almost pure high-energy fuel, like burning oil. I don't see how the additional fuel from the straw makes an advantage in comparison to burning something that is almost all fuel of like quality.
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Mike, I like fatwood, and typically have a chunk stowed in various places in my gear. That being said, there is one advantage that a firestraw (or similarly encased PCB) could have over a chunk of fatwood.
Sometimes wind and rain can make it hard to collect small fatwood dust and curls to catch a spark. A firestraw is ready simply by slitting the straw and pulling out some of the cotton fiber. There is nothing to blow away and it can even be anchored by a piece of kindling or fuel. I'm not saying this is insurmountable, but this is a clear advantage.
-- FLIX
Sometimes wind and rain can make it hard to collect small fatwood dust and curls to catch a spark. A firestraw is ready simply by slitting the straw and pulling out some of the cotton fiber. There is nothing to blow away and it can even be anchored by a piece of kindling or fuel. I'm not saying this is insurmountable, but this is a clear advantage.
-- FLIX
FLIX,
I agree. That does sound like a real advantage.
By the way, I do carry Tinder-Quik (kind of similar to PJ cotton balls, but I prefer them) in my PSK, in addition to fatwood. Rubber bands, too. And I'll be adding steel wool, next time I update my PSK.
Redundancy, with variety, is good, to handle a wider scope of situations. Fatwood is the best I've found, and I am advocating it by correcting what I see as a few questionable notions, but I don't want to give the impression that I think it should be the one and only solution.
I agree. That does sound like a real advantage.
By the way, I do carry Tinder-Quik (kind of similar to PJ cotton balls, but I prefer them) in my PSK, in addition to fatwood. Rubber bands, too. And I'll be adding steel wool, next time I update my PSK.
Redundancy, with variety, is good, to handle a wider scope of situations. Fatwood is the best I've found, and I am advocating it by correcting what I see as a few questionable notions, but I don't want to give the impression that I think it should be the one and only solution.