Here's what I did for petroleum jelly (I don't know if it is a good idea or not...)

1) Fly internationally somewhere. Collect the toothbrush and toothpaste they give you on the flight.
2) The toothpaste I got was in a small plastic squeeze tube with a screw-on lid. Exactly like a regular toothpaste tube, but miniature (about 1.5" long). If yours is not like that then find something else.
3) Empty the tube (the toothpaste in these is like gelled washing up liquid with peppermint oil and ground glass). Rinse, dry and leave in a warm place so it's really dry.
4) Get a small syringe (pharmacy) and a piece of heatshrink tubing about 2" long (electronics hobby shop)
5) Shrink the tubing onto the syringe. It'll grip tightly and make a small diameter nozzle.
6) Put your tub of jelly in a warm place for a while until it is runny.
7) Fill the syringe with jelly, inject it into the tube. Use the nozzle to start injecting at the bottom of the tube, and withdraw the syringe as you fill the tube, this should ensure the tube is full from the end with no bubbles.
8) Put the top on and label the tube.

You now have a small amount of jelly in an easy-to-dispense form. Take some *dry* cotton balls with you and smear a little jelly on them when you are ready- less mess. Also, use the jelly on some tinder or twigs to help a fire get established.

A

I have also seen small tubes of PJ based lotion and lip ointment that would be at least as small as this without the hassle. And as some have stated, a small tube of neosporin or triple AB would work. Granted, your option is certainly the cheaper one. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Washing up liquid... Ah, how I miss my friends in Sydney....

How do you keep your cotton balls dry? If they get wet they will not light with a ferro rod, will they?

Like this?

The jelly is water repellant. It's a light petrochem grease.

I think I will try smearing PJ on the kindling next time I start a fire to see if it helps. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

A good way to store greasy cotton balls is inside plastic drinking straws. Cut a straw in half. Cut the ends in convex semi circles (so the corners are rounded rather than straight across). Pinch one end closed with a pair of hemostats. Melt the end with a BIC lighter so it's sealed. Stretch out your greased cotton balls into long strings. Stuff them into the straw using a toothpick or Q-Tip with the end cut off to pack them down tight. Pinch remaining end of straw closed with hemostats when full of cotton. Melt end. Wipe excess vasoline off outside of straw. Waterprrof. Not messy to store. Cut open with a pocket knife lengthwise to extract cotton. Fluff cotton. You can sometimes find really fat plastic straws at specialty places like coffee/tea shops. I've got some that have to be at least 1/3 inch in diameter. You can cram a bunch of cotton balls in there.

You can get large diameter drinking straws at mcdonalds. They use large ones because it makes drinking the milkshakes easier.

What about paraffin pads, normally called "firelighters" for barbecues and woodburners, this stuff is like a white solid pad easy to split in small pieces and store it in a small container. A small piece like 2x2 in. lasts on fire for more than 15min.
The pros are:
Windproof
Easy to carry (solid)
Long shelf life
Cheap to buy (here costs like a dolar an 8x6 in. packet)
Esay to handle (not messy, just a bit smelly like kerosene)
You can shape it with knife to store in any container.

Anyone try lithium grease instead of PJ? Hmm.

-john

Is there a rule to soaking? If not why not carry sealed pocket of jelly (one time use like you find in hosp) with few dry cotton balls? Seems like a cleaner idea.