I may not ever waste my time by dripping wax over cotton balls. If I have cotton balls and wax, then I may just put a cotton ball on top of a candle and light it.

I lit the cotton ball below by using a ferro rod. I didn't expect what happened next. The cotton behaved as a wick! The flame was huge. I could not put the flame out by blowing hard on it. So, this setup is windproof to some extent. The flame was going for about five minutes and could have gone for a lot longer. I got bored and put the flame out by dowsing the flame with water. The next step is to test this method in the wild with a smaller candle that's better for carrying.

The technique you have just demonstrated is best suited to kits that have a votive candle and cotton balls in them, and yes it works very well indeed.

Just as a point: You don't "drip wax on to cotton ball's", you melt the wax and dip the cotton into it. It gives you a firestarter that burn's in much the same fashion as the technique you have just demonstrated.

Its all ways a good idea to leave some of the cotton "dry", that is to say unwaxed to serve as a wick.


I am aware that the survival kit reviews on the main page emphasise that candle melt in hot weather, however a candle and cotton wool give you an excellent fire starter in cold enviroments and may be used (with caution) to warm up emergency shelters. Especially if the situation makes a fire impractial.

A votive candle works quite well, thanks. I got a burn time of about 30 minutes with a big flame. Without the big flame, I'm guessing a burn time of a few hours. I will be making room in my kits for votive candles. By the way, I'm currently interested in fire starting in freezing conditions. So, wax melting is not an issue.

What is an issue is containing the melting wax after the big flame gets going. What kind of candle holder is practical to carry, aluminum foil?