Making Tinder

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.

Very good tip . I'll have to try those out . Not sure where I'll get the shaving though , but I'll look around <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I Googled "magnesium shavings" and got a pretty good list of suppliers.

I had absolutely no idea that cotton balls were rolled.

(I don't know what I thought they were - but I wouldn't have guessed that they were rolled!)

Great tip - I'll have to put something like that together for my vehicle kit.

Dan, a vehicle kit should also have a bottle of potassium permangenate; add a couple drops of anti-freeze to a small pile and POOF!...instant fire! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I have a gas can in my vehicle kit. I can refuel with it and if you have issues with making a fire with gas ......

Potassium permangenate granules can be carried in a small bottle, can be used for disinfectant for cuts, and can be used in a weak solution to disinfect water. Can't do that with gasoline. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

.... great, searching for aluminium box just now!

That is pretty cool! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

Tom - I'll have to look in to that - great tip!

I like to keep my cotton and dryer lent in a Hudson Bay Company tin which is a little larger than a standard Altoids tin, about the same thickness. It has the added bonus of a great little glass magnifying lens built in the side. Not sure if you are familiar with them but they are a great piece of kit to get if you can find one.

Although I might add that recently Pitman has really turned me on to using pine resin, that stuff burns like napalm if you've never tried it. I've started keeping a small pill bottle full of resin in my fire kit now- Thanks Pit!

Good read here. I had thought about the magnesium before but forgot to act on it. Now that Tom mentioned the stuff earlier I will have to get some of it and try it too. Like I said, food read!

Potassium permangenate--that's a good idea for the car. You'll always have antifreeze with you there <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

That's why I mentioned it in this thread. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Got in a batch of aluminum canisters yesterday. I may need to find some potassium permangente now <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Just check eBay! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I did! Maybe I should have more correctly stated: "I may need to find a way to pay for some potassium permangente now <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> "

OY! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif" alt="" />