# Anything but petroleum jelly



## Jerrico73 (Dec 17, 2014)

Does anyone know of anything other than petroleum jelly to soak cotton balls in for a fire starter?


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*Fire starting...........*

Don`t try to reinvent the wheel, cotton and Vaseline have work for generations for many so keep it simple, get yourself a good source of flame and you are ready to go, I have follow my father`s way for years now, Zippo lighter, I keep a few spares in a waterproof container with fluid and matches but if you want to get fancy get yourself a few pounds of magnesium powder in the original form just don`t smoke near it or like I have done before a ½ inch cotton rope in a kerosene container will get you a nice fire going, like a wick in a lantern.
Good luck.


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## Jerrico73 (Dec 17, 2014)

Ok thanks alot. im New to this and don't know much about a bug out bag lol


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## SouthCentralUS (Nov 11, 2012)

Jerrico73 said:


> Does anyone know of anything other than petroleum jelly to soak cotton balls in for a fire starter?


Melted wax?


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## Jerrico73 (Dec 17, 2014)

Sweet never thought of that


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Lots of old threads on Bobs and gear if you want to search through them. I agree with readytogo, no need to reinvent the wheel. I’d rather have the tried and true, time tested gear. The Kiss rule also applies… Keep it simple…

I’m putting together 2 Bobs as Christmas gifts. “The Pack” by Spec-op brand, spare knives, waterproof containers w/compass, magnesium fire starters, sealed tinder, lighters and Nuwick 120 hour candles. After that they are on their own.


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## Moose33 (Jan 1, 2011)

Hey Cotton, I need a Christmas present... I've been good, no, really I have.


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Teaser.... and a resealable mylar bag...


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## Moose33 (Jan 1, 2011)

I've never done this but I once saw dryer lint stuffed into an egg carton. Wax, or parafin was poured on it and it was left to harden then bagged. I can see how this would work but left in a car during the summer would, I think, make a dreadful mess.

Chapstick works well. I smeared it on cotton balls as needed but mabe just a small piece would work and burn long enough to start a real fire. Make sure your cotton balls are 100% cotton. The cotton/poly ones don't work worth a hoot.


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## Wikkador (Oct 22, 2014)

I have made hundreds upon hundreds of camp fires in all sorts of conditions. Certainly there are ways to make fire starting easier and a couple have already been mentioned. All that being said, I have never failed to make a fire with a plain ole bic lighter and tinder from the forest floor. Sure sometimes you have to look around a bit for some dry or dryer tinder and yeah sometimes you might even use a piece of handkerchief but I wouldnt get all worked up over jelly or no jelly or lint vs cotton or charcloth. Just flip a coin.

I am much more concerned with having a backup source for fire making than I am tinder. When in the woods I will always have a couple of bic lighters and a mische metal rod. A man should always have a handkerchief and I can tell ya that little pieces of them do burn.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Most petroleum based products that ignite easy will evaporate too quickly when in storage. That is a big advantage of the petroleum jelly( it is more stable/less volatile).


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

You should have 5 quick light-fire starters like cotton balls with grease, char cloth,dryer lint,wax balls,fat lighter/pine heart, candles,dry twigs all in zip lock bags.
But you should have 5 ways to start a fire, more than one lighter, matches,flint & steel, bow & drill & a magnifying glass.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Wikkador said:


> ...I have never failed to make a fire with a plain ole bic lighter and tinder from the forest floor.


Indeed.



hiwall said:


> Most petroleum based products that ignite easy will evaporate too quickly when in storage. That is a big advantage of the petroleum jelly( it is more stable/less volatile).


Evaporate = Leaking container.

Propane doesn't evaporate because it's in really good containers.
Stored really well, other liquids will do the same.

Just one or two drops of gasoline (or lacquer thinner, or acetone) and I'll get a fire started. I can carry a 4oz bottle of liquid that will start 100 fires with just a drop or two. The cotton ball idea is cool and all, but I think there's better ways to skin the cat.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

> Evaporate = Leaking container.


This is obviously true but many want a handy container (like a flip top lighter fluid can) which do leak (even if you never see the puddle).


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

Wikkador said:


> I have made hundreds upon hundreds of camp fires in all sorts of conditions. Certainly there are ways to make fire starting easier and a couple have already been mentioned. All that being said, I have never failed to make a fire with a plain ole bic lighter and tinder from the forest floor. Sure sometimes you have to look around a bit for some dry or dryer tinder and yeah sometimes you might even use a piece of handkerchief but I wouldnt get all worked up over jelly or no jelly or lint vs cotton or charcloth. Just flip a coin.
> 
> I am much more concerned with having a backup source for fire making than I am tinder. When in the woods I will always have a couple of bic lighters and a mische metal rod. A man should always have a handkerchief and I can tell ya that little pieces of them do burn.


I have never failed to get a fire started with a lighter but I've had one time I (and my son) could not get one hot enough to keep us warm. It was in NW Montana and we'd had about three days of soaking rain. There was nothing dry anywhere. I got it started by whittling dry chips/slivers from small branches but the fire never got hot enough to dry out the wet wood as it was fed. Too much put the fire out and too little didn't create enough heat to dry out the new (wet) wood.

The other time I had problems was near a well-used camping area and there was no "squaw wood" within reach on any of the trees. Everything else was soaked by a very wet snow we'd had a day earlier.

