Best tinder for possibles pouch

[barryasmith]

Hi there,

I'm in the process of putting together a possibles pouch/PSK and have been thinking about what the best tinder(s) is to include...

For fire lighting I'm including a mini bic, firesteel and waterproof matches if that helps.

Ideally I'd like something that is resistant to water or easliy packaged to protect it. I've seen the tinder-quick and wetfire products which look good but a expensive.

Any suggestions on what else I could buy or make to include in the kit?

I'll put a full list of items and a couple of pictures in the PSK thread when it's completed.

Cheers

Barry

 

[spamel]

Get a few slivers of maya wood in there. Brilliant stuff. If you find an old pine stump in the woods, chop into it with an axe and have a sniff. If it is really strong with the smell of resin, then chop some pieces out. It isn't quite as good as maya wood, but it is the enext best thing. There is enough resin in the wood for it to light up with a match and keep burning.

 

[malente]

Hi,

My 3c.

A bit of bogroll (also has a dual-purpose ) in a zip-lock.

Ray Mears uses strips of rubber of a tyre, they seem to burn quite well even when wet (haven't tried it myself yet).

And a candle, also quite weatherproof (just make sure you protect the wick)

Mike

Hi there,

I'm in the process of putting together a possibles pouch/PSK and have been thinking about what the best tinder(s) is to include...

For fire lighting I'm including a mini bic, firesteel and waterproof matches if that helps.

Ideally I'd like something that is resistant to water or easliy packaged to protect it. I've seen the tinder-quick and wetfire products which look good but a expensive.

Any suggestions on what else I could buy or make to include in the kit?

I'll put a full list of items and a couple of pictures in the PSK thread when it's completed.

Cheers

Barry

 

[John Fenna]

A tub full of vasaline impregnated cottonwool is ideal....

 

[Bernie Garland]

i take charcloth and birdnest material,jute, tow, sisal,and bits of cotton wool in a small ziplock

bernie

 

[wanderinstar]

Ray Mears knows what he is talking about.I also have strips of pushbike inner tube. Obviously it won't light with a firesteel, but when using a lighter you have no problems.

 

[Dougster]

Birch bark, light, and goes up a treat.

 

[deepcmonkey]

I second cotton wool, I use the flat square pads for removing make up as they are made up of three layers, put them in a ziplock bag with a bic lighter. They work a treat.

 

[hiraeth]

I have found tampons ideal for carrying in a pouch as tinder as they come with a plastic wrapper making them resistant to damp and are teased apart easily

 

[gorilla]

i too use tampons or make-up pads(if SWMBO doesn't miss them first!!), maya dust, and cramp ball fungus. also handy for the really rough weather are a couple of esbit hexy blocks, which are blister packed individually

 

[Bernie Garland]

i also carry tampons but only when the wifes with me just in case we need to start a fire

 

[John Fenna]

The old RAF survival kit had tampons in it, not only for firelighting but also for first aid and the source of off colour jokes...but they do make excellent tinder!

 

[Graham_S]

vasaline impregnated cotton wool.
or take some cotton wool and soak it in paraffin wax. you can break it up and the fibres will catch from a firesteel. the wax melts and adds fuel.
another survival kit tip is to take a box of friction matches, and instead of dipping them in wax, pour melted wax into the box,covering all the matches.

 

[Zodiak]

Vaseline soaked coton wool is very good but be careful to wipe your fingers afterwards as they can catch fire very easily, and it hurts

 

[andy_e]

I like cotton balls in balloons as an emergency tinder, if it's dry use the cotton, if it's wet light the rubber of the balloon.

 

[malente]

Excellent thread, very useful info here!

Cheers guys & gals

 

[Jedadiah]

I have, apart from a firesteel, lighter and matches, a baccy tin full of fluff from my tumble dryer filter (cotton and dog hair), strips of inner tube and lolly sticks. Magnum ones fit in the tin without having to break them, but if you can get hold of the wooden stirring sticks from Costa Coffee or Starbucks, they are free. You can also pick up free sachets of sugar for your brew kit the waxed paper bags they give you your bun's in if your eating out, make a nice water resistant bg to wrap around your baccy tin to keep the moisture away.

The fluff out of your tumble dryer filter can be used with vaseline and the dog hair is optional!

 

[British Red]

For a possibles pouch?

A couple of individually wrapped zip firelighters or wetfire lighters. What I carry is only going to be used in an emergency. For playing at bushcraft I'll use locally gathered tinder. But when it has to work and work fast, I'll use a firelighter

Red

 

[Moff8]

for a PSK a BIC lighter with the stem covered in elastic bands. For my firesteel tinder I also use the fluff out of the tumble dryer kept in a tin along with stirrers from Starbucks.

 

[Tiley]

Wetfire tinder. It is not 'natural' like some of the other suggestions but it comes in its own wrapper, is small, will light from match, lighter or firesteel and burns hotter when wet, apparently. I've found the Maya stick option to be a good one too.