That is funny Glock-A-Roo

Its not just a dunk in the video , he squeezes the tinderquik underwater , why doesn't he squeeze it above water? You know, to get the water out?
In the kitchen I've never tried to shake a sponge dry, or a towel for that matter, I've always squeezed both to get the water out , and squeezed more than once.

Hmm, firecord, two shakes and its dry enough. Hmm tinder quik, two squeezes and ... is one better than the other? Maybe , depends on your criteria. Is this difference important? Probably not



A lot of tinder sellers don't list weights :)(or btu values )

this review says each tinder quik fire tab is 0.024 oz ea or 0.7 g

This means about ~26 BTU (waxpaper) to ~31 BTU max (solid wax)
Firecord would be the same


I'd prefer pj balls too, but I like honest charts poisonous? some chemical unknown, so score 4

They actually sell "Jellied Ginned Cotton Tin" $6.95 for a 4oz tin, their version of PJ balls

For same price at a dollar store I can make four such tins in about four minutes

A lot of products that make cents for survival kits don't quite make it for camping kits ... hmm, firecord shoelaces? "Tensilary" strength probably isn't there

Apropos of nothing this is similar to a firestarter I've experimented with that I call the "Fireball". I start with a large cotton ball which I wad/compress down as small as I can. Then I wrap it tightly in plastic, either cling wrap or an old plastic bag. Then I wrap this with a cotton pad (the kind designed for cosmetic application) and tie it with butcher's cord. This then gets dipped in either paraffin wax or gel wax. I've tried using both and a mixture of the two combined.

Overall it's a lot of work but very effective. Using pure wax you almost need a knife to use them due to how solid they are. The gel wax stuff made for candlemaking burns better as is somewhat flexible. The plastic wrap between the inner core and outer wax layer keeps the inside bone dry under all conditions. A lot of work to make but pretty effective.

I haven't tried the seller's "fire cord" but I've had mediocre to mixed results with my own home-made version of the same. From the seller/inventor's website it's simply jute cord impregnated with wax. Perhaps he's found a novel way to coat the jute but in my versions it didn't work all that well. Too much wax and you wind up with a solid mass that's hard to frizz up. Too little and it's not very waterproof. The devil is in the details and the quantity of wax must just right IME. Again, maybe some of you folks and the inventor have a found a better way to make them than I have. But I gave up on the format.

I don't really have a dog in the fight. Everyone should use whatever they feel is best. But I can interject a few observations that are subjective facts, not preference or opinion. One is that wax isn't hygroscopic but jute cord is, very much so. Two, ESBIT is totally non-hygroscopic. You can soak it in water probably indefinitely and it will still burn. Perhaps I will see how long I can soak the stuff. Would it dissolve after a few months or years? I don't think so but perhaps I'll try it to see.

I really love the Tinder-Quik myself. A tab is much smaller than nearly any other tinder I've found. It's water resistant but not totally waterproof. IMOHO though it's irrelevant to my purposes. Why would you not simply keep your tinder material dry? I understand that your canoe can capsize, accidents happen, etc. But even something pretty low tech like a ziplock baggie will protect your tinder. And the higher tech stuff like the mylar bags that I seal using a chamber vacuum machine will survive things that a human won't.

If you're relying on natural tinder then there's some luck involved but if you're carrying your own tinder, why not carry dry tinder to begin with instead of worrying about stuff that will work wet?

I don't know how he did it but GearWard found the right way to make the product.



I use firecord because I have integrated it into a survival bracelet, which is constantly exposed to moisture and there is no room there for tinder that is bulky, needs waterproof packaging, or can't resist the moisture on its own. I carry PJ balls in a waterproof vial as my go-to tinder; the firecord is a very low profile backup. It's a narrow, niche role but firecord works in that role.

I see there are two products called FireCord; one is paracord and the other is jute. So I think maybe we're each talking about a different one. I don't know what is in the paracord stuff. How do you like it? The reviews at Amazon are generally good although one reviewer said it smells like lighter fluid.

No, I'm using the Gearward FireCord wax-infused jute, not the ITS jute paracord or the similarly named 550 firecord. I don't like either of the last two products since they require you to pick apart your cordage to access the jute. I also doubt that the ITS product's jute will stay dry over time.

You can enhance tinder-quik's ignitability by charring. I found that out after experimenting with solar ignition. TQs that were charred lighted much quicker. You don't even need to char the whole piece, just a corner and you maintain the rest. I also use small zip-loc baggies, just large enough to store 4 pieces and store them everywhere.

No kidding. Review was terribly biased but then again what can you expect from someone who doesn't know the difference or the correct usage of the words effect and affect? And apparently in his opinion only ZombieTinder can be used to "light charcoal for a BBQ, light a camp fire or a wood stove or use as a candle for emergency light or create very useful char for bush-craft fire making, etc."

That makes sense. I find it to light very well as-is but that's good to know. I buy it in lots of 100 or more on eBay, never let my stock get too low.