Advice needed about Maya Dust / Maya Sticks

[Greg]

I'm after some advice about whether or not maya dust / maya sticks are any good and worth buying.
Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions?

 

[spoony]

heard poor reports on the dust, but i got some sticks and they take a spark well and burn very well, so i would go for the sticks,(feather them for a spark)

 

[Tony]

I’m with Spoony here. I’ve used the dust and to be honest I’d stay clear of it, maybe when it’s brand new it’s ok, but the sticks are way better. You can scrape the stick to produce your own dust which is fresh and resinous and will take a spark well. If you’ve got a lighter/matches or some such I find it good to split a length off of the stick and then split that one part way down so that there’s a gap, if you insert a little slither it also keeps the gap open, this then burns very well once you’ve got it alight.

I hope that made sense

I’d go for sticks, they’re a great, avoid the dust

 

[bikething]

but if you buy the dust you get a nice little tim for making charcloth in

 

[led]

Don't waste your money. You can gather or make your own tinders easily enough. Just go out and collect yourself some birch bark, make some charcloth, cotton wool and vaseline etc. All are cheaper and more reliable than Maya dust.

 

[Tony]

but if you buy the dust you get a nice little tim for making charcloth in

Very true

 

[Brendan]

I came across a downed pine last week whilst on a weeks camp out and it had a lovely seam of resin down its length. I hacked off a piece and spent the next hour making my own maya sticks. The smell was incredible and I agree sticks are the way to go, the dust seems to smother a spark.

 

[spoony]

true but we told him to get the sticks, sooo if your going to take your own tinder, whats the diff between maya sticks and cotton wool?? maya sticks prob burn just as long as cotton wool with vasline, i bought them because i wanted to try them, and since i cant gather them in the uk you have to buy them. They are only about £3 for a big bundle. Go on you know you want some,

 

[Toddy]

Wait a minute...d'you mean that the (insert ravingly wonderful adjectives) Maya sticks are just the fat pine that you get from the base of just couped over but long dead pine? Sort of shiny, waxy looking timber?


atb,
Toddy

 

[British Red]

Pretty much, I think some varieties of pine are better than others, but thats the basics of 'em. Well worth an experiment if you find a suitable pine stump!

Red

 

[ESpy]

I bought a tin of the dust as I couldn't believe just *how* bad the reports of it were... New or not, the stuff is not worth having. Really.

 

[gregorach]

but if you buy the dust you get a nice little tim for making charcloth in

Or you could buy a similar tin containing something useful... like sweeties! Never tried the maya dust, but I bet it doesn't taste good...

 

[Matt Weir]

I agree with what has been said, the 'dust' (thick shavings in reality) is rubbish. I couldn't get it to catch at all and reached for the Birch bark. I can't comment on the sticks as I haven't tried them but I wouldn't bother myself and think natural tinders (as opposed to buying) are the way forward.

Matt.

 

[dommyracer]

Wait a minute...d'you mean that the (insert ravingly wonderful adjectives) Maya sticks are just the fat pine that you get from the base of just couped over but long dead pine? Sort of shiny, waxy looking timber?

Pretty much. Maya Sticks / dust are so called because it comes from Pino de Ocote, a pine cultivated in the highlands of Mexico and Guatemala - apparently it has a very high resin content (80%)

 

[spoony]

Wait a minute...d'you mean that the (insert ravingly wonderful adjectives) Maya sticks are just the fat pine that you get from the base of just couped over but long dead pine? Sort of shiny, waxy looking timber?


atb,
Toddy

yeah but the question was maya dust or maya sticks, if the guy wants to try maya sticks let him,

 

[British Red]

I quite liked the big bundle Rob (at Wilderness 1-2-1) sent me. I like gathering my own stuff and expeimenting with new tinders all the time, but if something isn't available, its alwys nice when a kind soul lets you try something new. Even if you buy a bit and learn to recognise it when you find it, its worthwhile I think - nothing like having handled something to "de-mystify" it. So Maya / Fat stick - yeah they are good - fine feather shavings catch a spark nicely and a couple of sticks in your possibles pouch are pretty resilient even if forgotten about for a good while. They also make your possibles pouch smell great!

Red

 

[Greg]

Hello guys,

Well thankyou all for your advice, I have actually used alot of other types of tinder; Cotton wool with vas, wire wool, rubber tubing, birch bark etc which are obviously good tinders, just wanted your opinions on the Maya stuff and you have convinced me that the sticks are the way forward.
Cheers guys..

 

[Burnt Ash]

I'm after some advice about whether or not maya dust / maya sticks are any good and worth buying.
Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions?

Maya sticks - ocote - fatwood

Try a search using 'Orvis' and 'fatwood'

Burnt Ash

 

[ady05]

i got myself some maya dust for the first time a couple of weeks ago and was very disapointed with the results since then i have been buying cheap sawdust for rabbit hutches and soaking it in lamp oil with instant results from the spark it works out about £2.50 for the both and i would say i have a years supply if not more

 

[Burnt Ash]

In fact, try this http://www.orvis.co.uk/store/product_choice.asp?pf_id=643A&feature_id=3&bhcp=1
Burnt Ash