Various firestarting methods

Coldwood said:
I have a couple of questions: You seemed to limit your experiments to manufactured products. Nothing wrong with that, but I wonder why you didn't test some of the homemade products, such as petroleum-jelly cotton balls, and similar stuff that we have experimented with? (I also like milk-weed fluff, which I can only gather in late August, but it's downright almost-explosive when you hit it with a spark - and I know everybody cannot find it).

I politely disagree about Bic lighters, especially for one-hand technique. I have to confess I mis-spent much of my youth lighting cigarettes in the wind with Zippos and Bics, so maybe I have mastered that technique :D I also don't understand why people would carry a mini-Bic when a full size one is so much easier to handle. As far as dead-weight goes, they're very light weight (most of the dead weight I carry is around my middle). I'll continue to carry them, along with a fire steel, and a flint n steel. I've never been trusting of wooden matches of any kind.

Again, great review, well thought out :thumbup:
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Hey Coldwood, I went with mostly manufactured products because the scenario was cold, wet, and only one arm working. Just not enough time or ability there for me to look for natural replacements. And I did test pj cotton balls, I used the PJCB acronym.

I am really down on the Bics for one reason. If you read the other post, that is what I was carrying, a bic and PJCB, and it gave me peace of mind and I stupidly thought I was covered. I know better. I've lit those things lots of times in good conditions.... Now add in that the bic and the PJCB are at 20°, they are wet, and I've got one hand. I've got to tell you, as soon as that bic got wet, there was no way in heck it was sparking. Go get your standard bic, dunk it in water for a second, and report back. How many strikes does it take to get a flame? Now do it when your hand is shaking from the cold, your thumb can hardly move, and you don't have another hand to act as a windbreak. See what I am getting at? :D

All I can say is it did not work for me. I could still get great sparks from FR/S shaking cold, and I could light the match, everytime, except for the one time it broke. It lit on the 2nd try. The matches were far and away the most reliable. I don't know if I'll ever carry a bic again. A better lighter, maybe. Anybody know one that works in the wind and cold and wet?
 
Mapper, your points are well taken, and I apologize again for overlooking the PJCB test :D

I agree that probably any lighter will probably fail to work if totally submersed in water. However, I will continue to carry one or two or three in the hope that I never get totally submersed...but as I said, I would want some other backups ;)

Cheers, Don
 
Coldwood said:
Mapper, your points are well taken, and I apologize again for overlooking the PJCB test :D

I agree that probably any lighter will probably fail to work if totally submersed in water. However, I will continue to carry one or two or three in the hope that I never get totally submersed...but as I said, I would want some other backups ;)

Cheers, Don
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Well, honestly... I probably will still carry a lighter. When I go backpacking, I really like the convenience of the bic lighter for lighting up the stove. Usually in that situation I have some really good windbreaks and neither I or my equipment is soaking wet. It just irks me that I was carrying one as a piece of equipment to rely on when the chips are down. :thumbdn: I let my desire for lightweight and convenience override my common sense. Especially now knowing that the Stormproof matches are just as light and convienent.

I will carry a backup. One thing that bothers me about the matches, what if I hadn't got my foot down on the striker and the wind took it away? Something to be said for a nice hunk of steel and a hefty ferro rod.
 
Remember, unless you're playing for fun and to learn, the best fire is the easiest and quickest fire. I've lit many a warm fire on a nice evening with a single strike anywhere match. A Bic would do just as well. I would only use this other stuff if I *needed* to and after having done some testing and practicing like mapper did.
 
i have used the coghlans fire paste for about 10 years, mostly in late season elk hunts spike camps, frozen wood, supposedly it will burn on ice, i have found it to be a good product and will get a fire every time.

alex
 
Nice test Mapper! Thanks for the useful data. Because cotton soaks up water, many put the PCBs in plastic straws to create a waterproof tinder packet. (Firestraws) The firestraw could be lit directly by the REI match but you would need to either slice the straw or cut an end off before using the firesteel. Stepping on it while you cut should work.

My major reservation regarding the fire paste is the size of the tube. That seems like about ten years worth and it is way too big to fit in a PSK. Also, if not inside some kind of protective container, I'd be concerned about puncturing it and getting that crap all over my gear.

