My wife and I performed an impromptu firemaking experiment yesterday utilizing the items in her Altoids kit. Specifically with the waterproof matches and tea light. Despite there being snow on the ground we were able to locate the needed dry twigs, bark, and even a bird nest. After much effort we determined that the tea light was of little use. The flame was not very big and it was hard to utilize the melted wax. We finally managed to keep a sustained fire after adding slightly damp punk wood from a dead tree and using my butane lighter to get it burning.
The results may have been different in the dry summer months but it got me to thinking that there must be better material to carry. After getting home I decided that I could replace the tea lights in our kits with a Wet Fire cube and three trick birthday candles. We'll have to try these next weekend. I'll post the results!

Chris

Thanks for the heads up on the tea-light. I will still keep mine for warmth if no fire can be built.
But the tinder cubes are a better idea - for a more compact tinder you may want to consider the spark-lite tinder or the coghlan's tinders as well..

My 2 cents

Good points. We carry the sparklights in our backpack kits along with lifeboat matches. I have a Strike Force as well which holds a Wet Fire cube in the grip.
The Altoid kits are more for casual walks in the neighborhood woods or to supplement our other gear.
I think the lesson here is practice, practice, practice and not to assume something will work.

Chris

Yes, practice is invaluable. I also have been experimenting lately with much of the survival gear I take. I sometimes carry a candle for heating a small shelter. It's amazing how much heat you can get in a semi-enclosed space.

However, for firestarting, I have carried one the various tinders & etc after my reading here @ETS.

Since I go camping so often, I have gone thru several different brands, but keep coming back to cotton balls in petroleum jelly. I have yet to be fireless with this method, and it seems to burn both hotter and longer-- thus starting a fire more quickly. A bit messier-- but the nearly "squeezed out" balls can be crammed into a small space-- like a section of the larger type of straw sometimes found at fast-food establishments-- and then the ends are hot-glued closed. Also these seem to work best, like many tinders, when they are pulled apart into many strands.

Please keep up the testing and let us know what you find!

& I learned this all on this website, so I can take no credit for the original ideas.

A newely encouraged reader, Tim H./9fingers

Had better luck this weekend. The trick birthday candle works much better that the tea light. I placed the candle flat on a piece of bark at the bottom of the tinder pile (shredded bark) and built a teepee style fire using dead twigs and more peeled bark.

The key is to start with sticks the size of a pencil lead and work up slowly. Having a base that separates everything from the ground helps as well.

Chris