Making bushcraft firelighters from antibacterial hand gel and cotton wool.

[amn1240]

Just an idea I had for quick easy firelighters.

[video=youtube;Qs82qe_RVJo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs82qe_RVJo[/video]

 

[Whittler Kev]

I do that with added Vaseline. Last for ages

 

[British Red]

If we are going to use chemical firelighters, Zip do some nice ones - individually wrapped too.

 

[SethF]

I do this with petroleum jelly and it never fails to take a spark.

 

[Whittler Kev]

If we are going to use chemical firelighters, Zip do some nice ones - individually wrapped too.

And I have used the Tesco firelighting match (Strike on the box and the stem is a cardboard firelighter)- At the end of season sale last year they were 10p a box of 24 - Work real well

 

[British Red]

They do indeed - I bought a load from B&Q at end of season - with the 50p alcohol gel for lighting barbecues!

 

[Tomcoles]

I think it's a good idea if it's a last resort in a survival situation

but it's not really a bushcraft think to do, in my opinion. I think there's no skill in lighting a fire lighter homemade or commercial.
The craft is in creating fire from the natural resources around you surely??
It's kind of similar to taking a bag of BBQ coal into the woods with you. Just the theory's scaled up a little


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[British Red]

The craft is in creating fire from the natural resources around you surely??

Do you mean that? No ferro rod? No flint and steel? No metal knife to make a bow drill? Lets face it, none of those are "natural resources". Its all a question of "where do you stop"? In this country that is normally within earshot of a road

 

[boney gumbo mcgee]

I am quite happy to use traditional or modern methods to make fire, just depends where I am and whatever method I prefer at the time, weather conditions etc.

 

[presterjohn]

I have no problem with using lighters, matches or any shortcut possible to make a fire. What is nice is to know that if you lose these devices or run out of them you can then use traditional methods. Personally I am more likely to use a bow drill in my back garden than in the woods. I get so knackered getting a friction fire going I need a sit down and a cup of tea in the lounge afterwards. I don't want to be doing that miles from home unless I have run out of alternative methods. I just like to know that I can do them if needed.

 

[British Red]

I am quite happy to use traditional or modern methods to make fire, just depends where I am and whatever method I prefer at the time, weather conditions etc.

Absolutely - me too. I guess my point was that I too used to make the old cotton wool and vaseline thing - then I realised that combining man made stuff into a firelighter really made no sense - so I just buy a firelighter for a simple fire start now.

Don't get me wrong - I don't look down on using manmade firelighters - hell - thats how I light my range most days

 

[Tomcoles]

I completely understand your point of man made fire lighters. I guess what I ment is surely it's more rewarding and fun to use a flint and steel for example and forage for natural tinder to start a fire.
Don't get me wrong if all else fails and I need tea. The my go too would be a man made fire starting aid.



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[boney gumbo mcgee]

Absolutely - me too. I guess my point was that I too used to make the old cotton wool and vaseline thing - then I realised that combining man made stuff into a firelighter really made no sense - so I just buy a firelighter for a simple fire start now.

Don't get me wrong - I don't look down on using manmade firelighters - hell - thats how I light my range most days

Same for me I wouldn't look down on any of the methods mentioned to raise fire, I guess its personal choice, the good thing about being on this forum is the fact knowledge is shared and the choices become broader than what the average person, like me, would think of.