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Little fire kits

PostPosted: Mon 24 Dec, 2018 5:56 pm
by Moondog55
Dashandsaph sent me some old tobacco tins last month. This is what I did with them.
I kept misplacing my BIC last winter and a I wanted a failsafe backup. The ferro rod is glued on with superglue and that tinder paper is just paper towlel soaked in melted candle wax

Re: Little fire kits

PostPosted: Mon 24 Dec, 2018 8:35 pm
by ChrisJHC
Looks good.

I'm also a fan of cotton wool soaked in Vaseline for emergencies.

Re: Little fire kits

PostPosted: Thu 02 May, 2019 4:50 pm
by Moondog55
Getting good matches for that "just in case" emergency fire is hard here in Australia at any reasonable price. I've just come across some stock from DDC supply line who cater for the military and cadets as well as hunters and walkers.
They have issue look-alike safety lifeboat matches in small packets
https://www.ddcaustralia.com.au/matches ... proof.html
OK It is expensive on a per match basis but the packaging means they should stay dry for a long time and this is emergency use only stuff so I see no problem in paying that much. Apparently it is OK to post matches in small quantities as they gave me free postage for 4 packs.
Speaking to the companys owner I have been told that they burn very hot for 10 seconds or longer and they are almost impossible to extinguish

Re: Little fire kits

PostPosted: Thu 02 May, 2019 7:53 pm
by ChrisJHC
I’ve got some of those left over from my days in green.
They came in a small plastic waterproof container.
Agree that, once started, they burn very hot and will set just about anything on fire.

Re: Little fire kits

PostPosted: Fri 03 May, 2019 10:26 am
by Moondog55
I have some of those issue packs, cheap via eBay, but on mine the strikers are useless so the seller sent me some other stuff. Good small containers tho; you can fit three cotton balls soaked in PJ inside but they ate too big to fit in the tobacco tin.
I've found that the paper towel soaked in wax burns better but is harder to light

Re: Little fire kits

PostPosted: Sat 04 May, 2019 2:43 pm
by Mountain Rocket
Cool kit. While on the topic of 'DIY' fire-starters I've always had success with some small pieces of bicycle inner-tube, but haven't compared it with any of the above suggestions so can't comment if it's better/worse.

Re: Little fire kits

PostPosted: Sat 04 May, 2019 3:09 pm
by Moondog55
The others are much easier to get going in cold wet conditions and will light from a spark but rubber inner tube does burn well, dirty and smelly but this is a survival firelighter so better to cough now and suffer lung cancer in 20 years time than freeze to death now.
Soak the inner tube in petrol and that works very well