what makes the best emergency tinder?

On Tuesday I needed a small fire photo. I built a roughly 12-inch square single-layer platform of green branches on top of stamped down snow, a cross layer of green, another cross layer of dead as the actual burning platform, laid three Vaseline cotton balls about an inch apart on the dead wood, set a loose pyramid of dead fuzz sticks above the balls.
One match to the cotton and I had my fire. Feed as necessary to grow or keep it the same size.

The Vaseline balls are a little messy to use, but if you carry several in a good double lock plastic bag they don't take up much space & they light just about as easily with a spark as with a match.
They can also be compressed to fit the smaller aluminum pill & "survival" capsules with good seals.

Cotton balls are cheap, a Vaseline jar lasts quite a while, and ziplock bags are easy to work with.

All three can be found at your local grocery store.
Denis
 
I pull off about 3" of duct tape and put a 1/2 PJCB in the middle and fold it in on itself from each side and compact. You end up with a flat packet about 1.5" square. To use, I cut an X in it with my knife and use the point to fluff up the cotton then light. you have to fluff it up GOOD for it to catch.The tape burns too. Easy to carry and no mess xcpt when you make them.--KV
 
Emergency rather then prepared? Gasoline siphoned from the ranger's fuel tank.
 
tampon soaked in paraffin wax.
PJCBs
dryer lint and PJ.
A mix of shaved magnesium and rubber, mostly rubber.
Peanut lighter.
Paraffin stick with cotton balls.

Cheap factor probably goes to paraffin wax, most stored carry it in the canning section, lots of wax for a dollar or two.
 
kmm said:
Man, i really need to try this out, 6-8 minutes of burn-time sounds fantastic! So far ive always used natural materials year round, especially birch bark which is readily available in my part of the world.
Click to expand...

Yea.. I just take pj and melt it. Then take a handfull of cotton balls and let them soak up the pj. Kinda messy...but they do work very good.
 
Can someone explain the making and proper use of char-cloth?
 
PorcupineMtns66 said:
Can someone explain the making and proper use of char-cloth?
Click to expand...

Char cloth catches a spark very easily and expands it to make lighting tinder easier.

Find a tin like this one and punch a nail hole in the top.

Cut up some 1-1/2" squares of cotton (25-30) from a smooth dish towel, t-shirt, or even better from denim, and put them loosely in the tin and replace the cover. Make sure it is 100% cotton a cotton blend will not work.

I usually just do them when barbecuing on charcoal. Place the closed tin directly on the coals and within a minute or so smoke will start pouring out of the nail hole in the lid. Remove the tin from heat when no (none, not any) smoke is coming out for a few seconds.

Let the tin cool to the touch for 5 or 10 minutes so it doesn't flame up when you open it. You should have 25 - 30 black squares of char cloth.

Drop a spark on the char cloth using flint/steel or a firesteel and you will see it start to glow red. Place the glowing char cloth into a birds nest of tinder such as jute and blow into it. The glowing char cloth will glow brighter (hotter) and "combust" the tinder into a flame.
 

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if you cant light a fire with steel wool and a firesteel the n you have no business surviving
 
Ramm9 said:
Char cloth catches a spark very easily and expands it to make lighting tinder easier.

Find a tin like this one and punch a nail hole in the top.

Cut up some 1-1/2" squares of cotton (25-30) from a smooth dish towel, t-shirt, or even better from denim, and put them loosely in the tin and replace the cover. Make sure it is 100% cotton a cotton blend will not work.

I usually just do them when barbecuing on charcoal. Place the closed tin directly on the coals and within a minute or so smoke will start pouring out of the nail hole in the lid. Remove the tin from heat when no (none, not any) smoke is coming out for a few seconds.

Let the tin cool to the touch for 5 or 10 minutes so it doesn't flame up when you open it. You should have 25 - 30 black squares of char cloth.

Drop a spark on the char cloth using flint/steel or a firesteel and you will see it start to glow red. Place the glowing char cloth into a birds nest of tinder such as jute and blow into it. The glowing char cloth will glow brighter (hotter) and "combust" the tinder into a flame.
Click to expand...

Thanks Ramm9!
 
I don't know your lifestyle or your hobbies...but if you hunt, or just carry, you already have some little cylinders of emergency tinder on hand.
 
I'll give another vote for trioxane. I love that stuff. It catches a spark very well from firesteel and is self sustaining so you can build your fire without worrying it will go out. I have started fires with trioxane in a driving wind and it worked well. It is lightweight to carry and you can buy it online pretty cheap. Dryer lint seemed to depend on literally what it was made of. Some bundles catch well, others do not. Synthetics will not burn well while cotton towels provide good stuff.

My friend put a piece of trioxane in his spare water bottle and filled it with water. Four days later the trioxane piece still took a spark. I was impressed.
 
Tampons. One tampon has gobs of cotton balls in there. They are also long way perfect for controlling bleeding (hard to imagine, huh?). I also carry my vaseline separately, again because I can use it for first aid also.

Same with my water purification choice, polar pure, because it can also be used as a topical antiseptic if diluted.

I carry a bit of steel wool as a backup tinder that will light even if it's wet. It's also handy for polishing metal to make a signalling mirror.
 
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