Making cotton tinder

Hello survival forum. I just joined today and this is my first post. I would call myself a newbie to this forum but an intermediate to survival stuff. Currently I'm looking into tinder.............I realize this is a can of worms and my search function does in fact work but I'm looking for a special kind of tinder I was unable to find from searching. Currently I use either Wet Fire®, or cotton balls soaked in neosporin or my prescription poison oak medication (basically 95% petroleum jelly with a little bit of medicine added). Now I'm looking to add to that as a backup fire tinder. I would like to use cotton treated with a flammable chemical. Something that has a very long shelf life where the flammability won't wear off, can float around in my kit without making a mess, waterproof, and flexible. Almost like a T shirt I could wear but I have no plans to actually wear it. Vasoline is disqualified because of the mess it would make. Paraffin, or fuse cord is out because it would make it too stiff. Hairspray works exceptionally well for the first 5 minutes it treated then wears off after that. I was thinking of possibly using a waterproofing agent you used to treat canvas? Or doing the homemade stuff with beeswax, lineseed oil, and turpentine. Anybody have any experience with any of those or any other ideas? Possibly a good napalm recipe? BTW I will be using a Ferrocerium rod/striker to start it. Thanks in advance and here's to learning as much as I can on here and contributing where I can as well.

Try this http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Alternative+lon...g+tinder+ideas

Thanks for the link but I should clarify first. I am only looking for something to treat cotton with and no other kind of tinder. Google has failed me thus far so I thought I'd check here for some other methods people are keeping to themselves.

I don't know if you'll find anything like that. I think most stuff would be messy or dry out relatively quickly and me useless. Only thing I can think of that may fit the bill is charred cloth without the tin. I saw a youtube video of it done with a stick next to a fire by a historic reenactor of the more stricter traditional kind. You can char the end of a piece of cotton that will catch a spark and on the other end, not quite charred but will blow into flame.

Petroleum jelly works fine. Watch this video to see how to individually wrap them. They'll keep for as long as you want.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5OSyEqFn3E

How about a nice intro 1st? You can go here:

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...r-Introduction

I like some info on folks before I start telling them how to set fires.......:gagged:

Sorry about that, didn't know about the intro but just posted there.

The Petroleum Jelly does work very well........I actually use Neosporin or my poison oak medication (still trying to decide which one of those has a better second use) which is basically just Petro Jelly. I've tested them side by side and all three do the same exact thing. It works fine but for my second fire starter I'm looking for something less messy than that. I don't mean to make this sound like a riddle but it would take too long to describe exactly my intended use. So just think something that can treat cotton, dry, and you could basically wear it with no problems at all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eou_edu

.............but it would take too long to describe exactly my intended use...........

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I've got your answer, but it'll just take too long to post.

If you are a firefighter you must know someone that could tell you what you want to know. Arson investigator or fire marshal or your local chief or captain.

Quote:

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I don't mean to make this sound like a riddle but it would take too long to describe exactly my intended use.

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You only raise suspicion when you make those kind of statements. This is a wilderness survival forum (mostly) and the only purposes for starting a fire to survive in the wilderness( that I can think of off the top of my head) would be for:
warmth
cooking
signaling
drying wet clothing
warding off critters at night

Here's a trick from the reenactment world.

Go to Lowes or Home Depot or any garden supply center and get a bottle of "stump remover". That stuff is about 90% salt peter, the oxygenating componant of gunpowder.

Make a solution of as much stump remover as will disolve in a volume of water, then soak the cotton material in that. It does not have to be a tee shirt, which is actually part polyester. Pure cotton rope will work, as will an old fasioned "kerosene lamp wick".

Soak the material and allow it to dry. It will be oderless and still flexable.

It will also catch a spark and smoulder as a coal until you force it to go out. This was what shooters used on their matchlock cords and their fire tinder from about 1200 ad until just before the American Civil War when modern matches were invented.

I keep a piece of the treated lamp wicking in my gear. I keep s piece of sisal rope treated this way in my reenactment kit.

I have seen rope fibers treated in this way almost explode when used with an ald fasioned flint and steel. Use of tinder treated in this way is illigal for competition in the "mountain man world". I am sure it would be fantastic with a ferro rod.

