I'm not sure how the Tinder Card is manufactured. It smells a bit like beeswax but probably isn't. I like the stuff for the following reasons:

1) It's rigid. It's not structural strong like wood but more live heavy cardboard. This makes it ideal for several applications. For example I can cut rounds out of it sized to fit the lid of my UCO Match case and once pressed up in there it's stiff enough to stay there. It makes a great backing board, and it will stand up if you lean it up on something.

2) It can be be "frizzed up" while retaining its shape. You can score the top side of it or one end to the point where it can easily be lit with a spark while staying in one shape. Some won't care but I like that for the way I build fires.

3) It burns at a nice, controlled rate. Unlike paper that flares up it's more like a cotton ball soaked with PJ. It's candle-like.

4) Being rigid you can cut it to fit specific spaces. For instance I will often cut it into little sticks that I can slip into a match case.

I like to use it in conjunction with other products. For instance, a cotton ball is great in a match case because it stuffs it up to prevent rattling and works as tinder. But it burns very fast; coating it in PJ is great but it's not much good to pack around matches then.

Maybe that is why Doug Ritter puts it in the PSP and PSP+.A bit of foil can be used as a wind screen,heat reflector,pot lid and to wrap a bit of food to coal bake.Foil can be folded to fit in a lot of places.It's a good multi tasker to include in kits.

BOATMAN
John

Plenty of heavy duty (not standard weight) aluminum foil will come in real handy and is among the most versatile of supplies, while weighing next to nothing. It makes a superb heat reflector, provides a fireproof base when needed, can be formed into cups, pots or pans and has numerous other cooking uses and it can be used in various ways for signaling, just to name a few of its many possible functions. You can never have too much aluminum foil around a survival camp.

I dunked a cotton ball in water, wrung it out the best I could with the help of a paper towel, and tried to light the cotton by using a ferro rod spark. I learned three things from this experiment:

1. A fluffed out cotton ball that is just a tiny bit damp will NOT catch a spark.

2. A fluffed out cotton ball that is just a tiny bit damp will NOT even ignite if I put a naked flame to it.

3. A damp cotton ball (and therefore damp cotton fabric) is a good way to put OUT a fire.

This messed up my confidence. Thus, I'm going to buy some of that Fire Cord Waterproof Tinder and try it out.

GearWard has posted a new video comparing FireCord and TinderQuik after soaking them. The FireCord did really well.

If you've got waterproof space then TinderQuiks and PJ balls are fine. FireCord offers the unique property of waterproofness without additional packaging, even after being flexed and bent. That's why I use it as the tinder in my paracord bracelet.

also interesting comparison, under Zombie Tinder criteria tinder-quik rates the worst

results of that gearward test are not too surprising , treating a sponge the same as a pencil, , you can't shake a sponge (tinder-quik) dry like a pencil (firecord)

compare to this video (esp how they're fluffed)