I finally tried dyer lint as tinder and all I can say is "WOW!" So easy! One scrape on the fire steel and away she went. Now I'm thinking of adding it to all my kits.

What's your favorite tinder for your psk?

I used to be a cotton balls and vaseline kinda girl, then I moved to quick tinder, both added to a stash of birch bark. I'm jonesin for the dryer lint now. My hubby's been stashing it for some time, "just in case". I love that man!

belly button lint

I've been using Tinder-Quik and it's worked great for me.

I'm sticking with the vaseline cotton balls. Lightweight, multi-use, lights easy, and burns hot.

Vaseline-infused cotton balls:

1. extremely effective
2. inherently waterproof
3. compact
4. lightweight
5. cheap

That is a rare and valuable combination of features. Dryer lint is great but you have to go to lengths to keep it dry.

Cotton and Petro Jelleh. Knowing that dryer lint is most likely 99% Synthetic materials, Human Hair And pet fur I stay away from it <.<.

That is a little gross, isn't it!

Living in the Pacific Northwest were it’s wet, damp and nasty a good portion of the year and almost always when you‘d actually need the warmth of a fire to survive; I’d answer have sufficient tinder with you and preferably a piece of two of fatwood to help get the kindling you’ve made going. I’ve had good luck getting a variety of different tinder going, it’s getting a sustaining fire going that takes lots of time and work and in some weather conditions luck. And always have enough to start over again if needed. I usually have a cut down chunk or two of fatwood, some Vaseline soaked cotton balls, wet fire and some of the tinder that’s in Doug’s kit in my pack and far more in my SUV.

Everyday, I carry cotton balls and Burt's Beeswax Lip Balm. Sometimes I'll carry Vaseline also. Sometimes the cotton balls will be pre-mixed with the fuel, but usually not.

Guess I keep it simple. I've carried chunks of Coghlan's fire starter sticks in every kit and every pocket for nearly twenty-five years. Pretty low tech, I guess; but it's started fires, pre-heated white gas stoves, gone through the wash, been dunked in rivers, and never let me down. Don't know if it would take a spark from a firesteel though; I guess I should work out that angle.

As always, YMMV.

http://www.coghlans.com/products/fire-sticks-7940