Nice intro, thanks. Now we need more details. 1st, is what you're planning illegal? 2nd, are you wanting this for an SK, BOB, or backpack? 3rd, why so close-mouthed on your intent? We got nothing but time here to chat so speak up! (I swear, one of these days I'm gonna move out of my Mommie's basement and get a life.)........:scared:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kyratshooter

Here's a trick from the reenactment world.

Go to Lowes or Home Depot or any garden supply center and get a bottle of "stump remover". That stuff is about 90% salt peter, the oxygenating componant of gunpowder.

Make a solution of as much stump remover as will disolve in a volume of water, then soak the cotton material in that. It does not have to be a tee shirt, which is actually part polyester. Pure cotton rope will work, as will an old fasioned "kerosene lamp wick".

Soak the material and allow it to dry. It will be oderless and still flexable.

It will also catch a spark and smoulder as a coal until you force it to go out. This was what shooters used on their matchlock cords and their fire tinder from about 1200 ad until just before the American Civil War when modern matches were invented.

I keep a piece of the treated lamp wicking in my gear. I keep s piece of sisal rope treated this way in my reenactment kit.

I have seen rope fibers treated in this way almost explode when used with an ald fasioned flint and steel. Use of tinder treated in this way is illigal for competition in the "mountain man world". I am sure it would be fantastic with a ferro rod.

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Thanks Kyrat...I'm going to check that out myself!....:yes:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kyratshooter

Here's a trick from the reenactment world.

Go to Lowes or Home Depot or any garden supply center and get a bottle of "stump remover". That stuff is about 90% salt peter, the oxygenating componant of gunpowder.

Make a solution of as much stump remover as will disolve in a volume of water, then soak the cotton material in that. It does not have to be a tee shirt, which is actually part polyester. Pure cotton rope will work, as will an old fasioned "kerosene lamp wick".

Soak the material and allow it to dry. It will be oderless and still flexable.

It will also catch a spark and smoulder as a coal until you force it to go out. This was what shooters used on their matchlock cords and their fire tinder from about 1200 ad until just before the American Civil War when modern matches were invented.

I keep a piece of the treated lamp wicking in my gear. I keep s piece of sisal rope treated this way in my reenactment kit.

I have seen rope fibers treated in this way almost explode when used with an ald fasioned flint and steel. Use of tinder treated in this way is illigal for competition in the "mountain man world". I am sure it would be fantastic with a ferro rod.

---

Thanks for this tip! I will get right on that. I was aware of salt peter but didn't think it would work because it would make the fibers stiff. I'm glad I got the opinion of someone that has used it before. So I will check into that today. For those not aware salt peter it also has the benefit of being able to burn without getting oxygen from the surrounding air, as the oxygen is in the fuel. Not sure of all the benefits of survival application but I'm sure you could start a pyramid fire without airflow and airspace being totally crucial, at least right at first............I'm sorry for all the closed mouth, hush, hush type stuff. I'm actually trying to patent a survival tool that is related to this. As I made the mistake once before of talking about a patent before i've actually patented it. If I post about it somewhere online it basically becomes worth nothing. When i have a patent product I will have no problem talking about it, come back here and hopefully all judge it, tear it apart, tell me you hate it, whatever. Thanks for all the help.

Definitely not illegal, just a fire starting method for a survival kit. The basics of it are a wilderness survival tool, fire starter, with another use. Most things in my survival kit have more than one use. It will be floating around in a backpack, coming in contact with several other things in the kit. It will also need to remain flexible. The salt peter idea seems like a great lead and I'm going to try that out today. Thank you again.

Don't forget where you heard the tip, and I'm sure residuals would be appreciated.......
Good luck.

I always try to make things right somehow. Tracking down everybody that gave some advice on the subject would be impossible but doing something to help the community cause would be an appropriate action..........But despite what some people think about patents, 99% of them do nothing but loose money. It's a tough game to play but I love it. It makes the lottery look like a sound investment. Either way you will hear from me again.

Just giving you a bad time......
Inventions are quite a maze, I agree.

