Originally Posted By: yee
Originally Posted By: boatman
Petrroleum jelly cotton balls (PJB's) and a big piece of fatwood wrapped in wax paper and aluminum foil.T


I've been thinking about this exact problem. My preferred tinder is cotton balls soaked in PJ. I realized that fluffing up the PJ is definitely in the "fine motor skill" territory.

While I am hoping that striking the ferro rod with the back end of a knife likely is "gross motor skill," I need a better tinder.


How do you carry your cotton balls?
How do you make your cotton balls?
Maybe you can use LESS petrolatum so they require less manual fluffing....

Have you tried just ripping your cotton balls in half?
If you can grip your ferro-rod and scraper, you should be able to rip a cottonball (or square) into two pieces, and catch a spark in the middle ... same level of motor skills ... maybe tie some string on two ends of a cotton ball to help you rip it in half

For an alternative tinder in the similar form factor of cotton ball,
How about a fuzzy/hairy paper towel,
lightly lightly greased with vaseline on one side,
folded over until it fits into the palm of your hand ( 2 inch by 3 inch?), strategically wrapped in waxpaper,
which is taped on one side with some ducktape?

It stores flat/thin
It is easy to prepare
It should catch a spark from a ferrocerium rod (like from a butane lighter )
It should not require "fine motor skills" just grip it and rip off the waxpaper cover to expose the spark catching paper towel
Bigger target for sparks than a cotton ball
It should last at least few minutes of "strong" flame
If you roll it into a tube/crayon/candle/shotgunshell
2minutes from ducktape
1min+ from paper towel
2min+ from petroleum jely/vaseline
2min+ from waxpaper
it should burn for 7minutes easy
set it into your tinder bundle to catch the drips

Alternative wrapping option, just grab the fat ducktape handle ends and pull out the flat fuzzy paper towel from its waxpaper sleeve, light it, then throw the waxpaper ontop
Code:
###                              ###
################--wax-- rip ########
###   ==================towel====###
################--wax-- rip ########
###                              ###

And the ever popular ducktape shotgunshell
Code:
    ################
    #### fuzzy    ##
     ###  towel   ##
    ## #          ##
       #          #
       #          #
       ############
       
       
       
                  ################
       # fuzzy    ##           ###
       #  towel   ##           ##
       #          ##            ##
       #          #
       #          #
       ############

ducktape for waterproofing, and overall shape
papertowel to catch spark, and a bit of vaseline to get flame going
a rolled papertowel only (or cottonball) and you can fold this flat
and it should spring back into round


toilet paper should also be flat and fuzzy enough to catch aflame from a ferro rod spark


or for a jumbo version (think buddy burner without melting wax)
same deal with a paper cup (or metal can),
filled with wood pellets,
with greased paper towel or cottonball on top (flat not required),
taped over with packing tape or ducktape (for a lid/handle)
shoot a spark in the hoop and cook your meal on top


If the cotton balls you carry now work for you when you're warm,
keep them, but add a single jumbo fist sized tinder that you can practically cook with right onto your ferro rod and scraper,
so if you're really cold and wet you can start a fire before you start shivering,
and even if you start shivering ...
after you dry out and warm up,
you won't wait as long next time and your finger
will work well enough to use your regular tinder


smile yeehaaw