Saturday, May 5, 2012

Dollar Tree 72 Hour Kit {Day 3) Combustion, Fire, and Tinder



Welcome to day 3 of our Dollar Tree 72 Hour Kit Party! Today's topic is an important one. FIRE. Fire will be important for cooking, warming up, even things like being able to warm up a pot of water for laundry or bathing.

When you build a fire, it's important to have tinder. It catches fire easily and it's much easier to get a good fire going. This is what the cotton balls are for. They are light weight and compactable, so they are perfect for our packs. You can either rub them in Vaseline or get them soaked in hand sanitizer for a great burn.

*One of the readers, Kelly, suggests melting the vaseline in the microwave and then soaking the cotton balls in it! Great idea, Kelly! Thanks for sharing!

Now, when it comes to matches and lighters, personally, I would rather have matches. I've had lighters before that wouldn't light...so it didn't do me any good. Matches are pretty reliable, and if you want to make them waterproof, you can just dip the tips separately into some melted wax! That being said...if you are a big worrier, you can have both in your kit and sleep easier at night. I figure for a buck each, it wouldn't be too bad to just go ahead and get both.

Come back tomorrow for Part 4: Cover and shelter options!

Thanks for stopping by! If you missed them, here are the links to part 1 and 2




2 comments:

  1. If you heat the vaseline in the microwave, it'll melt and then you can soak the cotton balls in it. Haven't tried it yet, but plan to.

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  2. Ooh, good idea, Kelly! I didn't even think of that! I'll have to try it, too! Thanks for the tip!

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