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I've read that cotton balls with a dab of petroleum jelly make good firestarters

Yep, they do. Just don’t add too much PJ, or they’re hard to get started. Something else you can do that I’ve done is add something else to the mixture to help it burn, like fatwood shavings, or magnesium powder. Below is a pic from my PSK showing some “cotton straws”. This can be a convenient and affordable way to carry some cotton and remain waterproof. Just find some really wide (hopefully clear) straws, and cut them to length and melt and pinch the ends together with some pliers or forceps to hold them shut while they cool. You can stash them all over your gear. I have them in PSKs, coat pockets, knife sheaths, water bottle sleeves, etc. They don’t cost a lot like pill fobs, so you can put them everywhere. You can see in the pic that I put fatwood shavings in one straw with the cotton. You can also put spices and some pills in them too.

[Linked Image from i6.photobucket.com]


JYD #4