I was watching as much Ray Mears on YouTube last night and noticed that in one video he used a strip of rubber cut from a rubber innertube as tinder to start his fire. Looked like it was from a bicycle and was about 1/2" x 2" in size.

I'd never have thought of that...and I've thrown away or recycled many over the years.

I'd link the vid but I can't hit YouTube from work. If anybody is familiar with it feel free to post it.

Did it look like they were pretty easy to light up? What were they using to ignite them? Matches?

Doesn't somebody call these super rubber bands cut from bicycle tires "Ranger Bands"??

Looked like he used a Bic...and it didn't take long before it caught on it's own.

Rubber makes pretty good tinder. Once it catches it burns hot and for a considerable time considering its weight and bulk. Of the rubber tinder tried the best so far is the wrappings around the core of an old golf ball. It is very fine bands that catch easily. Another recycling tip I guess.

First I heard of rubber as tinder was pulling a few strands of elastic out of your jockey shorts or socks to use as tinder. Bet you never considered that. A survival instructor I knew was big into using what you wear. His thought was that virtually everyone has a considerable amount of gear always on hand if they just knew about it.

Of course burning rubber gives off a nasty smell, toxic fumes and produces a lot of soot that pollutes anything placed over the fire. At least it does until the rubber burns off. And don't be surprised if hours after you think all the rubber is burned off little bits of it flare up and stink. An acceptable trade-off in a survival situation I figure. In small amounts it might be acceptable for wider use. Give it a go and see how it works for you.

Another option to try is latex foam rubber. Preferably the stuff not treated with a flame retardent.

Here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fcMbAHLXBo

And this is a trick that you should use in any enviroment.
Tip: If you cannot get inner tube or an old tyre, rubber bands (the sort you get in offices) work very well indeed.

Absolutely works! I use 1/2" strips of inner tube, cut to around 14-18" long, to lash gear (jacket, raingear, sleeping bag) to my packs instead of paracord and therefore I have 2-3 in almost every pocket of outerwear. Although I carry cotton-vas. tinder to catch a spark, if I'm going to use a match or a lighter I swear by the rubber strip.

Once on a hunt I really needed a fire, in a cold, wet, snowstorm. I laid a fire and easily lit a pile of finger size twigs (whereas I usually start with matchstick size) with a stinky burning 3" strip of tube I lit with the old Zippo. Flaming globs of burning rubber really got things going.

A free source of old bycycle innner tubes is your post office if your local mail men use bycycles.
The Sock

Inner Tube also make great Hatchet or Axe Sheaths. Just staple a small piece of wood to the inside and wrap it around the Axe or put an extra wrap in the inner tube. Easy to get on and off. Simpler to make than a leather one and definitely a recycling project. I use car/truck inner tubes and pieces of hockey sticks and if i want a nice one I hollow out a bit of the wood so the Axe/Hatchet rest nicely in the hollow. It also means you have an excellent source of the worlds smokiest tinder.

Personally I use high pressure air hose slit the length on one side.

I wonder how that stuff burn?

Another source of free inner tubes is a local bike repair shop. They usually have plenty of unusable inner tubes they're happy to get rid of. I get mine from the Local REI.