Firestarters

[7.62x39(4)life]

a little science before you set your apartment on fire STUART! Road flares contain strontium Nitrate and oxidizer that supplies the oxygen needed for the fuel to burn... so you are not going to be able to put it out with dirt or water... to put out a flare you grind the burning surface against the pavement. In general water is a bad idea on a chemical fire.

[Irving]

Thanks for the post. That is exactly what I suspected, and the reason I didn't light it. For the record, I wasn't going to do it inside the apartment.

Sounds like you put it out just like a cigar. Thanks again.

[theGinsue]

I've never heard of fire pistons before. Those are amazing firestarting tools.

[SA Friday]

bottle of cotton balls soaked in vaseline, a small magnifying glass, cheap lighter, and a smallbag of corn chips. GTG.

[gnihcraes]

I carry the 0000 steel wool, magnesium fire starter in all vehicles and camping gear... works well. I wonder how vaseline and steel wool work together?

[SA Friday]

I carry the 0000 steel wool, magnesium fire starter in all vehicles and camping gear... works well. I wonder how vaseline and steel wool work together?

I could see using a small piece of steel wool and a 9v battery to light the vaseline/cotton. Give it a shot and let us know how it works.

[KevDen2005]

I carry the 0000 steel wool, magnesium fire starter in all vehicles and camping gear... works well. I wonder how vaseline and steel wool work together?

What kind of magnesium fire starter do you carry. I only ask because I used to carry the kind where you had to scrape off the magnesium and then strike it. If you haven't practiced doing that I certainly would. I actually used to just keep them filed down and keep the shavings in a 35mm film container.

[SA Friday]

Any firestarting material is going to work as long as you know how to use it and practice using the materials. Ultimately, you should learn and perfect as many ways you can find on how to start a fire. The knowledge of the various ways, the materials needed, and the skill to use them is much more important than which Mg firestarter is the best. Lets face it, you could have a propane blow torch to start a fire, but if you don't recognize it's value or the knowledge on how to use it, it might as well be a rock.

Test this. Take your wife out back, show her a disassembled hand torch (one with the knob and no electric starter) and a lighter and see if she can tell you what it is and figure out how to use it. I suspect 1 in 2 can't do it.

[Aloha_Shooter]

Boys Scouts used to teach making their own non-toxic firestarters and canned heat.

For the firebugs, take 2-4 sheets of newspaper folded normally (along the spine). Roll up tightly -- should be approximately the thickness of 1-2 thumbs. Tie closed 1" in and at 2" intervals with cotton twine -- I use square knots. Leave a good 2-3" piece of twine dangling from the knot. Cut midway between the twine so you have approximately 2" segments tied shut in the middle. Hold by the "fuse" (that 2-3" piece you left hanging from the knot) and dip into melted paraffin wax. Let wax soak into newspaper -- I forget how long this takes but it's not long. Drip drain and then dry/cool/harden on a clean piece of newspaper or waxed paper.

For the canned heat, take a clean dry tuna fish can (or similar size can). Cut corrugated cardboard in strips as wide as the can is tall so you can lay them inside the can and see the corrugation from the top. The strips should sit just under the lip of the can. Fill the can with the strips, preferably laying them down in a spiral coil for best density without packing the can. Pour melted paraffin wax into the can until it just hits the top of the corrugated cardboard (don't go over the top of the cardboard or it will drown the flame when it melts).

Both of these are very portable, light, easy to make and non-toxic. You may want to throw them in a plastic bag during very hot weather.

[jerrymrc]

Let me give ya something to think about. cotton balls/dryer lint with Vaseline is great and works very well. Why not go two for one?

If you are going to use cotton balls why not use the triple antibiotic ointment on them? Still a petroleum based product that lights very well but if ya get a scrape on the way to light your fire you have part of your first aid kit right there.

Just a thought.