Most of the groups I hang out with carry pre-made tinder in one form or another. I’ve even written an article for SRI on the subject. I have tried several methods of carrying my favorite emergency tinder; petroleum jelly soaked cotton balls, but had the problem of packing several into a container, only to have difficulty in removing them. Through much trial and error, I have discovered the following technique which I will share with you here. I usually utilize some type of narrow cylindrical container like a waterproof match case or pill bottle. So, that’s what you’ll need to get started in addition to cotton balls, petroleum jelly, some tough string (in this case #18 tarred decoy line) and a small stick.
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| Assembled tinder, containers, cord, and stick. |
After making up several petroleum jelly cotton balls, take the end of a piece of cord and tie a slip knot. In the photo I tied a Canadian Jam knot. Now, wrap the loop around one of the saturated cotton balls and tighten it down.
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| Jam knot tied around cotton ball. |
Next, place the cord wrapped cotton ball into the container, jamming it to the bottom with the stick (a manner similar to loading a muzzle loading rifle). Continue to pack the container leaving 1/4 inch from the top rim. I usually leave 8-10 inches of cord which I tie into a loop with a double overhand knot. This forms a pull loop which is used to pull out the cotton balls.
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| Ramming the cotton balls into the bottom of the container. |
Now, tuck in the cord into the container, tighten down the lid and label the container. By simply pulling on the cord, you can access the cotton ball tinder, fluff it up, add spark or flame, and get your fire going.
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| Cord stuffed into container awaiting lid. |
The cord pull technique works with any size container allowing you to really pack in a large amount of tinder, yet easily access it when needed. I encourage you to try this technique. Stay safe in the wilds and carry pre-made tinder.
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Cord pulled, exposing tinder.
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By Mike Lychock
