There are many ways to start a fire in the wilderness. The bow drill, cattails, cotton balls smothered in vaseline. The list is endless, however none of these are quite as easy as what I am about to show you today.
In this article we will take a look at how to make miniature fire starters from everyday drinking straws
This firelighters will light even when wet and they pack down so small they can easily fit into your survival kit, EDC and Bug Out Bag.
This is a super easy prepper project and you can get the kids involved as you’ll likely be stealing their straws anyway!
What You Need
Lets take a look at some of the tools and equipment you will need for this project:
- Several Drinking Straws
- A Lighter
- A pair of pliers (needle nose are best)
- Scissors
- Some Cotton Balls
- Gloves for safety
How To Make Them
By following the below steps, in roughly 10 minutes you will have a batch of survival fire starters ready to go.
Step 1 – Snip the straw to the required length, depending on your intented use/storage location.
Step 2 – Melt one end with the lighter and quickly use the pliers to clamp down on the melted end of the straw to seal
Step 3 – Grab a cotton ball or two and stuff them into the straw from the open end. You can ise a match or thin tool to compact the cotton ball down.
Step 4 – Using the pliers to hold the straw, gently melt the open end with the lighter and use the pliers to grip and seal.
What Can They Be Used For?
These little straws are waterproof and will protect your cotton balls from the elements even when submerged.
There are two ways these can be used to start your fire:
- Snip open one end of the straw and pull out some of the cotton ball but leaving it attached to the straw. Then use your lighter to ignite the cotton and use the straw to hold the flame like a match. It is now ready to light your kindling and start that fire.
- The second option is to simply light the straw from one end without cutting. The plastic will burn even when wet and it will also catch ahold of the cotton ball very quickly. This open is best used when placed underneath your fire bundle with the tinder ready to ignite.
Additional Options
There are a few more option things you can do it further enhance your mini drinking straw firelighters.
- You can squeeze in a couple of strike anywhere matched into the straw before sealing. This will be beneficial in both of the intended uses discussed above. They will take a spark from the lit straw, or then can be removed and used at a later date.
- You can also apply vaseline to the cotton ball before placing it into the straw. This will add yet another layer of protection.
- The third and final option is to soak the cotton in some alcohol beforehand so that when lit it will burn hot and bright.
Here Is An Alternative For Keeping Your Matches Dry
We first saw this neat idea on instructables
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