Fire starting material

Who here has actually tried to use a Vaseline mixture? I did with both dryer lint and cotton balls, and it did NOT work. Are there different types of Vaseline and maybe I got the wrong stuff? So far, and based on my experience with it thus far I'm labeling it's usefulness as a fire starter to be an urban legend.

If you do try that Fritos trick, and the "Cool Ranch" chips worked extremely well for me, be sure that you don't ever want to eat them again. What drips out of the burning chip is pretty gross. Looks like hot fat, but doesn't burn. I'm pretty sure I don't need that in my body!

For now I carry a small propane torch and bottle in my off-road vehicles. I've found with those that full throttle singes the wood and make it harder to get a fire started. However, a soft flame does a fast job of getting a fire going.


I recently read about how fire-fighters are now starting back-fires from a helicopter. Involves essentially a ping-pong ball with some potasium permanganate in it that gets injected with ethylene glycol (automotive coolant) by a machine that then drops them out of the chopper.

We have been doing this for years from a helicopter. The balls are on the ground by the time they ignite and make setting fires fast and easy

Thanks

Buck
 
0000 steel wool and 9v battery, compressed waxed dryer lint, disposable cig lighter, glass magnifying lens, and a magnesium fire starter with side mounted flint and an attached 2 inch old hacksaw blade striker. All inside a small ziplock.

Years ago, I had a sizable amount of magnesium filings/chips from a machine shop, and those things were the greatest! Burns at 5,400F !!
 
I've used old 100% cotton diapers soaked in melted paraffin. Tear or cut to a convenient size (I like 3x4) and stack with strike anywhere matches between the layers to protect from moisture. Add a couple of pieces of sand paper and wrap the whole package in aluminum foil. One diaper and one box of paraffin will make enough to load all your packs, trucks, and pockets. Add disposable lighters as the primary ignition source and if they fail you'll have the matches.
 
I have all of the above at one time or another and use cotton balls, cross cut shredder paper in wax, for just normal need a fire. For emergencies and need a fire right now without any thought of what I have or need to put together, I use Orion fire starters/signal flares. Come in 2 pack and they are basically sodium flares that can be used for emergency signaling or start a fire anywhere! The flare is in excess of 2,000 degrees so I bet not much won't light up from it and it burns about 7+ minutes so you have added heat to really get it going good. I have carried flares in pack for over 30+ years and actually had to use one many years ago when my snow machine went through ice from a backed up creek. I was last sled and yep, my turn to go through. Dang it was cold and got fire got started immediately. Luckily I kept sled from going down since I was able to touch bottom and pushed it back onto ice. Don't ask me how, lucky I could just move it on normal snow. Funny what you can do when scared beyond belief! Got warmed up and got back to friends house in good shape other than scared out of my mind for few seconds.

Orion Fire/Signal Link: Orion Fire/Signal Flare
 
What do most people use for emergency fire starter material? I have modified the cotton ball method a little bit. Go to a beauty shop and they have cotton in long strands. Smart that full of Vaseline and you can wrap around sticks seems to work pretty good.
I have a few layers of items I take: first is a lighter and vasoline cotton balls in egg carton portions. I have a Black Beard fire starter and a half inch fero rod with an old half inch high speed steel parting blank (both have an eighth inch hole drilled to let me pass some airplane cable through them. I also have an old pill jar of pencil shavings with some old h414 that I use when kindling is stubborn or in short supply.
 
I boiled cedar chips (from my chain saw) in wax until there are no more bubbles. Then I packed it in empty chew cans and pressed a single vaseline coated cotton ball in the center. When it hardens I pop it out of the chew can and cut it into 6 wedges. I use the vaseline cotton ball piece on each wedge as the wick because it lights the easiest. Each wedge will make a 4 to 6" high flame for 10 min. They are completely water proof and you can have 6 fires stored in a chew can.
 
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