BTW, I think Maya Dust is fireproof!

-- FLIX
 
What an awesome review! It is 17 degrees outside, windy and snowing so I am going to go out and try this. Thanks!
 
that was awesome.... A great review of several methods overall... I'm really impressed..this is one I'll have to go back and read several times...
 
FLIX said:
My major reservation regarding the fire paste is the size of the tube. That seems like about ten years worth and it is way too big to fit in a PSK. Also, if not inside some kind of protective container, I'd be concerned about puncturing it and getting that crap all over my gear.

BTW, I think Maya Dust is fireproof!

-- FLIX
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I agree on the fire paste. I will find a convenient way to carry it that works. The stuff is just too good to pass up.

Man, LMAO on the Maya Dust. What is the deal with that stuff? I'm going to have to try it under better conditions to see if it burns at all. :confused:
 
Mapper, thanks for the great test/review. Very helpful. I have almost all the products you mentioned in your testing and I like the paste the best by far. I don't care about dragging the tube around, it weighs little and I can deal with the bulk if it's in my pack. I have squirted it right on wood, sparked a firesteel, and fire!
I was working on my shelter the other day and the BIC I brought along fell in the snow and didn't work for beans afterward. Plus my hands were to friggin cold to get it to spark anyway. I know you can rub the wheel on your pant leg to dry it and it will spark after a few minutes, but in the cold? When you're numb and getting goofy? I think they suck for winter camping. In warmer weather-no worries.
I plan to carry them (have them in all my PSKs), but I'm on the lookout for a better lighter.
 
Good job mapper. I thing we all get a little confident at times. I have tried wind, and wet before but never together and with only one hand. One thing I have used very similar to the fire paste ( only used it in cold weather car camping to preheat my white gas stove-works great) is the alchol wipe. Individual packs for both first aid and fire starting uses. Im guessing they would work under adverse conditions but I admit that I have never put them to a test like yours. Time to modify the kit, but Im not giving up my bic for the other 99%
 
Great review.
I'm going to have to get some of that fire paste and try it. I am curious how it will compare to alcohol based hand cleaner in the wet and cold.

Has anyone tried trioxane in the wind and wet?
 
I'm definitely an advocate of firestraws (thanks for posting my link flix!)

I'll also have to pick up some of this paste. I've been experimenting with fire starting logs lately, and I've been really disappointed with what I've been finding.

Mapper, I'd be interested to have you add in a small bottle of some type of fuel to the mix. Such as coleman fuel, or denatured alcohol? I carry an extra bottle in the winter when canoe to use in an emergency for starting fires. It soaks into the woods and seems to do the trick well, even without properly preparing for the fire (like having lots of tinder and kindling).

I wonder how the fire paste would work as a substitute for PJ in a PJCB. So FirePasteCottonBall? Not sure that the cotton is necessary anyone since the FP apparently burns so well.

I'm looking forward to experimenting! Thanks for doing a lot of the work for us mapper!
 
Excellent review Mapper! This one is bookmarked for future ref. I have to try out some of that paste.
 
Mapper - That was one of the best write up's in a forum I've seen in a while. Thank you for your posting.
 
A wealth of good information here! Thanks for doing all the testing. I've debated picking up the paste in the past. I'll definitely be doing so now. I also carry a ferro rod and the rei matches. There is also always one or two small bic lighters. This little bics get used for melting paracord. None of the other fire starting methods can do that efficiently. Not important for survival, but useful otherwise. Thanks again for the extensive testing. (I still think you want a road flare, though, for the nearly impossible conditions.) :)
 
thanks for the review and your thoughts!

the firepaste is fun stuff, a friend once brought some over and we were playing with it all evening...writing things on the ground, setting things on fire, etc... it does burn easily!

i typically have a Bic or other lighter on me for the sake of convenience and because the sustained, controlled flame in the palm of my hand is great for things like melting cord ends and candles and the like. whenever i'm in the woods though, i have my fire kit, which consists of several different tinder/kindlings and my 3/8" diam ferro rod with striker, because i know that if i break it, get it wet, whatever, it will still throw a mean shower of sparks.

anyways, thanks again for sharing your observations. i might do something similar with my favorite tinder/kindling things...
 
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