Tinder.... what's your preferred? Why?

S

stitchawl

Joined
Jul 26, 2008
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Do you go with the manufactured stuff like those little white cubes that will burn in water? Or the cotton rolls tied with thread? How about the pressed and waxed cardboard?

Or do you prefer to make your own. There seem to be a lot of folks on this board who like the cotton/petroleum jelly stuffed into soda straws. How about dryer lint waxed with melted candle parafin? Shredded birchbark? Horse hoof fungus soaked in potassium nitrate and uric acid then dried and crushed? Do you prefer NOT to carry tinder but find it when needed?

Me.... I've always liked cotton balls soaked in melted bee's wax, then crushed flat when cooled. I've pre-scrapped some magnesium off of a Doan's block, and carry that in a small piece of soda straw about the size of a large vitamin capsule just for added 'oomph' if I'm really flapping about the situation. Breaking up a piece of cotton ball to expose more fluff, then sprinkling with the Mg powder gives me a fast and sure fire starter with no mess from the petroleum jelly on my hands. Burns for 5-8 minutes. I add some fatwood sticks after that if the kindling is at all damp and I can't find any 'squaw wood.'

Stitchawl
 
stitchawl said:
Do you prefer NOT to carry tinder but find it when needed?
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Pretty close. I prefer to carry tinder in my kit, but only use it if I absolutely have to. I just look for natural tinder and have never had an issue coming up with something.

Brian
 
I seem to carry a variety at all times. Dryer lint, petroleum cotton balls, small candles, fatwood, Esbit tabs, charcloth, hand sanitizer...you name it.

I've never tried fungus, but for natural stuff I like birch bark, Yellow Birch if I recall correctly. I know it when I see it and I find it all the time in the Adirondacks.
 
Fatwood, and jute twine here. I have some pj cotton balls too, but they are in my PSK for emergency use only.
 
I use a small camera case as a fire kit. It can fit on my belt, or attach to my pack for longer outings. It contains a ziploc bag full of petroleum jelly-covered cotton balls, a magnesium block with hacksaw blade striker, a container with waterproof and windproof matches, a lighter, and a tightly-rolled cylinder of newsprint. Oh, and a small magnifying lens - why use supplies when the sun can do the work for you? The kit has loads of built-in redundancy.

In an ideal situation, I use natural tinder from the surrounding area when starting my fire, sometimes with the aid of a cotton ball and spark.

All the best,

- Mike
 
Personally, I'm a big fan of shredded and fluffed cedar bark. Catches a spark like nothing else, and I can almost always find a cedar tree.

Sock lint is a handy source of tinder, too! Learned that from Survivorman... :D
 
I do like to find it where I am. I do carry a highway flare in case I really need something fast.
 
hey!!! I use cedar bark too! How do you fluff them up? I use either my knife or a rock.

But I usually carry some cotton balls or a doan.

Kyp Degal said:
Personally, I'm a big fan of shredded and fluffed cedar bark. Catches a spark like nothing else, and I can almost always find a cedar tree.

Sock lint is a handy source of tinder, too! Learned that from Survivorman... :D
Click to expand...
 
stitchawl said:
How about Horse hoof fungus soaked in potassium nitrate and uric acid then dried and crushed? Do you prefer NOT to carry tinder but find it when needed?
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I think I'd prefer NOT to carry that one, especially on a hot day !

I also think that mini Bic and a "can't blow it out" birthday candle has much to be said for it, as well.

.
 
PB Wilson said:
I've never tried fungus, but for natural stuff I like birch bark, Yellow Birch if I recall correctly. I know it when I see it and I find it all the time in the Adirondacks.
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Yellow birch has more 'Sergeant's stripes' than white or gray birch. Lot's of it growing in the Adirondacks. Do you ever start out from 'Adarondak Loj' at Heart Lake? Used to be one of my favorite jumping off points!

You can find the fungus growing on dead birches, and it really does look like a horse's hoof. But it really has to be treated with the chemicals and dried out well before it works as good tinder. (There is NO SMELL once it's dried out!) You can't just use it 'as is' when you find it on a log. I was introduced to it when I started making fire pistons. Because the fungus would break off in small, pea-sized pieces, it was great for stuffing into the end of the plunger, and burned for a long time. I guess ancient man used to go to his local chemical supply store to purchase his potassium nitrate and uric acid, but I just piss on it... ;)

Stitchawl
 
taurn said:
hey!!! I use cedar bark too! How do you fluff them up? I use either my knife or a rock.

But I usually carry some cotton balls or a doan.
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Usually just rubbing it between my hands does the trick, but sometimes I'll rough it up a bit with a handy rock, just so it knows who's boss. :D
 
I carry a stick of fatwood and also have PJ/cotton balls as backup. The PJ cotton balls has added uses - lip balm and protective coating for my 1095 steel also. Fatwood - well it just works well!
 
I use dryer lint (kept in a small sandwich bag) and fuzz sticks. Especially lint from cotton jeans, etc. Burns nice and hot and I've never had an issue with getting a blaze going with one match or a quick hit with a fire steel.
 
Not to hijack the thread, but for PJ cotton balls, do you just take some from the jar, mix it with the cotton ball, then store it to be used later?
 
I carry vaseline cotton balls and the wetfire rocks, but I have never really had the need to use them as natural tinder is usually available. I have practiced with them in the rain but for the most part they neve get used.
 
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