What bombproof tinder?

reddave

Life Member
Mar 15, 2006
340
48
stalybridge
I picked up SparkLite tabs before U.S. postage charges went up.
Boiled a pan of water and stuck a jar of vaseline in. When the vaseline was liquid, I dipped a tab in 1/3rd of the way. Vaseline infused, not smeared. and the top 2/3rds are teased open enough to take the spark from the SparkLite or firesteel.
In the absence of this, buy NatraCare tampons (all cotton), dissect them and wrap some thread around to stop the sections gradually falling apart, then do the vaseline infusion thing
 
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Jared

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2005
3,565
745
51
Wales
I picked up SparkLite tabs before U.S. postage charges went up.
Boiled a pan of water and stuck a jar of vaseline in. When the vaseline was liquid, I dipped a tab in 1/3rd of the way. Vaseline infused, not smeared. and the top 2/3rds are teased open enough to take the spark from the SparkLite or firesteel.
In the absence of this, buy NatraCare tampons (all cotton), dissect them and wrap some thread around to stop the sections gradually falling apart, then do the vaseline infusion thing
Interesting method. Recently thinking some of the fire plug stuff is dental cotton rolls or nasal plugs (for nose bleeds) infused.

 

slaine_23

Member
Jun 25, 2021
45
14
Ireland
Old shoe polish tin filled with Vaseline and circular cotton pads. Self contained, easy to carry, easy to setup. If anyone polishes shoes anymore.
 
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Robson Valley

On a new journey
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,669
McBride, BC
Accelerant to turn a weak smoldering fire into a torch. Big hydrocarbon like paint thinner or car parts washing petrol.
Even in the boat, back with the fuel tanks, Dad always had a bottle of "Varsol," shop cleaner to start fires no matter how wet the wood was.

Big red highway emergency flares burn hotter than Hades for exactly 10 minutes. I can start any fire with one of those.

Break open a few rifle shells = there's your dry powder exactly when you need it. Modern powders are not explosives but they do give a steady burn.

If you pump it up good and hard, the petrol tank out of a Coleman 2-burner "green box" will provide all the encouragement that your fire might need.

I have a screw-top aluminum can, maybe 6" tall x 4" wide. Rides in my day pack, go nowhere outside the village without it. Besides a roll of magnesium wire, there's boxes of hurricane matches, a wire saw and other incendiaries. Some birch bark and a mag block with a ferro striker on one edge.

Just about all of my life, I have been close to the great Boreal Forest of various conifers. The driest twigs are always closest to the main trunk and always very resinous. Bash them to fiber between 2 rocks. Lay the fire with wood up to 1" if we could. Any spark source should catch in the twig tinder fuzz.
Funny, it's such a habit that I forget that I have the can-of-fire in my pack. I have practiced with the Mag block, ferro sparks and birch bark shreds. Flames in 30 seconds.
 

Buckshot

Mod
Mod
Jan 19, 2004
6,471
352
Oxford
Has anyone been able to get the big red highway emergency flares in the UK?
when i search on google it comes back with LED flashing lights!
Not quite the same thing....
 
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Jared

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2005
3,565
745
51
Wales
Not sure US road flares are legal in the UK? Flares meant for marine use are available. So not sure where the legal line lies.
 

Robson Valley

On a new journey
Nov 24, 2014
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McBride, BC
You are bound to have suitable emergency pyrotechnics approved for your country. Maybe a phone call to your nearest chandler on the coast would turn up some marine pyro devices.
 

Robson Valley

On a new journey
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,669
McBride, BC
It used to be a dinner party game on the fireplace hearth. You get birch bark, ferro rod, knife and a block of magnesium metal.
How fast can you make a substantial flame to start a bird's nest of grass tinder? This should never take more than a minute.
 

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