Creating Fire Starters

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trouttouter
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Creating Fire Starters

Post by trouttouter » Tue Jan 19, 2010 12:52 pm

I've always read about cotton ball and petroleum jelly fire starters, but I've never tested them out. Since I've been loading up my new day pack I decided to make a few and test them before just throwing them in. Here is how I did it:

1.) Lay out cotton pads on a paper plate and generously apply 100% pure petroleum jelly. I used Vaseline. I recommend coating only one side for easy handling.
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2.) Place fire starter anywhere you need a constant flame (for about 45-60 seconds) to facilitate starting a larger fire. I chose my garage floor.
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3.) Add flame. I have a creme brulee torch that I carry in my hunting pack.
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Here is the flame after about 10 seconds.
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Here it is at about 30 seconds.
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The homemade firestarters produced about 50 seconds of constant, even flame. I now have four of them stored inside a ziplock bag in my new pack.

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DONY1
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Re: Creating Fire Starters

Post by DONY1 » Tue Jan 19, 2010 12:56 pm

If you can get film canisters they should fit in there nicely. Never done it for fire starters but used to put tinks on cotton balls and keep them that way and it worked real well.

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Cr0ck1
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Re: Creating Fire Starters

Post by Cr0ck1 » Tue Jan 19, 2010 1:05 pm

i got one for you also..

Take brown paperbags.. Cut them in up in squares and fold the squares into about 3-4 inch piles.. Tie them up in twine rope..

So now basically you got a stacked up folded piece of brown paper tied in a piece of twine the size of your palm.

Melt some candle wax in a pot.


Dip the packets in the melted wax you just made by holding them by the extra piece of twine hanging off and let them dry. Then you got firestarters..



Also you can take a ziplock bag and put the lint that builds up in a washing machine and pack that all into the bag and keep that. it lights up very well.

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Iluv2hunt
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Re: Creating Fire Starters

Post by Iluv2hunt » Tue Jan 19, 2010 1:34 pm

I just use fat lighter wood
I don't hunt turkeys because I want to, I hunt them because I have to. ~Colonel Tom Kelly

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Kortsman
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Re: Creating Fire Starters

Post by Kortsman » Tue Jan 19, 2010 1:41 pm

How long will those cotton pads last? What if you forget about them? Will they still light if they are a few months old?

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trouttouter
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Re: Creating Fire Starters

Post by trouttouter » Tue Jan 19, 2010 1:58 pm

I'll let you know. They should still light, but if I haven't used them in a few months I will pull them out and find out.

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Cr0ck1
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Re: Creating Fire Starters

Post by Cr0ck1 » Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:02 pm

the ones i posted up stay good for long time.. also just carry a small metal pill container with white gas in it.. works like a charm everytime..

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trouttouter
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Re: Creating Fire Starters

Post by trouttouter » Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:58 pm

I've heard of all the ones Crock mentioned, but never tried any of them myself. I have to see something myself before I believe it. Good additions Crock!

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Skunk Ape
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Re: Creating Fire Starters

Post by Skunk Ape » Tue Jan 19, 2010 3:04 pm

Iluv2hunt wrote:I just use fat lighter wood
I have a life time supply in my back yard. I have logs lting around. Been cutting it for 11 years now.

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nachogrande
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Re: Creating Fire Starters

Post by nachogrande » Tue Jan 19, 2010 5:35 pm

if sealed in plastic the cotton balls /vaseline should last just about forever. also good for burns,chapped lips,dry skin, five knuckle shuffle, or gettin all brokeback mtn if you've really been out in the woods waaay too long.I've got a small shoe polish tin full of em and still work fine after 25 yrs. another tip melt the vaseline with the cotton balls in the microwave, it realy soaks them well.
Anything worth doing is worth overdoing

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Iluv2hunt
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Re: Creating Fire Starters

Post by Iluv2hunt » Tue Jan 19, 2010 5:39 pm

Skunk Ape wrote:
Iluv2hunt wrote:I just use fat lighter wood
I have a life time supply in my back yard. I have logs lting around. Been cutting it for 11 years now.
I pick up every piece I see. I have probably 5k pounds of it up at the house. When I left a lease I was in a few years back, I brought a truck load back of small pieces. My sister got drunk one night and burned every piece of it out at the fire pit. That is still a sore subject with me and her. I have 2 pieces of it out in the woods at my lease that are coming home with me when I get out of there. Both about 400 pounds each
I don't hunt turkeys because I want to, I hunt them because I have to. ~Colonel Tom Kelly

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Skunk Ape
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Re: Creating Fire Starters

Post by Skunk Ape » Tue Jan 19, 2010 5:43 pm

We had a crew come in our club a few years ago that used drag lines around heads and they were filling up tractor trailors full of big stumps. That stuff is everywhere,we've been getting a lot lately during the cold snap and building some giant fires at camp.

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nachogrande
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Re: Creating Fire Starters

Post by nachogrande » Wed Jan 20, 2010 8:28 am

lacey, it's not the lighter, it's what is gonna burn if it's been raining for days. out west it was great everything was so dry and very low humidity , you could easily start fires with just 1 regular match.
Anything worth doing is worth overdoing

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john l
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Re: Creating Fire Starters

Post by john l » Wed Jan 20, 2010 9:14 pm

A lighter

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john l
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Re: Creating Fire Starters

Post by john l » Wed Jan 20, 2010 9:57 pm

Why, is it out of gas?

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