vaseline/cotton balls

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WoodenChicken

Joined
Sep 11, 2008
Messages
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Can someone explain to me:

1. How to prepare these for firestarting (how much vaseline, etc.)
2. How to use them for starting a fire (e.g., light them first, etc.?

Please help out a newbie. thanks
 
Hey WoodenChicken,

You want to coat the PJCBs, as opposed to saturating them (though this won't make them un-usable). Enough to cover the exterior will do. I like to roll them around a bit, work the PJ in, and then add them to my case.

To use, you want to rip the ball open, exposing the dry cotton interior. Place this in the midst of your tinder (fuzz-sticks, pine needles, etc), and then ignite with a match or sparks from a ferro-rod. Burn time varies with the size of the ball, but it should burn for at least a minute or two.

Hope this helps.

All the best,

- Mike
 
I usually put on some latex gloves and then rub as much vaseline on the cotton balls until they are good and saturated. then set them on a peice of cardboard over night. I then put them in a small bag.
 
How long do you guys let them sit in your kit between replacing them or using them? How long will they stay good?
 
Boomstick, do you find a difference in performance between PJCBs left to dry overnight and those that aren't? I have been using them for years without drying them, and I'm curious. Does it provide extra burn time?

All the best,

- Mike
 
Kept airtight a long time, PJ will remain stable for years and cotton even longer.
(But keep them in an air and water tight container.)
 
Okay I'll try my best.
1. Get the things that you need.
-Go get some cottonballs big or small ones. Preferably the large ones if you can get a hold of them.
-One jar of petroleum jelly.
-A pair of disposable latex gloves.(this make it easier to clean off your hands later)
-(1) small container like a 35mm film container or whatever you pick to hold them in.
2. Put on latex gloves
3. Grab the Cottonball and kind of pull it apart until you can see through them.
4. Open the jar of petro and get a figure full of it and kneed the cottonball with it. Basically you want to soak it full of PJ.
5. Jam that one into the container that you are going to use store them. Repeat until you fill the container with as many as you can. After you are done smear some more PJ on top of the cottonballs that you already made in the container. Place the lid on it tight.
When you are ready to use them. Fish one out and pull it apart to expose the fibers. Light it up and you are in business. I think I didn't forget anything.
Hope this helps.

Dang I thought I was the first one to comment. Hehehe
 
I tell you a cool way store them if you explain how you came up with your name:D
 
Tonym--
Funny no one has ever asked me about that name.
Okay, it's a deal--you asked for it, although I'm not sure if you'll believe me. But this is the honest truth.
In the martial art I train (yiquan), the main method of power development comes from standing postures. In other words, we stand still (with arms held up in various positions)--this training tends to be very grueling (in the beginning) .
On a couple of occasions my teacher told me to stand very very still--like a wooden chicken. Every time I would imagine a wooden chicken, it kind of helped me to relax.:D
 
Thats pretty funny, I wouldn't have thought that term came from martial arts training.

Nothing to new, I am sure alot of guys do this.

Chapstick or even lipstick. Keep twisting till all the chapstick is out, then un twist so the plunger goes back in. Stoff with your PJCB's and your done. When you want some you just turn it a lil and rip a lil peice off. It packs smaller than a 35mm container.

Alot of guys use straws also. A lil harder to stuff, but once you burn the ends, it is very water resistant.

Have fun bro.
 
I prefer to not pre-soak them. I get a pill container from the container store and stuff full of dry cotton balls. Whole case is very light. Then carry a tube of vaseline for chapped lips. Dap on cotton balls when needed or on lips when chapped. Everythings stays tidy and not greasy.
 
I do my fire straws a little differently. I use a wound irrigater for inserting the vaseline, as seen here.

irrigaterwithPJ.jpg


I put in a small bit of cotton, a small amount of vaseline, a small bit of cotton, a small amount of vaseline, and so on.

Assembled, it looks like this:

seethrufirestraw.jpg


I find, for me, it makes the operation a little less messy.

Doc
 
Liam Ryan said:
I tried melting the straw ends before and no dice, I like that idea though.
Click to expand...

Liam, make the last thing you put in the straw, a piece of cotton. This will clear the vaseline away from the area you want to seal.

With a pair of needlenose pliers or equivalent, squeeze the end of the straw together with about 2 mm of the straw sticking out. Using a match, candle, lighter etc. burn/melt the straw back to the plier jaws. Remove the flame, while maintaining the squeezing of the straw for a minute or so (to allow the straw to cool).

That's it. If you're still having problems, give a shout. I'll take pictures.

Doc
 
Mentor said:
Boomstick, do you find a difference in performance between PJCBs left to dry overnight and those that aren't? I have been using them for years without drying them, and I'm curious. Does it provide extra burn time?

All the best,

- Mike
Click to expand...

I don't know that it adds to the burn time. I do notice they are easier to put in a container of cut in half when dried overnight.
 
I never use cotton'balls'.

I use tampons for firestarting
cl-3m_tampon.jpg


They are very compact, so I can put a lot of them in my kit, without getting bulky. Their weight is also nihil. It's amazing how much 'wool' you can pull out of one tampon, since they are so compact/pressed.

Also they are packed quite waterproof, therefore I leave them that way en don't pre-soak them in vaseline.

Most of the times they burn enough to start a fire (in dry conditions). If not I can put vaseline on them when needed (carrying a small tube of vaseline in my kit)




(Besides it's always good to carry some tampons in your kit, since it can also be used for other purposes, such as stopping some wounds from bleeding)
 
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Jeez I'd feel a little uh, funny...using tampons for firestarting. Just for general purposes. But I guess in a survival situation.....:)
 
I like the straw method of storage and found it easy to do and easy to seal the ends. Just squeeze close to the end with my leatherman and burn with a lighter. The ends melt together rather nicely. I keep them in a Altoids can with some lint, matches, a few wire snares, and whatever else I can jam in there.

John
 
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