Suggestions for firestarters

M

Mushroom

Joined
Oct 17, 2006
Messages
348
I have quite a bit of candle wick left over from melting candles to make firestarters. I'm stumped right now over how to use the wicks for tinder or some other firestarter. I don't think the wick will work w/ a flint or other spark thrower. Using a kitchen match and the wick as tinder works really well. But if I use a match, any tinder usually works so why carry the wick?? Any ideas will be appreciated, thanks. :confused: :)
 
Get a 6 oz. hip flask, fill it with an accelerant of your choice, such as kerosene, and stuff the wick in leaving a tiny bit poking into the threads of the cap so you can pull it out later.

Never tried this, but it seems like a slick set up to me.
 
Why not tie the wick to a match so it ends maybe 1/8" below the head, then dip it in wax so that the head stick out.

A couple or three layers around the stick/wick, then one final covering the match head.
 
I think of "fire starters" as the second stage in making a fire from sparks -- or the first stage if open flame is used.

"Tinder," to me, is something that will take a spark and allow it to be turned into flame.

I believe that wax, and waxed materials, make for good fire starters but poor tinder. Could be used as is or supplemented as per GF's sugestion.
 
Hey Mushroom...

Get yourself a Swedish"Army" model firesteel,, make up some vasoline cotton balls and some fatwwod sticks..
Back it up with at least two different methods of sparked based or flame based firestarters and thats All you'll ever need..

Forget about the candle wick...

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
I'll have to agree that the cotton ball and petroleum jelly works like a charm. These have lit on fire on the first strike every time.

I have been experimenting with good "solid" and "compact" ways to store the saturated cotton.

And I have come up with this:

1) Use Q-tips
2) Cut them in half (basically turning them into 1 ended Q-tips)
3) Dip the cotton end of cut Q-tips into some Vaseline
4) Store them in used Medicine Bottles

I have been able to store over 30 in one mid-sized medicine bottle. I use the "pressed paper" handled Q-tips because if need be, I can shave these into tinder as well.

Before striking the Q-tip, I pull apart the cotton a little for more surface area. It seems to work like a charm for me.

Travis
 
LIL COO COO said:
. . .
1) Use Q-tips
2) Cut them in half (basically turning them into 1 ended Q-tips)
3) Dip the cotton end of cut Q-tips into some Vaseline
4) Store them in used Medicine Bottles
Before striking the Q-tip, I pull apart the cotton a little for more surface area. It seems to work like a charm for me.

Travis
Click to expand...
[emphasis added :p ]
Are these "strike anywhere" or "strike-on-the-box" Q-tips? :D
 
Ah, isn't the English language wonderful? Hehehe. Good catch.

I would go back and 'edit' my post. But, hey what fun would that be?

Thanks for the "leg pull" Mr. Linton!

HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Travis
 
Normark said:
Forget about the candle wick...

O/ST
Click to expand...

agreed, loose the wick. If you're going to carry something like that, carry cannon fuse instead. You probobly cant start either one with a spark, but at least the cannon fuse will burn in wind and rain (even underwater).
 
Thomas Linton said:
Any suggested sources for cannon fuse?
Click to expand...

Google search will pull numerous results.

My local shooting range has all kinds of fuse, ammo making supplies, powder, etc.

Incidentally, Re-lighting "trick" birthday candle wicks are similar in action to cannon fuse (though made differently). They are very small and make a good addition to a fire kit. Dont get the dollar store type, they suck.

But cannon fuse is a bit of an impractical (but fun) tinder - hard or impossible to light with a spark. For the effort of carrying around tinder, there are many better options. :cool:
 
A little more food for thought:

"Fire sticks are the commercially produced fiber stick squares that are a ready-made tinder source for starting fires. They are about a half-inch square and 5 or 6 inches long. A handy trick is to imbed a “strike-anywhere” match into the end of the stick so just the match head extends above the surface. A coating of parrafin and the stick and match is waterproof and ready to be used as a mega-match and firestarter. One big advantage to these large match sticks is the fact that they can be more easily handled when your hands are cold or injured and finesse or feeling is limited.
I cut several sticks in half, insert matches in both ends thereby quadrupling the number of matches I can make from a packet of sticks. Some sticks are left full length because they are easier to hold if you have a serious hand injury. In fact, they can be held in the fold of your elbow and, with a strong enough grip, struck from that awkward position."

from American Survival Guide/September 1997, page 79

Doc
 
As sort of a hobby, I have experimented with a large number of home made tinders. Use your imagination, and i'd bet you can come up with dozens of effective tinders from stuff laying around the house.

As far as pure effectiveness, I think it's hard to beat trioxane and similar products. But what's the fun in that?

Here's what I have on me at all times (Can anyone say "paranoid"?).
Fresnel magnifier / Patch of tire innertube / bsa hotspark / 2 cotton balls soaked in neosporin / slim style zippo / zippo keychain fuel canister / 1 ft of jute twine (not to mention all the vehicle registrations, insurance cards, etc we all have to carry)

Even I can start a fire with all that s**t. Seems like alot, but it's distributed among my keychain, wallet, pocket, leatherman sheath, belt, and pocket.
 
I'm too cheap to throw away the wick. Gotta be a way to use it!:grumpy: I like your idea Thatmguy, I letcha know how it works. Doc your idea looks real good gives me something else to think about w/ my homemade firestarters. I have a coupla ideas cooking right now and as soon as I find my wife's cotton balls ;) I will keep you all posted.
 
I found the cotton balls. I wound a coupla inches of the wick around one and then lite it off w/ my cheap firesteel. Burned slowly I think. It looked like the cotton and wick helped each other. I see the wick as a smaller version of tire rubber or inner tubes
 
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