Originally Posted By: ireckon
So, you know how it is. I suffer from the condition known as "Hands-Get-Cold-Easily". Starting a fire when it's -10F is a skill I will be improving this winter.

I don't suffer from this but once on a night winter trip I wore insufficient gloves. Already during the wood gathering phase my hands became pretty cold so I lit a candle and warmed them every now and then until I got the fire going. It helped a lot.


I also agree with others about the fatwood. It is a great option. I did some tests with "Maya sticks" including water resistence test and they worked very well.
I recommend preparing the various forms and sizes of fatwood in advance. 1. No preparation and no wasted time when you need the fire ASAP 2.Having a big piece of wood in your pocket could hurt more than ziplock bag full of kindling chips when you fall during snowboarding.

Just for illustration - some of my pre-made tinder/kindling: