What bombproof tinder?

[BigMonster]

Looking for ideas and experience with various man made tinders. For a roaring welcoming fire you need:
A. Source of ignition.
B. Enough tinder to get the big stuff going.

I'm all sorted on the first front with good supply of ferro rods, BIC lighters, peanut lighters, waterproof matches and occasional go at friction fire. I'm all for gathering birch bark and fat wood, splitting wood and feather stick making. But sometimes after many miles in crappy conditions you want fire right here and right now. What can I carry to "cheat" and have a fire as quick and easy as possible in this kind of conditions:




Most times that's when you need it the most. I've had good experience with Wettinder by UST but it's stupid expensive. Recently been carrying a small squirty bottle of Dragonfuel gel which is great as you can start cooking on the fire asap, there is no petrol stink to it. So something that can be chucked between half dry sticks in less than perfect conditions to help kick start the fire. I guess more of a survival question than bushcrafty.

 

[Broch]

I have successfully used insect repellent in an emergency - OK it has to be one that's carried in alcohol but many are.

My other fall-back for wet conditions is cotton wool to get a flame from the ferro rod followed by rubber innertube to maintain a flame for long enough to ignite wet kindling.

 

[Toddy]

You know those wee tins of vaseline ? well you can get the stuff in tiny little squirty tubes with screw on caps in Boots (on sale just now, it's usually around £2.50)

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A wee squirt of that on anything dry and organic....even smeared on a paper hankie, though cotton wool is better, but it works on bark, etc., too....and you'll have a flame enough to reliably start a fire.

It's useful otherwise too, it's good on wind chapped lips and hands, and it's good on small cuts and grazes.

Between that and pieces of rubber inner tube, that's the 'man-made' stuff tidily to hand.

 

[Erbswurst]

As you show us spruce and pine forest:

The little twigs of these trees should be fine. I have found dry ones in all weather conditions.

Once in Berlin I have even seen that a Sylvester rocket did ignite a living spruce tree. The tree nearly exploded.

 

[TLM]

From the other end of the spectrum: TNT and Napalm.

 

[Broch]

As you show us spruce and pine forest:

The little twigs of these trees should be fine. I have found dry ones in all weather conditions.

Once in Berlin I have even seen that a Sylvester rocket did ignite a living spruce tree. The tree nearly exploded.

I wasn't aware that spruce and pine were 'man made'

 

[Erbswurst]

Well, usually planted by foresters.
Nearly man made though.

 

[Herman30]

Esbit-tablets is my choice.
Put a couple (or more) of Esbit-tablets on the ground, squirt some Dragonfue gel on top of them. Lights easily and keeps burning for quite a while.

 

[TLM]

Yes, Hexamine works, better though if first treated with strong nitric acid ...

(Don't do that!)

 

[Broch]

Home made Napalm is actually very effective.

 

[TLM]

Home made Napalm is actually very effective.

And healthier than TNT, it works very well even in low temps, I think the lowest I tried was -30C.

 

[Tengu]

Greek fire?

(But dont ask me how you make it. I dont think anyone knows)

Potassium permangate and glycerine

But i would keep them well apart in transit

 

[Broch]

I don't think any of these ideas could be classified as 'bomb proof'

 

[Mesquite]

Fire Dragon, either bottled or the individual blocks. It replaced hexamine in British army personal cookers

 

[crosslandkelly]

Any supermarket and works every time.

 

[billycoen]

Zip do the "natural" ones too.

 

[tombear]

Get a big lump of magnesium from a industrial heating system, take a surform to it but not too fast, get a big pile of gratings, mix with vasaline and cotton wool and seal it in a tub for the proverbial rainy day. The vasaline stops the magnesium from degrading as well as burning itself and the cotton wool is both fuel and binding agent. Best not to look at it once it starts going, sparks from a distance will set it off.

Then there's always rusty iron filings mixed with aluminium dust.....

Or whale napalm

ATB

Tom

 

[TLM]

Then there's always rusty iron filings mixed with aluminium dust.....

Or actually rust mixed Al dust. Thermite. While developing a very high temp I don't think it as a practical tinder. China phenomenon.

 

[TLM]

Birch bark is high on my list. Of course here it is available everywhere.

 

[Broch]

Birch bark is high on my list. Of course here it is available everywhere.

Again, not man made!