How durable is the Weber stuff? Does it hold up any better than Wetfire (which doesn't hold up particularly well)?

And how large is it? It sounds like it's a lot bigger than the little blocks of Wetfire. Once you open the packaging, I assume any portion that is unused will go bad quickly, yes?

HJ

It's too soon for me to tell if will "spoil" after opening. I'm not sure why it would but I don't know. They're inexpensive enough that you could replace them frequently, using up aging stock for the intended purpose of lighting your grill. Sealing them with something like a Foodsaver would probably also work. As for size the cubes aroue about 1" or so. They are somewhat crumbly not in a dry, chalky way. They're easy to break up or cut but they hold together pretty well.

I would estimate a single Weber cube is about 2-3x the size of a single WetFire cube. You are definitely getting more for your money.

You're right, once you open foil backing on the Weber packaging air can get into the individual "compartments", each holding a cube.

One way around that is I have cut a bunch of cubes out from the main portion, then vacuum sealed them together. This should eliminate the air problem. I also have a batch sitting in a regular Ziploc bag. After some more time passes I'm going to open both up and test them again.

And yes, if you are close to a Home Depot or similar store, you can find the Weber cubes priced at around $4 a pack.

I think the WetFire cubes must have something volatile in them, something that allows them to burn even in water. I imagine that when the packaging is compromised, the volatile compounds evaporate or sublimate away.

I've kind of decided that as much as I like WetFire that it isn't really practical. A tinder that isn't durable and dependable isn't really all that helpful. Maybe if I lived in a wet climate the hassle of constantly rotating stock and carrying it in a hard sided container would be worth it.

HJ

Yes Naphtha or it at least was.
I assume they haven't changed.
Essentially the same as Zippo lighters use.

I think the wetfire cubes have some value but perhaps not in a soft sided PSK. I'm going to carry the tender that's in Doug's kit in the PSK with some additional wetfire cubes in my backpack and SUV. While the wetfire is impressive it wouldn't be if it gets damaged and won't do the job.

That makes perfect sense. The cube acts as sort of a wick for the naptha stored inside it. If the package is damaged, then the Naptha eventually evaporates until all you have left is the "wick". This is the same problem that one has with a Zippo lighter that has been left in storage: the lighter will be dry. Never use a Zippo in a BOB or something like that.

HJ

That's basically the conclusion I've come to.

HJ

Same here... instead of keeping a cube of WetFire in the handle of my UST Strike Force firesteel, I've got four or five tabs of the Tinder Quik in a tiny zipper baggie. The WetFire has been reserved for vehicle kits, hard-sided kits, backpacks, or camping.

The Weber stuff works awesome if you crush it nearly to dust. So I think just a ziplock would be sufficient. I've used it that way several times.