They can be kind of messy to make, but not all that messy to use.

You can use Ken's way, and do it inside the bag. I like to make sure I'm doing it right <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> so I just grab a smallish gob of petroleum jelly and a cotton ball and wirk them together. I don't usually make a large number of them, so I do them one at a time. A fairly light smearing will produce a ball that burns for about 30 seconds. A little more and it will burn for 2 minutes. If you add a cotton ball to a large glob of jelly, it will probably burn for several minutes or more. Cotton is the wick, petroleum jelly is the fuel.

Leave them wadded together and put them into your container. When you get one out and fluff it up, it just gets your fingertips a little greasy, so just rub into your skin or wipe them on your pants <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />.

Tip: don't wad them tightly into a tiny container. If you can't get your finger in far enough to grab the cotton, you're going to have a real problem when you're shivering from cold or fear and can't feel your fingertips.

They're cheap, quick, simple. You don't need to use the whole bag of cotton balls. Experiment with some of them and you'll know how much jelly to add the next time you make them, or for your other BOBs.

Sue