Ok, so here's a recent batch of tinder I made up. I kinda like how it turned out <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

So first off, I unrolled some cotton balls (tricky little buggers)



Then I rubbed in a bunch of petroleum jelly.



Then I took a bunch of magnesium shavings and liberally dusted both sides.






I then re-rolled the newly formed tinder balls.



But what happens if you are in the wilderness and accidentally, say, drop your tinder ball in the creek or get it wet?



Well, just unroll it a bit



Add a few strikes from a fire steel, and you got flame! And that flame will last for quite a while, making it EASY to get the kindling to catch too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />



Last thing to do is pack it up in a watertight aluminum canister and be ready for the zombiepocalypse <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Found I could cram 4 tinder balls in these little cases <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

[img]http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx118/joshuaharman/P1330070.jpg[/img]

I DID push it to its limits to see what they were. I found that if I shredded open the tinder ball and dumped water all over it, it got REALLY hard to light. I could get it to spark and sizzle and even got a little flame a couple times, but it wouldn't stay lit. I singed my fingertips trying though <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

So, bottom line, keep it in the water tight container, drop it in the creek, but don't shove as much water in it as possible and pray it lights <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Very interesting! I've made up some petroleum jelly cotton balls, but never thought about the magnesium shavings.

The magnesium helps it burn nice and hot <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Yup it does, it'll be burning and then all of a sudden a brief intense flareup and it just keeps on burning.

Nice tip.

Neato! I like those <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

gracias. I like 'em too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Great idea buddy, how did you make all those shavings ?

This^^^^^^. Inquiring minds wanna know!

Ancient Chinese secret <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Ok, so I didn't make the mag shavings. I just found an industrial supplier <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> I don't have THAT much free time to shave down those little magnesium bars with my SAK <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I thought you may have milled down an old VW Beetle block or something of the sort.