Firestarters

[hollohas]

Okay, I did an experiment tonight.

I tried to start a fire with a cotton ball, Vaseline, and an empty Zippo lighter.

I couldn't do it, but I learned some stuff.

-I was under the impression that since Vaseline is supposedly flammable, that it would be easy enough to light with just the sparks from the empty Zippo. Vaseline IS flammable, but I couldn't light the cotton ball with just the sparks. I had to use a match.

-I ended up just lighting the Vaseline covered cotton ball with a match. The flame caught and it burned tall and strong. Out of curiosity I took a dry cotton ball and held it to the burning Vaseline one. It IMMEDIATELY burst into flame, so fast that it actually burned me. I set them down next to each other.

-The dry cotton ball caught on fire immediately and was totally burned out in approx 15-20 secs.

-The Vaseline covered cotton ball made a very strong, tall (about 2-3") flame that lasted for what I estimate was nearly two minutes.

-Since the dry cotton ball caught on fire so easily, I figured I'd try to light a third one with just the sparks from the lighter. I couldn't do it.

Summary: Vaseline burns long and strong. A GREAT way to start a fire would be to use a Vaseline soaked cotton ball, as it acts like the wick of a candle, burning off the oil (Vaseline) instead of the cotton of the wick. Dry cotton balls catch fast but also burn fast, and low.


If I end up doing another experiment, I'll post about it. I was going to take a video of the burn times of each cotton ball, but who wants to watch a cotton ball burn for two minutes? Maybe I'll make a short one.

If you pull the Vaseline covered cotton ball apart the surfaces where the two halves were previously attached will now have lots of very small fibers rather than the smooth jelly covered surface on the outside of the ball. It should look furry or fuzzy. On the fuzzy part is where you want to direct your flint and it will ignite. No flame needed.

[Irving]

Great tip, thanks!

I'm going to put some Isopropyl rubbing alcohol (70&#37 in my penny can stove tonight to see how it compares to the lighter fluid.

Why? Just because 16oz of Rubbing Alcohol costs $.99 and 4oz of Zippo lighter fluid costs $1.99.

Well, I started before I even pushed "post reply" and already the experiment is a failure. Apparently 70% alcohol is not nearly enough. I can't get it to burn any where except for the main fill hole, and you'd even have trouble lighting a cigarette from that. Well, that was a good lesson to learn before I needed it.

[henpecked]

Great tip, thanks!

I'm going to put some Isopropyl rubbing alcohol (70%) in my penny can stove tonight to see how it compares to the lighter fluid.

Why? Just because 16oz of Rubbing Alcohol costs $.99 and 4oz of Zippo lighter fluid costs $1.99.

Well, I started before I even pushed "post reply" and already the experiment is a failure. Apparently 70% alcohol is not nearly enough. I can't get it to burn any where except for the main fill hole, and you'd even have trouble lighting a cigarette from that. Well, that was a good lesson to learn before I needed it.

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try this
Get a metal coffee can
put a whole roll of toilet paper in it..(not unrolled)
soak with Isopropyl rubbing alcohol
light it
you can use the plastic coffee can lid to extinguish when done

[Irving]

That just sounds like trouble (fun).

[henpecked]

It actually work well.........

[StagLefty]

*********************************************
try this
Get a metal coffee can
put a whole roll of toilet paper in it..(not unrolled)
soak with Isopropyl rubbing alcohol
light it
you can use the plastic coffee can lid to extinguish when done

We did this in Scouts for an emergency heater-pull out the cardboard insert. Be careful while it's burning-flame is just about invisible.

[Irving]

I completely missed out on Boy Scouts. Is there a Boy Scouts for adults? Well, besides enlisting I guess.

[Krasni]

From my boy scout days... simple 1,000 strike flint & steel with a zip lock bag of dryer lint (only takes about a fanned out quarter size of lint). Tender/Kindling as appropriate. I've had a bag of lint tucked in my go bag for years. It regularly burns homes down, highly flammable. (Lint, not MY lint)

May have already been mentioned, eyes crossed on page 3.

[Ranger]

I take a lot of pride in my fire starting. I make batches of char cloth and keep some in every emergency bag I have, from there I use my Fire Stick and throw a spark on the the char cloth, bury it in pine needles or dead grass or whatever and work like a dog to get it going. Last resort, magnesium (only if very wet or very cold).

I also have a really cool fire piston that I use from time to time as well. Other tools: make my own wax/sawdust/egg carton firestarters, cotton balls in Vaseline, dryer lint, sawdust by itself, fire bow, heavy praying - whatever it takes!

Fire starting is an art for me, I really love trying every possible way to do it. Did the 9 volt plus steel wool a while ago, that was pretty impressive!

[hollohas]

Great tip, thanks!

I'm going to put some Isopropyl rubbing alcohol (70%) in my penny can stove tonight to see how it compares to the lighter fluid.

Why? Just because 16oz of Rubbing Alcohol costs $.99 and 4oz of Zippo lighter fluid costs $1.99.

Well, I started before I even pushed "post reply" and already the experiment is a failure. Apparently 70% alcohol is not nearly enough. I can't get it to burn any where except for the main fill hole, and you'd even have trouble lighting a cigarette from that. Well, that was a good lesson to learn before I needed it.

Denatured alcohol is by far the best fuel for a soda/penny can stove. It doesn't cost much either…find it in the paint section at walmart or homedepot.

I know we are now getting into the hobo stove thread but they are along the same lines so here it is anyway. You've seen the penny can stove online where they pre-heat the can top by burning some fuel on the top first. This serves two purposes. First, and most important, it heats the liquid fuel inside the can and turns it into a gas. The gas increases the pressure which makes it exit the holes like they are jets and makes your stove more efficient. Another way to pre-heat it is to cut the bottom of a tuna can off and set your soda can stove on it. Put a few drops of fuel on the tuna can and light it...to me this seems to pre heat the stove better. The second purpose is more obvious in that the burning fuel on top lights all the holes. Even with the tuna can method, the flames will jump from the base and light the holes in your stove.

Denatured alcohol readily turns into a gas, which is important to get the best burn, it doesn't have any water (water not good for fire), which rubbing alcohol does and it burns clean so you won't get that black stuff on the bottom of your pot.

And as you seem to be having as much fun with this fire stuff as much as I do...be careful with the denatured alcohol...you might not even know it's burning unless you're in a dark room because the flame is damn near invisible. If you can't see any flame, don't hold your hand over your stove to check...