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#243493 - 03/20/12 06:06 PM Re: Tinder that takes a spark: options? [Re: haertig]
Snake_Doctor
Unregistered


glad I could finally be of help on here. As for pencil size sticks and bic, make the sticks into fuzz sticks. Works mighty good.

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#243496 - 03/20/12 06:51 PM Re: Tinder that takes a spark: options? [Re: CANOEDOGS]
ireckon Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 04/01/10
Posts: 1629
Loc: Northern California
Originally Posted By: CANOEDOGS
sorry i can't help but this why i have a fire lighter that makes fire and not sparks...


As you know, a lighter is technically like a firesteel and PJ cotton. A lighter makes a small spark from a flint, and the tinder is a wick covered in liquid fuel. A firesteel needs to be about 50 times bigger than a lighter's flint because a firesteel can make about 50 times more sparks.

Don't get me wrong. A lighter is my number one, but a rugged firesteel as backup gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling.
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#243510 - 03/20/12 09:10 PM Re: Tinder that takes a spark: options? [Re: haertig]
LesSnyder Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 1680
Loc: New Port Richey, Fla
as airballrad commented... OOOO steel wool works well, and for fun the next time you find a piece of dark chert ie. "flint", try a traditional flint and steel fire with char cloth and compare it to the steel wool... the chert and steel was always a fun demonstration for my students... always took bets on whether steel wool would burn...could have retired a few years earlier

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#243512 - 03/20/12 09:22 PM Re: Tinder that takes a spark: options? [Re: Taurus]
Teslinhiker Offline
Veteran

Registered: 12/14/09
Posts: 1418
Loc: Nothern Ontario
Originally Posted By: Taurus
Birch bark catches a spark well if shaved into thin strips. Pine resin also works great. If you combine both you have natural tinder as good as it gets.

Old mans beard works, but it has to be really dry.


+1 Taurus.

Pine resin and old man's beard are all great fire tinder materials and I always have good results with either. There is not a lot of birch in my area but I have a couple of pieces of bark kicking around in one of my kits somewhere and I can attest that birch bark is one of the best natural fire tinder materials, even when thoroughly wet.

Pine Resin



Old Man's Beard


I also use my firesteel as much as possible if only just for the practice just in case I ever need it in a real survival situation. This particular steel has had quite a bit of use over the years and is due to be replaced before this year's outdoor adventures are in full stride.
_________________________
Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.

John Lubbock

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#243529 - 03/21/12 04:10 AM Re: Tinder that takes a spark: options? [Re: haertig]
Richlacal Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 02/11/10
Posts: 778
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
The TinderQuiks are the proven leader in this category,IMHO!They are Waterproof,compact-(more so than anything out there at present),readily take the slightest spark to ignite,yet are very safe to store,even outside of a container if need be!They are cheap&small enough & clean enough, to have them through out your person,pack,anywhere & everywhere!They don't get Gooey when the temps get hot,nor freeze solid when the temps are cold,they take abuse & perform as expected! I have no affiliation with the above brand of product,other than being a convinced user! cool

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#243530 - 03/21/12 04:29 AM Re: Tinder that takes a spark: options? [Re: haertig]
Aussie Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 11/12/10
Posts: 205
Loc: Australia
Originally Posted By: haertig
"Fire Paste" would seem ideal IMHO, if it will take a spark. But I kind of doubt it will, and I don't have any to try experiementing with. Does anybody know if Fire Paste + spark = fire?


Yes, fire paste will light easily.

Also some of the fungi like daldinia concentric (aka cramp balls, coal fungus)and Amadou, if prepared properly

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#243538 - 03/21/12 06:03 AM Re: Tinder that takes a spark: options? [Re: Richlacal]
Phaedrus Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
Originally Posted By: Richlacal
The TinderQuiks are the proven leader in this category,IMHO!They are Waterproof,compact-(more so than anything out there at present),readily take the slightest spark to ignite,yet are very safe to store,even outside of a container if need be!They are cheap&small enough & clean enough, to have them through out your person,pack,anywhere & everywhere!They don't get Gooey when the temps get hot,nor freeze solid when the temps are cold,they take abuse & perform as expected! I have no affiliation with the above brand of product,other than being a convinced user! cool


I wouldn't argue against you there. I buy them from eBay for less than $20 per 100, a very good price. There's a video I watched at youtube that compared TQs, WetFire & PJ Cotton; very interesting, I'll have to find the link. Even when left in a puddle during a long T-storm the TQ could still be made to light, albeit with difficulty. The PJ cotton was useless. Of course, the smart person will take care to keep their chosen tinder dry but >stuff< can happen. A TQ is very compact, very effective and very water resistant. I really like them.

One of the eBay stores where I buy offers special pricing on quantities of 300 or more. I will probably check into that as cheap as they already are.
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#243539 - 03/21/12 07:43 AM Re: Tinder that takes a spark: options? [Re: haertig]
Phaedrus Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
Here's a quick update on the Weber cubes: Yes, they light on the first strike with the Spark-Lite (essentially a BIC without any provision for fuel). I was vacuum sealing some single cube mylar packets and had a bunch of shavings left from cleaning up the Webers, so I tested it out. I'd say it's a robust YES.
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“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman

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#243548 - 03/21/12 12:49 PM Re: Tinder that takes a spark: options? [Re: ]
gonewiththewind Offline
Veteran

Registered: 10/14/08
Posts: 1517
Originally Posted By: Snake_Doctor
White powder? Clear package with black print? I have a few somewhere. Just read an old article where a survival class tried to light the closed package with fire steel. Didn't work until they tore them open.


They will work as packaged with a flame (match or lighter) but you have to open them up to use a spark. The benefit of these is that packaging is durable and waterproof and they last on the shelf for extended periods.

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#243582 - 03/22/12 03:02 AM Re: Tinder that takes a spark: options? [Re: haertig]
Mark_M Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 11/19/09
Posts: 295
Loc: New Jersey
What is the advantage of using something other than PJ cotton balls? Is it burn time for dealing with wet tinder? I never have a problem getting one lit from a spark, and they burn well for around 5 minutes.

I actually make mine much like Tinder Quik, I apply some PJ, work it into the cotton ball, and then roll into a tight cylinder wrapped in a single ply of tissue paper, trimming the ends to make a cylinder. This cuts down on the mess when I go to pull one from a small ziplock bag. If I'm using a spark to ignite I just pull the cylinder apart to expose loose fibers and its good to go.

I might have to pick up some of those Weber cubes to see what the fuss is about.
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