Just curious if anyone else is running into this problem -- I recently (late 2008 - mid 2009) bought some WetFire tinder from UST and noticed the little gray foil packets seem to come apart at the end seams quickly. I've had a couple of pieces stored in an Aloksak bag with some other survival gear and the packets have already started coming apart, leaving little white shavings inside my survival kit. Also, I recently bought a StrikeForce firesteel (with the tinder in the handle) and the foil packet inside that had started to come apart as well. I wouldn't be so concerned, but from what I understand exposure to air degrades the tinder. I just sent an e-mail to Ultimate Survival Technologies, and if I hear anything I'll give an update.

So... anybody else have this happen to them?

JOOC, could you try lighting them with the sparking firestarter? Exposure to air will fairly quickly turn them into useless lumps of white stuff, not much good as tinder. Curious if those still in the Aloksak deteriorated already.

I'll definitely give that a try tomorrow and report back...

I will also try lighting the tab that was shipped in the handle of the StrikeForce and had somehow opened.

Okay, I went ahead and tested the following pieces of WetFire tinder:

Test 1) Piece of tinder that was included new in the StrikeForce firesteel handle. This piece had degraded (completely crumbled) in the handle and had started to flake off with an obvious hole in the end seam of the foil packet.

This piece failed to light with the StrikeForce firesteel. I was able to get it to light with a lighter. It burned for the least amount of time.

Test 2) Piece of tinder that was originally from bulk WetFire packaging and had been inside my Aloksak survival kit for a few months. Piece was mostly solid with minor crumbling and flaking. This piece had an obvious hole in the end seam of the foil packet and had started leaving small shavings inside the Aloksak.

This piece failed to light with a Doan firesteel. I was able to get it to light with a lighter. It burned for a medium amount of time.

Test 3) Piece of new tinder pulled out of storage with other WetFire tinder, exposed to no adverse storage or use. Upon closer examination it was easy to see that the end seam had failed on this foil packet as well. Piece was solid with no crumbling.

This piece was able to be lit by the Doan firesteel after breaking into chunks and burned much longer than the other two tests.

Conclusion) There seems to be a problem with the end seams on the WetFire tinder foil packaging.



(I have additional pictures from the tests if needed.)

cedfire,

I've seen the same exact issue that you have. I bought a fresh pack of WetFire tinder after reading a promissing review on it. I place a few cubes in my PSK.

Well, on a camping weekend with the scouts, I was doing a bit of PWYP (Practice What You Preach). Well, I couldn't get the tinder to light with a spark to save my life... It did take to a lighter, but I wasn't impressed with the burn time. Seems that I had similar seam failures. This was true even for packs that were never placed in my kits.

Mike

Thanks Mike... glad I'm not just imagining things! I want to trust this tinder, I really do. But so far things have not been good. Hopefully UST gets back to me with some info.

I have just checked mine. They appear to be ok but I have overbagged them. Just as a precaution.


One point that I would make about Wet-Fire, Esbit, Trioxane foil bagged type tinders in general: They are all vunerable to packaging damage. Unfortunatly it's inherent. The best way to ensure that it remains usable is to:

1) Store it in a rigid container . Altoids tins etc are perfect.

2) Over wrap the tinder with tape to reinforce the seams.

Wet-fire has it's weakness's but it's still (in my view) a better choice than Esbit or Trioxane because it's non-toxic.

Another interesting twist here -- I just looked at the lightweight survival kit I had put together the other day. Inside a small zipper pouch (heavy duty Omniseal kind for fishing licenses) were two pieces of WetFire tinder. They have not been subjected to any abuse and were put there directly from original packaging. I looked at the pouch and realized there was a glossy sheen inside, with an outline where the two tinder tabs were sitting. I pulled them out and sure enough, an oily residue on the foil packaging and they were partially opened on the end seams.

Then I went and looked at the rest of my WetFire tinder in the closet. More of an oily sheen on nearly all of the individual foil packets, too! And all over the plastic drawer.

Not sure what to make of this except the seams are failing in my three separate batches that had been opened, and leaving an oily residue (guessing from the tinder ingredients). I have another retail package I had bought last week and upon closer examination I can see lots of little white flakes inside. Not a good thing.

I'll have to check mine, but IIRC, mine came in a gold color foil packet.

Thought: Have you tried cutting one in half and tried to light the interior? I suspect if you cut them open to expose fresh material you might have more luck.

-john

Didn't try cutting one in half and lighting that, but I did break them apart into chunks. All of the ones I have are the newer variety in the gray foil packets.