Going thru an uncles estate, found paper work concerning several patents he had recieved for a heated hand grip for firearms, bow and fishing rods....but it seemed he sold it for a few bucks to a company that either sold or manufactured the products....and he was supposed to get like 1/10 of the royalities....if they ever made them excatly like his patent....
No money.....So like I said.
Good luck.

Just some advice, if you have stuff randomly floating around your pack and randomly coming into contact with unintended items, your pack is packed incorrectly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JPGreco

Just some advice, if you have stuff randomly floating around your pack and randomly coming into contact with unintended items, your pack is packed incorrectly.

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Guess I have been doing it WRONG for several decades then.

Pack disorganization is an imminately survivable situation but if I am now grounded for "messy pack" how long do I remaon home from the woods?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eou_edu

I always try to make things right somehow. Tracking down everybody that gave some advice on the subject would be impossible but doing something to help the community cause would be an appropriate action..........But despite what some people think about patents, 99% of them do nothing but loose money. It's a tough game to play but I love it. It makes the lottery look like a sound investment. Either way you will hear from me again.

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Trying to patant and then market something of a combustible nature will more than likely involve the federal government...just sayin'............:creepy:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kyratshooter

Guess I have been doing it WRONG for several decades then.

Pack disorganization is an imminately survivable situation but if I am now grounded for "messy pack" how long do I remaon home from the woods?

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I just find it odd that for long trips, you wouldn't pack with some thought. Or maybe its just something from scouts burned into my brain. Largest heavy items packed center. Clothing would be packed around that. Items that you need to get to would be in side pouches, etc etc. I'm not saying things won't touch each other, but I would have a pretty good idea of what was coming in contact with what.

But yes, you're grounded, now go sit in the corner and face the wall until you're ready to play nicely.

I don't understand why anyone would use medicine as a firestarter. Talking about upping the cost of meds. That's some pretty expensive fire tinder too. I know it's multi-use but why not just make the cotton balls in Vaso and carry your meds with you? Put the cotton balls and PJ in a 35mm film case and there's no mess. Not at all certain what the smoke from a medicine soak cotton ball would do to you if you inhaled it. Don't want to find out either.

I own a messy backpack too. It doesn't start out that way but by day 2 I've been through it 27 times and it just doesn't look the same.

Packs are alway nice and neat on the way out.......the thing you need now is ALWAYS on the bottom.....So...
Coming back it called a "snot ball".

I call it "hiking rotation". It seems like the further you hike the more times the stuff in your pack rotates. I've found light stuff on bottom and heavy stuff on top. How does that work? And toilet paper is NEVER where you need it when you need it if you know what I mean.

You must be talking about the "pack"TP....not the "Pocket" TP....I hear ya.

Need to clean out my turkey vest here pretty soon....lots of pockets....and see what I left in it....year old sweet tarts, (loose), deer antler shed part, dried whatever's, (can't tell any more what it was I was picking up and saving)....turkey feathers, and the small weed seeds, leaves, sitcks, cool looking rocks and dirt that seem to drop into your pocket,.....leave it there long enough you have compost!

PS. Note Halls cough drops will always melt and because a permanent sticky place in pack or pocket....used to secure dirt and said compost, from slining around.:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sarge47

Trying to patant and then market something of a combustible nature will more than likely involve the federal government...just sayin'............:creepy:

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I didn't think of that. Generally the ATF is more friendly than the FDA but that might cause some problems. I will look into that however, thanks.

Why Medicine as a fire starter? (couldn't put that into quotes for some reason)

Neosporin is almost as cheap as Vaseline. You have the added benefit of a fire starter as a topical antibiotic. So you are just adding a feature to your fire starter. Fumes aren't going to cause you any problems other than possibly curing an upper respiratory infection. I don't understand why anybody would want to use Vasoline over it? But that's the nature of the beast, I promise out of 1000 people no two people have packs configured the same way. Each person having their own ideas they like to use and each wondering, "why anybody would possibly want to do it differently." Personal preference is the simplified term for that I guess. But shipped has sail, neosporin cotton balls are in my pack and not going to change anytime soon. I'm now working on my backup fire starter which will be my patents now.


