Equipped To Survive Equipped To Survive® Presents
The Survival Forum
Where do you want to go on ETS?

Page 3 of 4 < 1 2 3 4 >
Topic Options
#290610 - 09/19/18 03:43 AM Re: Giving paper matches another look [Re: clearwater]
acropolis5 Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 06/18/06
Posts: 358
Doug.. Phaedrus, et al, thanx for the advice. My city and my hiking EDC kits have yellow mini-Bics with a “collar” of a few wraps of electrical tape under the “ trigger”, to prevent accidental discharge. I also have a vial of hurricane matches + strikers, Unico, I think. I don’t always have a ferro rod. Maybe I should?

Currently my city kit also contains one of the small boxes of Diamond (mini) strike anywhere matches, wrapped in Saran Wrap. They seem to work , in good conditions anyway, for friends who have a need to light-up or burn rope ends, etc. My consideration of paper matches was the thought of putting some + a striker, not a whole pack, in my wallet, to back up my daily pocketed mini-Bic.

Top
#290626 - 09/20/18 12:55 AM Re: Giving paper matches another look [Re: acropolis5]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3217
Loc: Alberta, Canada
I hadn't thought of paper matches in a wallet. Since each matchbook is two "sheets" of matches stapled together, it's easy (and free) to try. I would be interested to see how the heads hold up when squeezed all the time -- would the material wear off? An interesting experiment!

As for ferro rods, they're useful and fun to use. (Also they impress youngsters -- he made fire without matches!) But there are situations, in my experience anyway, where an actual flame is the only way to force damp natural kindling to burn. So, I still think of it as a backup with strengths and weaknesses.

Top
#290628 - 09/20/18 02:36 AM Re: Giving paper matches another look [Re: dougwalkabout]
gonewiththewind Offline
Veteran

Registered: 10/14/08
Posts: 1517
Originally Posted By: dougwalkabout
As for ferro rods, they're useful and fun to use. (Also they impress youngsters -- he made fire without matches!) But there are situations, in my experience anyway, where an actual flame is the only way to force damp natural kindling to burn. So, I still think of it as a backup with strengths and weaknesses.


Ferro rods require good tinder. If you can't make it from available materials then you must carry it.

Top
#290633 - 09/20/18 04:15 PM Re: Giving paper matches another look [Re: gonewiththewind]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3217
Loc: Alberta, Canada
Originally Posted By: Montanero
Ferro rods require good tinder. If you can't make it from available materials then you must carry it.

Agreed. I have always packed a candle stub, though, so I thought "no chance" with a ferro rod. But YouTube claims it will work if you scrape off the wax and feather the wick. I need to try this.

Top
#290636 - 09/20/18 05:04 PM Re: Giving paper matches another look [Re: dougwalkabout]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
You can also increase your odds with a bit of alcohol based hand sanitizer/accelerant (Purell is a common brand). it can be obtained in very small bottles.
_________________________
Geezer in Chief

Top
#290637 - 09/20/18 05:11 PM Re: Giving paper matches another look [Re: hikermor]
Jeanette_Isabelle Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 11/13/06
Posts: 2946
Loc: Nacogdoches, Texas
Originally Posted By: hikermor
You can also increase your odds with a bit of alcohol based hand sanitizer/accelerant (Purell is a common brand). it can be obtained in very small bottles.

Good to know. I EDC Medline hand sanitizer.

Jeanette Isabelle
_________________________
I'm not sure whose twisted idea it was to put hundreds of adolescents in underfunded schools run by people whose dreams were crushed years ago, but I admire the sadism. -- Wednesday Adams, Wednesday

Top
#290735 - 09/28/18 03:41 AM Re: Giving paper matches another look [Re: Jeanette_Isabelle]
acropolis5 Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 06/18/06
Posts: 358
Mmmmmm....just thinking. Would an alcohol prep pad be good to pair with a wallet carried ferro rod?

Top
#290737 - 09/28/18 06:02 AM Re: Giving paper matches another look [Re: clearwater]
wildman800 Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 11/09/06
Posts: 2846
Loc: La-USA
Sounds reasonable but an actual test for lightability and duration of burn would provide a simple yes or no answer.


Edited by wildman800 (09/28/18 06:03 AM)
_________________________
QMC, USCG (Ret)
The best luck is what you make yourself!

Top
#290738 - 09/28/18 06:50 AM Re: Giving paper matches another look [Re: acropolis5]
Phaedrus Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
Originally Posted By: acropolis5
Mmmmmm....just thinking. Would an alcohol prep pad be good to pair with a wallet carried ferro rod?


I wouldn't bother personally. Even when stored properly those little individual alcohol prep pads seem to dry out within a year or two. Carried in a wallet I have to think they'll dry out much faster. Once the alcohol is gone they're not much use.
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman

Top
#290739 - 09/28/18 11:49 AM Re: Giving paper matches another look [Re: clearwater]
gonewiththewind Offline
Veteran

Registered: 10/14/08
Posts: 1517
Alcohol prep pads are not packaged well enough for that and they do not burn very long. It will be dried out when you need it, and it wouldn't do the job well either.

Top
Page 3 of 4 < 1 2 3 4 >



Moderator:  Alan_Romania, Blast, cliff, Hikin_Jim 
March
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Who's Online
0 registered (), 173 Guests and 12 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
GallenR, Jeebo, NicholasMarshall, Yadav, BenFoakes
5367 Registered Users
Newest Posts
Question about a "Backyard Mutitool"
by Ren
03/17/24 01:00 AM
Problem in my WhatsApp configuration
by Chisel
03/09/24 01:55 PM
What did you do today to prepare?
by Jeanette_Isabelle
03/06/24 06:18 PM
New Madrid Seismic Zone
by Jeanette_Isabelle
03/04/24 02:44 PM
EDC Reduction
by EchoingLaugh
03/02/24 04:12 PM
Using a Compass Without a Map
by KenK
02/28/24 12:22 AM
China and Taiwan
by brandtb
02/19/24 02:18 PM
No More Ritter Knives?
by KenK
02/19/24 01:33 AM
Newest Images
Tiny knife / wrench
Handmade knives
2"x2" Glass Signal Mirror, Retroreflective Mesh
Trade School Tool Kit
My Pocket Kit
Glossary
Test

WARNING & DISCLAIMER: SELECT AND USE OUTDOORS AND SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES AND TECHNIQUES AT YOUR OWN RISK. Information posted on this forum is not reviewed for accuracy and may not be reliable, use at your own risk. Please review the full WARNING & DISCLAIMER about information on this site.