Apropos of nothing this is similar to a firestarter I've experimented with that I call the "Fireball". I start with a large cotton ball which I wad/compress down as small as I can. Then I wrap it tightly in plastic, either cling wrap or an old plastic bag. Then I wrap this with a cotton pad (the kind designed for cosmetic application) and tie it with butcher's cord. This then gets dipped in either paraffin wax or gel wax. I've tried using both and a mixture of the two combined.

Overall it's a lot of work but very effective. Using pure wax you almost need a knife to use them due to how solid they are. The gel wax stuff made for candlemaking burns better as is somewhat flexible. The plastic wrap between the inner core and outer wax layer keeps the inside bone dry under all conditions. A lot of work to make but pretty effective.