Camping, trekking or in a survival situation FIRE can be the difference between life and death….

Fire is essential for keeping warm, cooking food, for boiling water, drying equipment and clothing.

There are more than one way of lighting a fire — fire starter kits, firelight sticks, water proof matches lighter, fire striker; it’s always better to carry more than one method of igniting a fire,

The best DIY Fire Starter is a cotton ball impregnated with petroleum jelly (Vaseline); it makes an outstanding Safe, Lightweight Fire Lighter; a practical addition in your Survival Kit

‘Cotton Ball’ Fire Lighter‘

Ingredients >

Cotton Wool Balls
Tub of petroleum jelly
Ziplock bag / Grip seal bag

How to create >

Open your ziplock bag
Spoon in your petroleum jelly
Add some cotton balls
Zip and seal bag
Gently squish and kneading the jelly into the cotton balls
Don’t saturate the balls, you need dry cotton fibres

Petroleum jelly in its normal solid state is ‘Not’ flammable but Cotton fibres are.

The combination works on the same principle as a candle –you ignite the dry fibres of the cotton and the heat of the flame melts the jelly – vaporizing the liquid jelly/wax where it combusts

How it works

Lay out your saturated cotton balls

Pull open a cotton ball to expose dry cotton fibres

Use a spark / flame to ignite the cotton

Heat of the burning cotton will melt the jelly

The melting jelly will give off flammable vapors / gas.

**It’s the ‘GAS’ that Burns!!!

What’s so handy out in the wilderness is that petroleum jelly is oil-based; the petroleum jelly cotton balls are waterproof…

#livealifetodiefor #MoreThanMyPast #itsrogerx

Fire starters are a useful addition to your camping or backyard fire pit kit, though they are not essential. Regardless of whether you use them, it’s crucial to adhere to fire safety guidelines and never leave a fire unattended.