So while not considered a gadget (feel free to move this thread to a more appropriate forum), but Purell makes a great accelerant. With a few inches of snow still on the ground, I started a fire this afternoon (granted in my backyard) with a lighter, a couple squirts of purell a bunch of wet wood and a half a pizza box. There was no pepperoni on said pizza so oil was not a factor - plus it was the lid. Small victory = happy dance and a cigar.
_________________________
Did you know that 83.6% of all statistics are made up on the spot?
OK - so I am a little crazy, but I'm not stupid (although opinions vary!). Just to clarify, I WILL NOT be tossing butane canisters into a fire for poops and giggles, like you may assume from my overexcited post. I WILL, however, take a ball of dryer lint, drop it into a tiny ziplock bag, pour a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of purell on top and seal it up. Put that "accelerant ball" in the base of your tinder pile and you have a great firestarter.
And not that you can tell from my profile pic, but my eyebrows could use a trim...I do sincerely appreciate your concern though!
_________________________
Did you know that 83.6% of all statistics are made up on the spot?
Well, you couldn't really expect all of us kind, gentle souls to pass up an opportunity like that, could you? (Remind me to tell you how I managed to plunk the prefilter of my water filter about 30 feet out into Lake Superior sometime. A genuine Homer Simpson moment.)
All kidding aside, Purell or similar really does earn its way in your pack. It serves the primary purpose of sanitizing hands, but also can be pressed into service for sterilizing a wound, or an emergency firestarter - and there are probably other uses I just haven't discovered yet.
Seriously, if you want to get the full effect from an accelerant, someone needs to be making a video for YouTube. Add bonus points if someone else holds your beer.
... also can be pressed into service for sterilizing a wound, ...
That does not sound like a good idea to me. I might consider it to sterilize something that was going to touch a wound, but I think you would cause more harm than help putting it directly on a wound. Any doctors or those versed in the medical arts that would like to comment?
The only accelerant I have ever used is birch bark. I have enjoyed making fires in the backwoods for decades and even in the worst conditions never needed anything else.
Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:
Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!