Not sure this forums policy on advertising things so I will approach with caution. If any of you are aspiring inventors out there I've found a very good approach for taking your idea to market with very very little risk. Basically it's a company that pays well for good ideas and without the need to patent them. It's very reputable, very safe, and very competitive (that's partly how you know it's not a fly by night, scam deal). If you would like to know more about either PM or I can describe it on here if it doesn't violate posting policies.

If you have a financial interest in a site you can not post a link to it in the body of a post. You can add it to your signature but then you can't direct someone to your signature by saying something like, "Check out my signature for a great deal on asbestos underwear" or whatever you sell. If you don't have a financial interest in a site then you can post the link with no problem.

For personal use, I use either dry lint, cotton, plain cotton balls, and rope twine made into a bird's nest looking thing. I don't understand the need for all the flammable stuff. In our forests, there are stumps that are a yellowish color, these are full of pitch, so I take my ax and cut out a few pieces of this stuff, then my knife to make small slivers of it. A single match will light it right up, in wind, rain or snow. If I'm using a magnesium firestarter I start up that, or cotton balls or lint and add the pitchey pieces and away I go. I carry a little tin box in my pocket with the magnesium firestarter, cigarette lighter, lint, cotton balls and twine. fits in my shirt pocket. Works for me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rick

If you have a financial interest in a site you can not post a link to it in the body of a post. You can add it to your signature but then you can't direct someone to your signature by saying something like, "Check out my signature for a great deal on asbestos underwear" or whatever you sell. If you don't have a financial interest in a site then you can post the link with no problem.

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Ok thank. I definitely don't have any financial interest in the company, the sight is called Edison Nation. It's a very unique site where companies come to them looking for ideas. Patented or not you submit your idea, they go through a process of weeding out all the ideas and present the best ones to the company. If the company decides to use your idea, you split the commission with edision nation. Unlike most invention sites it is reputable and your idea is protected through NDA's. Which in some ways are better than a patent. Anyway if you are an ideas kind of person I suggest you check it out.

So just an update for anybody that followed this thread several months ago. To recap I was looking for a new method to treat cotton as a fire starter. Thanks to the help of this forum I found it, I paired it up with the rest of my invention, I got a provisional patent for it, and attempted a liscensing deal for it. I was then rejected several different times by a few different people. All stating the exact same thing as well as concerns people on this forum brought up; it would cause too many problems with TSA at airport security. Seeing how you can travel with a lighter (fair more BTU's than what I was proposing) and a small bottle of hairspray, aka a 3.4 oz flame thrower, I didn't see a problem with mine. The problem I did or did not see with mine is a moot point. As I'm finding out, inventions and products are more about perception than they are about real facts. Not to criticize that, that is just the reality of the consumer world. If people evaluating my product have a problem with that, then the people not buying it will also have a problem with it and educating on a consumer level is a very difficult task. That is the natural of the beast and I'm accepting that.

I still believe in what I'm trying to do here so I will continue to retool it until I have come up with something that doesn't have that problem. I'm not ready to share exactly what my product is just yet but I will keep this forum updated and eventually fill everyone in when I feel like it is protected enough (I don't see a provisional patent as protection enough). It is kind of odd because this is probably the 25th thing I've tried to invent. Most of my ideas have had more acceptance than this. I've even had a few things that make the finals for a licensing deal with edison nation (the website I mentioned before in this thread). In fact one of the evaluators made the comment "I have a problem with this on so many levels." However right or wrong I've never had anything I believed in more than this. So I will continue to pursue it. In the meantime thanks for the help this forum gave me in the early development stage and I hope some of you have checked out that edison nation site. If you are an aspiring inventor or just have a good idea to share it is a very useful thing.

Thanks for the up date....and good luck with your product.

BTW Carmex lip balm rubbed into Kleenex the fluffed up catches a spark from a Ferro rod pretty well.

If you use KYratshooters idea, good luck patenting something that has been common knowledge for hundreds of years.

Incidentally, here is a product that already does what you want. http://www.thepathfinderstore.com/mini-inferno/ But, it is already being sold, and therefore you can't patent it.

Have you tried tallow?

And, for a little patent advice, Patent applications are almost always rejected the first few times. Just part of the program.

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