Drinking straw firestarter

[Adi007]

The other evening it was raining but I wanted to have a play with something outside, so I decided to see how a firestarter (the idea for which I came up with the idea for over a decade ago) stood up to rain. It's my drinking straw firelighter. Basically, it's a length of drinking straw (try BK or McD because they have a good diameter) stuffed with a cotton wool/vaseline mix and sealed either end with a dot of hot glue. The straws can be cut to the desired length (I had 4 inch lengths that fitted in a survival kit).

First, I left it out in the rain for a few minutes. Then, I made a split in the straw halfway along it and fluffed up the cotton wool. Then, using a firesteel I lit it - still in the rain!

The straw and contents burned fiercely for about 4 - 5 minutes, seemingly unaffected by the rain.

As a side note - I had made the straw that I burned a good 4 years ago, so these things last a long time and don't leak or deteriorate over time.

I find there a good bit of kit to keep in reserve for when you can't find decent tinder or need to get a fire going fast.
:chill:

[Schwert]

Good field test of the old straw. I made some a while back but instead of sealing with hot glue I folded the straw over and slipped another short section of straw over that to hold the fold down. These are nice and clean in the kit. I have never lit the whole thing, but used a stick with a carved notch to pull some of the cotton out to light. I never though to light the whole straw.

[Wayne]

Are the straws the plastic variety?

[Adi007]

For my prototypes (made years ago) I initially tried crimping the ends of the straw with hot pliers ... potassium permanganate and hot pliers aren't a good combination! :burnup:

[Adi007]

Are the straws the plastic variety?

Yeah, plastic drinking straws (from BK).

[MarkG]

I've got the same thing. Yellow straw for firestarter and purple straw for potassium permanganate. The straws are a little thinner that the BK/McD's ones so a little more fidley but IMHO better.

[jakunen]

Just out of interest, how bad is the smoke? Plastic generally gives off quite a noxious black smoke...

[Adi007]

Just out of interest, how bad is the smoke? Plastic generally gives off quite a noxious black smoke...

Nothing much really ... because it had the heat of the cotton wool/vaseline it burned up quite clean. Cleaner and safer I'd say that hexy (which gives off hydrogen cyanide!).

[jakunen]

Nothing much really ... because it had the heat of the cotton wool/vaseline it burned up quite clean. Cleaner and safer I'd say that hexy (which gives off hydrogen cyanide!).

Boy am I glad I got rid of that box of hexi to FallingRain!!!

[mark wood]

You can take a narrower drinking straw and fill it with the heads cut off several matches, all touching. Once lit it burns for a good few seconds and is nigh on impossible to put out.

Mark

[jakunen]

Made a bundle yesterday to put in my tiner pouch. My mum reckoned I looked liek some dogey munitions guy filling specialist loads for an assination :rolmao:

[Adi007]

Made a bundle yesterday to put in my tiner pouch. My mum reckoned I looked liek some dogey munitions guy filling specialist loads for an assination :rolmao:

:rolmao:

There are worse things that Mums can think! :biggthump

[jakunen]

Crack factory? :rolmao:

[jakunen]

Word of advice!
If you use a hot glue gun to seal your straws, check them BEFORE putting into your tinder pouch.

I sealed one end by squirting in some glue and clamping with some jewellers pliers. No problem.
Filled them. No problem.
Got lazy and couldn't be bothered to clamp the other ends so just squirted some glue in. Put them into my tinder pouch...
PROBLEM and found two hadn't sealed! I now have purple thistle down.
Ok, I got it from a purple thistle, but...

[PaulW]

My first post so excuse my ignorance, what sort of ratios are we talking about for the cottonwool/vaseline mix ?

[tomtom]

do you melt the vas, and soak the wool in it, or is it just a case of stuff in a bit of cotton wool and vasaline next to one another.?

[Ed]

I suppose you could melt it but I just rub the vasaline into the cotton wool with my fingers..... its a bit messy but does the trick.

:-)
Ed