Lately one can find "fire cord" - standard paracord with an additional waxy impregnated strand - for sale from various outlets. I have purchased from a couple of sources and I think this is a worthwhile, albeit a tad expensive, product.

Basically you get paracord. Checking it out, you will see a red strand inside the sheath. This can be pulled out and used to start a fire. Think of a candle wick without the candle. The pieces I have used (from two different suppliers) lit up readily and burned steadily, just like a candle. The strands light readily from a match and I suspect they would light with difficulty from a spark, but I have't tried that yet because I am a klutz with a ferro rod.

Starting a fire can range from a trivial task to a critical, well nigh impossible challenge with life itself hanging in the balance. In the later situation, I would prefer to have some of this stuff around. I would pull out 10 cm or so, insert it beneath my dry, fluffy tinder and light it up. It should ignite any reasonable fine tinder. This happens with fresh paracord. How readily pcord will ignite after it has been hanging around for five years or so is anyone's guess. I think the stuff deep inside the cord will be OK, even if the exterior portion has dried out.

To me, this product provides additional capability to an already common item in my gear. I will eventually replace all my zipper pulls with this paracord, for instance.

Please, no flames, in response to this posting....