Fire is a critical resource in a survival situation, but the problem is that when you desperately need it, the conditions are usually wet and miserable. It can be challenging to find dry wood at the best of times, but when the forest is soaked, the wood you find will often be damp. If the kindling has too much moisture, getting it to take a flame is very challenging. The DIY waterproof fire starter can solve this problem!
In these situations, a good waterproof fire starter is just the ticket to get water-logged kindling to dry out and light. Like this fire:
Many commercial options exist and are very effective at being waterproof, easy to light, and effective. Still, with a few household items, you can make a totally waterproof fire starter in less than half an hour. I have used these fire starters for many years, and I don’t go into the woods without a tin of these fire starters in my kit.
What am I looking for in a Fire Starter?
When I set out to create my own fire starters, I had a few criteria that I felt were requirements to include in any of my kits. My conditions were that they are totally waterproof, able to be lit with a ferro rod, simple to use, and easy to make.
I wanted these DIY waterproof fire starters to be perfect for starting a self-feeding fire or a Swedish fire. If you do not know about these two highly-effective survival fires that can save you in the wild, check out the Wilderness Survival Guide. It has step-by-step instructions for the top 3 types of fire you need to know in a survival situation.
What are My Fire Starters Made From?
When I was a young boy, we would make fire starters by dipping rolled-up strips of newspaper in wax. These fire starters were practically free and waterproof. Unfortunately, they could not be ignited through sparks, instead requiring a flame to get going. So, as I began to rely on ferro rods for my fire lighting needs, I set out to find a DIY fire starter that could be easily lit with a shower of sparks from my ferro rod.
After some experimenting, I found that cotton makeup removal pads could be broken apart, forming a bird’s nest of cotton fibers that take a spark quite nicely. They become totally waterproof when they are soaked in molten wax and allowed to dry. All that’s needed is to break the pad apart, which exposes it to fibers on the inside, and to hit it with a flame or spark. The fire starter will burn for several minutes, perfect for coaxing marginal kindling to take a flame.
Even though they worked quite well, I felt they could be better, so I soaked the pads in an accelerant before dipping them in wax. I like to use what I have on hand, so I chose WD-40 as my accelerant.
The final version of my fire starters was easier to light and burned longer than those with no accelerant.
How to Make my DIY Fire Starters
Chances are, you have everything you need to make these fire starters in your home right now. They are simple to make and take less than half an hour to put together.
Materials Required for the DIY Waterproof Fire Starter
- Cotton makeup removal pads
- Wax (I like to either use tea light candles or three-wick candles that have burned down to the point where they will not light anymore but have wax still in the bottom.)
- WD-40
A Note on Safety
This process involves melting wax which must be done using a double boiler method. Using a double boiler prevents the wax from burning or reaching its flashpoint temperature. Also, while melting the wax, you should know the location of the nearest fire extinguisher and never leave it unattended.
Molten wax can be hot enough to cause burns if it gets on your skin, so you need to use pliers or tongs for dipping the pads in the wax.
How to Improvise a Double Boiler for the DIY Waterproof Fire Starter
If you do not have a double boiler, you can easily improvise one using the implements you have in your kitchen. All you need is a stove or hot plate, a pot, and a bowl that will fit snuggly over the top of the pot. The bowl should be glass and heat-resistant, but a metal bowl could also work.
The steps to setting up a double boiler are as follows:
- Fill the pot with an inch or two of water. Ensure that the water level will not touch the bottom of the bowl when you place it on top of the pot.
- Bring the water to a boil and place the bowl on top of the pot.
- Place the wax in the bowl to melt.
Instructions
1. Lay out the makeup removal pads you want to use on a sheet of parchment paper.
2. Set up a double boiler and place the wax inside to melt.
3. Spray a bit of WD-40 on each of the pads. You don’t need to soak the pads; a quick shot is sufficient.
4. Set up a wire rack next to the double boiler. This is where you are going to place the finished pads to dry.
5. Once the wax is melted, dip the pads in the molten wax one at a time. As you remove the pad from the wax, allow the excess wax to drip off and place them on the wire rack to cool and the wax to harden.
6. Repeat the process for all the pads.
Using the Fire Starters
To use the fire starters, rip the disc partially in half and pull it apart to expose the fibers inside. The trick is to create as much surface area as possible for the sparks to land on. In most cases, a shower of sparks will light these fire starters immediately, but sometimes it will start smoking, but there will be no flame. If this happens, blow on the fire starter, and it should burst into flames.
Testing the Fire Starters Water Proofness
I took one fire starter and placed it in a glass of water for twenty-four hours. I then removed it and was able to light it using the process I described above with no problems. After which, the fire starter burned for 5 minutes before the flame went out.
Final Thoughts
These are my favorite DIY waterproof fire starters, and I have at least one in every fire kit I build. They are easy to make, practically free, and very effective at getting a fire going.
Now up to you. Let us know what you use for your DIY waterproof fire starters. There are so many options available and different people have different preferences. What is yours?
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The Only Survival Fires You Should Know
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I’ve made these with charcoal lighter fluid instead. Works well.