Fire lighters (ready made tinder)

[SwissBrit]

Ferro rod in hand?
Ready to light that fire?

What kind of tinder are you using?
I have recently taken an in depth look at off the shelf tinders after being given a Gearpods survival set in which are 2 types.
The Quick Fire tinder wick & Wet Fire .. I compared the 2 with the natural fire lighters from my local Co-oP.
Bearing in mind that the first 2 cost upwards of £5 for 4 or £12 the last is £2 for 70 of them ... ( i've converted the prices from swiss francs btw )

I wonder if anyone else here has tried them or has anything in their kit like it.. my results can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHaqT8LUFB8

I'm new at the whole video thing so please bear with me ...

 

[Corso]

I've tried most of the ready made fire starters but you really cant beat


Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Original, 100g from pound land
200 Cotton Wool Pads from Aldi
old shoe polish tin

more than enough to last you and it only cost around £2

 

[copper_head]

I've used this for many years. It's never let me down

https://wildstoves.co.uk/product/hammaro-lighting-paper/

 

[Hammock_man]

Got to be another vote for Cotton Wool and vaseline. Loo roll soaked in candle wax is another good one for me.

 

[Bishop]

+1 for petroleum jelly & cotton wool pads, the wife saves me her used ones that are covered in makeup.
Though hoping to get out and try with a matchcord & sulphur match, just as soon as she calms down and the kitchen stops smelling like a school chemistry lab :sad6:

 

[rancid badger]

I've tried most of the ready made fire starters but you really cant beat


Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Original, 100g from pound land
200 Cotton Wool Pads from Aldi
old shoe polish tin

more than enough to last you and it only cost around £2

Absolutely bang on the money.

For demonstration purposes or just to keep my hand in, I use birch bark, honeysuckle bark, cedar bark, fat wood shavings, pine resin in various forms or whatever when it's not that important to get a fire going first time or if its not tipping down:
[video=youtube;_BQ0-fAruzo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BQ0-fAruzo[/video]


but to get a fire going first time, every time with a ferro rod, (or matches/lighter for that matter) I use petroleum jelly and cotton wool.
[video=youtube;xnMrQuV3UJ0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnMrQuV3UJ0[/video]


I always carry a ferro rod and a scraper/prep tool (of my own make and design), as well as a lighter when paddling and my fire lighting tinder kit consists of 80% pet-jelly impregnated cotton wool, ( vital that it's usable in wet conditions) It works if its tipping down or indeed if my kit has taken a ducking. The other 20% being birch bark and fat wood.
A standard cotton ball will burn for several minutes if properly soaked with pet-jelly and correctly prepared while a couple will burn long and hot enough to light most fuel materials if they're properly prepared.

You can make all weather tinder from more or less any natural, fibrous material (not wool or fur!) and some form of accelerant, ideally a wax or oil based one if you can get it. Wax makes for good clean, storage and works well but never quite as well as PJ on cotton wool or shredded cotton, linen, hemp, jute, hessian (sand bags?) etc.


Seriously, don't buy tinder. Investigate, explore, experiment and produce your own.


Kind regards

Steve