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Going to be taking kids out this summer and Fall for some backpacking and canoeing into the bush and then backpack hunting this fall

Curious what your simplest, bullet-proof firestarter set up is? Keep in mind, I am planning on working with the kids (11 and 12 yo) in building little kits for them.


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Bic lighter


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I'm a fan of coating cotton balls heavily with petroleum jelly. You can put a bunch in a ziplock bag to keep it less messy. Pull one out, stretch it out good and put under some small sticks. It'll start fires in most conditions.

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Whatever you do, don't rely on our current brands of 'strike nowhere' matches. They won't. Even a little bit of dampness and they won't light at all.


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Two of the small bic lighters. One in my pocket & one in my pack. Both in ziplock bags with some 550 cord.


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Originally Posted by 30338
I'm a fan of coating cotton balls heavily with petroleum jelly. You can put a bunch in a ziplock bag to keep it less messy. Pull one out, stretch it out good and put under some small sticks. It'll start fires in most conditions.


^^^^^ This plus the aforementioned Bic lighters. I also throw in a magnesium firestick as well.


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There are lots of good strikers on the market. I have a StrikeForce that's really good but it's not the only one by any means. Every kid needs to learn how to use one.


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Bic lighter and lint from the dryer or the aforementioned petroleum jelly soaked cotton balls.There is a never ending supply of lint at my house so we put it to good use.


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Originally Posted by shootsaswede
Bic lighter and lint from the dryer or the aforementioned petroleum jelly soaked cotton balls.There is a never ending supply of lint at my house so we put it to good use.

11 and 12 might be a bit too old for this, but keep a straight face and try to convince them you have been collecting your bellybutton lint. wink

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You can try this with the cotton balls and petroleum jelly. Find some fat plastic straws, the fatter the better (I have used the fat straws you can get filled with powdered candy). And you will need some needle nose pliers and a bic lighter.
Cut the straws into pieces about 2.5 inches long. Use the needle nose pliers to pinch one end shut with a bit of the open end showing, then melt it closed with the lighter. Now you have a little cylinder sealed on one end. Stuff it full of the treated cotton balls up to about 1/2 inch from the other end. Then pinch that end shut and melt it sealed.
When you need it just cut the end off and pull out most of the cotton ball, then light the whole thing.
These will last almost forever in your survival kit.


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magnesium fire stick, dryer lint, and birch bark. Cotton balls with petroleum jelly also work great, but can be messy, especially with kids.

For an easy to carry in the pack fire starter kit:
Bic lighter, tube of Blistex lip balm (medicated petroleum jelly), and dryer lint or cotton balls, and small magnesium fire stick. Entire thing can fit into a large pill bottle.

I have also used the product Wet Fire, which works great.

That all being said, this is an ingenious idea.

Originally Posted by SamB
You can try this with the cotton balls and petroleum jelly. Find some fat plastic straws, the fatter the better (I have used the fat straws you can get filled with powdered candy). And you will need some needle nose pliers and a bic lighter.
Cut the straws into pieces about 2.5 inches long. Use the needle nose pliers to pinch one end shut with a bit of the open end showing, then melt it closed with the lighter. Now you have a little cylinder sealed on one end. Stuff it full of the treated cotton balls up to about 1/2 inch from the other end. Then pinch that end shut and melt it sealed.
When you need it just cut the end off and pull out most of the cotton ball, then light the whole thing.
These will last almost forever in your survival kit.


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Originally Posted by shootsaswede
Bic lighter and lint from the dryer or the aforementioned petroleum jelly soaked cotton balls.There is a never ending supply of lint at my house so we put it to good use.
If you have small kids, there's a good chance the lint won't burn. It's treated for fire resistance. Adult lint works fine.


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In addition to what's been said, extra fine 0000 steel wool works well when you shower it with sparks from a striker.

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Whichever one you use a little practice with it prior to going out is helpful.


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The best fire-starter I know of is a road flare. Magnesium chips work well too, but a road flare will burn hot enough and long enough to get a fire going under all but the wettest of conditions.

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We sliced up some Fatwood dipped it in paraffin wax and then sprinkled on some old gunpowder this year fot fire starters. It starts right away and keeps burning for a while in damp conditions. Messy process but a fun supervised kid project, I had some old powder to dispose of and this worked fine.

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Are we talking about tinder or the item used to start it?


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Originally Posted by Jordan Smith
In addition to what's been said, extra fine 0000 steel wool works well when you shower it with sparks from a striker.


Jordan;
Top of the morning to you sir, it's been too long since I've said hello and I trust this finds you folks well.

Whenever I'm out in the bush I've got a Light My Fire lighter in my left pants pocket along with a wad of 0000 steel wool and cotton balls - both soaked in petroleum jelly and held in two heavy duty plastic bags.

By way of experimenting with that setup, I've been able to soak it for several minutes under water, then shake it off and use it to start a fire.

That said Jordan, in my pack I've got a selection of matches, a mini torch, fatwood and a magnesium bar type fire starter as well.

I always say if anything happens to me in the bush, unless I'm knocked out they'll find me by the huge fire. wink

All the best to you folks this summer Jordan.

Dwayne


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Egg carton, cotton ball, and beeswax.

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Cut strips from an old bicycle inner tube. Make sure there is a point at the end of the cut. Add local tinder.

If tinder is needed, dryer lint or some kind of paper.

And, of course, bic lighter smile


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