I'm not a novice at starting fires but I always carry some fire helpers in my survival kit. I prefer trioxane fuel bars simply because they make less mess in your pack and burn long and hot in all conditions.

I've used paper egg cartons filled with melted wax (candles or crayons purchased at yard sales). They work well but are kind of messy and bulky to carry. The cost is very cheap though!

A favorite "natural" fire starter is the paper-like bark on a Birch tree with pine pitch smeared on it. The bark is waterproof and the pitch is kind of oily with a low flash point. I've set the bark in a pan of water and it will light and burn like a sinking pirate ship! We have lots of birch and pine in our area.

Practice in all kinds of weather. (Especially the real nasty weather!) The time you need a serious fire in a hurry will not be on that bright, sunshiny and dry day. It will be during a blizzard or pouring rain. You'll be soaked to the skin and shivering violently. When you can build a fire fast in those conditions you've mastered the art of fire making.


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

Not mentioned so I'll toss it out.
Hand Sanitizer. Burns very nicely.
Toss a little bottle of it in your BOB.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

At a minimum I have some alcohol with me, preferably ethanol but isopropyl will do fine. 90% + is best. I keep it because it has many uses (especially the ethanol) as opposed to a strictly single purpose fire starter. I carry some alcohol wipes too for similar reasons but many are not pure cotton and don't burn well.

No, alcohol is not the greatest firestarter ever conceived by mankind, but it works. I very rarely use it though, I start fires all the time, especially during our winter and rarely use anything other than what's in the bush. If I do need something I probably have something for another use chainsaw oil or gas, lock/gasline deicer in the car, or gasoline, etc. I rarely use the alcohol or other emergency firestarters so I don't see the point in carrying a bunch of single use items for the purpose. If/when I am in a more humid climate then priorities shift.


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## Wikkador (Oct 22, 2014)

> I'm not a novice at starting fires but I always carry some fire helpers in my survival kit. I prefer trioxane fuel bars simply because they make less mess in your pack and burn long and hot in all conditions.


I would not argue with that logic... its sound planning.



> you should have 5 ways to start a fire, more than one lighter, matches,flint & steel, bow & drill & a magnifying glass.


ok, I think you are kidding


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Wikkador said:


> ok, I think you are kidding


I do just the first three listed: lighter, matches, flint & steel


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

I carry a lighter, matches, and magnesium bar fire starter. The magnesium bar will work without other tinder (like the Vaseline soaked cotton). It's major weakness is wind.

Be sure to have a knife that will strike sparks off of the embedded fero-rod. A good carbon steel usually works well. The best one I have for striking sparks is a cheapo belt knife from WalMart. It's also one of my favorite knives. (I found it on a beach at Lake Mead.)


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

mosquitomountainman said:


> Be sure to have a knife that will strike sparks off of the embedded fero-rod. A good carbon steel usually works well.


An old scrap of hacksaw blade or sawzall blade works well!


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

LincTex said:


> An old scrap of hacksaw blade or sawzall blade works well!


I have those attached to the chain on my magnesium fire starter. The knife works better though, throwing a much larger shower of sparks.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 27, 2012)

mosquitomountainman said:


> I have those attached to the chain on my magnesium fire starter. *The knife works better though, throwing a much larger shower of sparks.*


I've found that to be true as well. With the strikers, it seems you really have to lay down some force against the rod and more or less gouge into it in order to get much material to come off in the form of sparks. Almost as if you are more chipping it off than shaving it. With a knife, you have a much lower angle on the edge, and thereby less potential surface area in contact with the rod, requiring less force (effort) and, possibly, less risk for possibly injury from a slipped striker (I typically don't glove-up when using a fire rod, though leathers would be a good idea).

I struggle somewhat with a striker (they're so dad-gum small, anyway, which makes it more difficult to properly control), yet with a knife, it's a breeze...so much so that I use my EDC rod and pocket folder to light my outdoor gas cooker burners in stead of using a lighter or matches. Just be sure to strike with the rear portion of the blade instead of closer towards the tip...you use that section of the blade the least, so minor damage (rolled/turned edge) from a fire rod will go unnoticed until the next time you touch-up your blade with a steel...you do want to straighten before you put the edge to a natural stone or mechanical sharpening wheel, though, or a damaged stone/wheel could result. Sharpening rods such as ceramic, especially those in a double-edge pocket sharpener, could be damaged as well. The bonuses of using a knife as a striker and not having to carry a dedicated striker is one less thing to rely on, and, it adds to the muti-purpose role of your knife = less carry weight, less bulk, less noise when hiking, etc.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

Wikkador;377838}
ok said:


> I am not, I taught Boy scouts 3 to 5 ways to do most everything, because you never know what you will need or not have, when you are alone in the woods.
> Never heard of anyone starving/ freezing to death from to much knowledge or to many toys.
> I have a fire kit, first aid kit, 3 different size knives, hand saw, 100' of 1/4 cord, 300 feet of trip wire, 100' rope, 2 tarps & a wool blanket in my truck at all times.
> Maybe I am paranoid, but it to late to go back when you are lose in the middle of no where with a dead cell phone & no gas.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

Jerrico73 said:


> Ok thanks alot. im New to this and don't know much about a bug out bag lol


The best thing you can do is keep learning, read, ask questions and don`t spend money on useless Rambo survival gear that promises the world, learn the basics our elders in the frontier had it down pack and with minimum tools ,our history is full of survival practicality.
Good Luck.


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