I've been playing with learning firestarting skills (my neighbors think I'm either a pyromaniac or mad. Possibly both.) and have been focusing on "common" firestarting materials: tinder fungus, cotton balls in vaseline/wax, etc.
I found out something that I'm not sure has been posted here. If it has, please forgive me. I searched, but didn't find anything specifically on this.
Wax paper... you know, the paper treated with wax used for cooking/non stick purposes and sold by the roll cheaply in almost every grocery store? That stuff makes excellent tinder.
It doesn't burn long. But a section of it can be folded up rather compactly into a survival tin, I would think.
Even with my ham-handed firestarting skills, I was able to set it alight with my Firesteel. I'd rip off a chunk of the corner of the sheet, rip it up into small pieces, and pile these up against the corner of the remainder of the sheet, which had been crumpled up in a ball. A few strikes later and the ripped part lit, which immediately set ablaze the wadded up ball.
I'll have to see if it's waterproof (I imagine it is, what with the wax protecting the paper).
I was able to get a decent fire going last night using this stuff...
Doc
I found out something that I'm not sure has been posted here. If it has, please forgive me. I searched, but didn't find anything specifically on this.
Wax paper... you know, the paper treated with wax used for cooking/non stick purposes and sold by the roll cheaply in almost every grocery store? That stuff makes excellent tinder.
It doesn't burn long. But a section of it can be folded up rather compactly into a survival tin, I would think.
Even with my ham-handed firestarting skills, I was able to set it alight with my Firesteel. I'd rip off a chunk of the corner of the sheet, rip it up into small pieces, and pile these up against the corner of the remainder of the sheet, which had been crumpled up in a ball. A few strikes later and the ripped part lit, which immediately set ablaze the wadded up ball.
I'll have to see if it's waterproof (I imagine it is, what with the wax protecting the paper).
I was able to get a decent fire going last night using this stuff...
Doc