Fire starter

[sharpshooter996]

Just want to comment on a new fire starter I have been using. For a long time ive been using the magnesium and flint. A couple of weeks ago I learned from a youtube video a new one that works quite well.

This is very simple and a lot quicker than the magnesium. You take a large cotton ball and saturate it with petroleum jelly (vaseline) work it it good. Then when you want to light it just fluff it pretty good then throw a spark to it. It lights surprisingly easy and burns for around 2 min depending on how bit the cotton ball is an how much petroleum you rub in. Dont over saturate or it will not light.

Good luck, hope you like this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgvyP596RJk

[Noss]

Nice. I'm going to try this out. It was burning for a long time. :thumb: I love playing with fire starters. in the field.

[eatingmuchface]

Actually Noss, one thing I noticed in your field test was how long the magnesium stayed lit.
I wonder which will last longer?

I have an old pill bottle stuffed with cotton balls with petroleum rubbed on them too.
they work great. :D

[Shaolin]

Very nice, yeah it was burning for a long time.

[Noss]

Actually Noss, one thing I noticed in your field test was how long the magnesium stayed lit.
I wonder which will last longer?

I have an old pill bottle stuffed with cotton balls with petroleum rubbed on them too.
they work great. :D


EMF: Magnesium burns very quick. I always used a wax sawdust mixture or some fire starter log ( same thing) with the magnesium. The whole system is very water proof.
It's not the most trouble free system as it takes some work to shave the magnesium and sometimes I have to do it several times to get a fire started but it has always worked for me.

I'll have to try your method also.

[eatingmuchface]

oh, idk, I thought it looked like it burned long.
lol
I guess it burned longer because of the wax/sawdust.
:D

[Noss]

Yeah it burns very fast but very hot 5400°F degrees.

[sharpshooter996]

Ya ive always had luck with the magnesium, but it takes a while to shave up a good pile that will work first time. It does burn real fast but very hot. this probable will work better than the cotton/petroleum sometimes. especially if the rest of your tinder/wood is not bone dry. I always carry a little bag of birch bark too. This stuff goes up like gas when its dry.

[whispv7]

when i use the cotton ball and vaseline i only saturate half cause if you fully saturate it its harder for it to take a flame, but if you do half you light the dry half and it lights the jelly and burns thoroughly.

[Noss]

Good tip. Thanks whispv7 :thumb:

[Not too bad, man]

Good post, I love stuff like that. :rockon:

[Jhenry]

The cotton balls work very well. Of course vaseline and cotton balls are not available in the bush so a guy should practice without such aids. That being said, I carry them as well.

A further refinement is the fire stick. Take an ordinary drinking straw and cut into sections about 1 1/2 inches in length. Seal one end with the heat from a soldering iron or wood burning pencil. Use a stick to push a vaseline cotton ball into the straw, then seal the other end. These pack real well without mess in an altoids tin or whatever. To use, slit down the side and tease out some cotton ball. Light as ususal. The plastic burns also. These are a bit more work to prepare but pack with no mess and are sealed from moisture.

[Dragline]

I like the firesticks, also.

I gotta make more, though. I'm almost out.

[Jmd]

Seen a video (years ago) where plain steel wool and a 9 volt battery were used. Put the two poles of the battery on the wool and it starts glowing. I think sparks work the same. Really surprised me and it looks cool. I need to try it some time.

I have a magnesium bar with striker and just purchased a firesteel from REI. Haven't used them yet (except to make some sparks) but look forward to igniting the magnesium.

Take care

[Jhenry]

The steel wool trick works real well, a old scout camp trick but then again, folks are unlikely to have an abundance of steel wool in the bush.

As for the magnesium bars, there are 2 types, the Coughlin (sp?) and the Doan. The Doan ones are the military contract version and are a better quality. The magnesium is the same in both but the non military ones can have the sparking rod pop out and/or break. Not so with the other. My experience shows me you should not skimp on the magnesium shavings. Scrape off a good amount and then double it. Experiment from there. I find it helpful to do the scraping over a piece of bark,foil,paper, something anyway to catch the scrapings and get the tinder going on. Then transfer to the lighter kindling.

[BimotaBoy]

This might sound silly, but in the service we would use magnesium on a FRITO chip. Frito's burn nice!