What to buy at REI?

[NCPatrick]

REI usually has an impressive array of SmartWool socks, sometimes on sale 2 for the price of 3.

That sounds about right...

[Schneiderlein]

I really think it's the better store. 2 floors, climbing wall and a lot more floor space. You'll be happier there.

BTW, when are you going to be in town? Maybe we can get together and hoist one, or two?

I'll arrive late Wednesday night, but should be available Thursday. I'll pm if I can figure out how to do that.

[Schneiderlein]

Thank you everybody for your suggestions. I went to the REI on LBJ, and got the long-handled spoons (one for myself and one as a gift), Figure 9s, some triptease and a pair of smartwool socks. They did not have the SMC descending rings, and the Plano store showed only one in stock, so I didn't bother driving over there.

I also met with txulrich for lunch. He's a really great guy, I hope you get a chance to meet him. Hope you have a great time hanging with the scouts this weekend, Joe!

Thanks again, everybody!

[Dingus Khan]

Me too! I always keep a pill bottle full of them in my pack. Saves a lot of time getting the fire blazing!

off topic a bit here, I apologize - how much petroleum do you need? Never heard of this. I always used to make napalm (gas and styro) until I realized what I was doing ...
doesn't the cotton ball mush down into a big nothing? - kind of like wet down?

[slowhike]

off topic a bit here, I apologize - how much petroleum do you need? Never heard of this. I always used to make napalm (gas and styro) until I realized what I was doing ...
doesn't the cotton ball mush down into a big nothing? - kind of like wet down?

i just swab the cotton ball around in the petroleum jelly (PJ) until it's thoroughly impregnated.
yeah it does reduce it quite a bit, but when it's time to use it just use your fingers or a small stick to pull it apart & open it back up to get plenty of oxygen.

i like to use one or two w/ PJ, & 3 or 4 nice dry cotton balls if fire starting conditions are challenging.
almost always gets a fire going w/ one strike.
the dry cotton produces a large hot ball of tender & the ones w/ PJ continue to burn longer.

be sure to get cotton balls that are really cotton & not synthetic.

i often carry two extra solid fuel tabs as a back up for cooking (heating water) & also in really wet conditions they could used if need for starting a fire, especially in an emergency.

[txulrich]

It was nice to meet you Hubert. Thanks for the compliment.

Hanging is always a good time. It's even better when I get to help some young scouts learn a couple of things.

Looks like you picked up some good stuff. I have the Figure nines on my tarp and love them. They are especially nice when the weather is colder. I can hang my tarp even when my fingers don't want to work!

Thank you everybody for your suggestions. I went to the REI on LBJ, and got the long-handled spoons (one for myself and one as a gift), Figure 9s, some triptease and a pair of smartwool socks. They did not have the SMC descending rings, and the Plano store showed only one in stock, so I didn't bother driving over there.

I also met with txulrich for lunch. He's a really great guy, I hope you get a chance to meet him. Hope you have a great time hanging with the scouts this weekend, Joe!

Thanks again, everybody!

[headchange4u]

off topic a bit here, I apologize - how much petroleum do you need? Never heard of this. I always used to make napalm (gas and styro) until I realized what I was doing ...
doesn't the cotton ball mush down into a big nothing? - kind of like wet down?

I think I make mine a little different than most people. I normally make them in a sizeable batch because I give a lot away to friends. I start with an entire bag of cotton balls and the medium/large jars of PJ.; not the biggest they sell and not the smallest.

First I put all of the PJ in a quart size freezer bag and suspend it in a pot of gently boiling water until it completely turns into a liquid. next I start stuffing the bag full of cotton balls and start mixing it with the liquid PJ. Every few minutes I will dip the bag back in the hot water and put in more cotton balls until all the excess PJ is soaked up. This will take most, if not all of the bag of cotton balls. After you have all the cotton balls added to the PJ, put it in the water agian for a few seconds to keep the PJ warm, and squeeze the bag to really work the PJ into the middle of the cotton balls and completely saturate them. I will let them sit overnight and then I will repackage the fire staters into small 2"x3" jewelery bags. Each jewelery bag will hold 8-10 cotton balls, and it only takes 1/2 of a cotton ball to start a fire in most conditions.

I like using this method because it saturates the whole cotton ball, all the way to the middle, and makes an easy to light, long burning fire starter. If you have parts of the cotton ball that does not have PJ on it and it gets wet, it will not burn. I you make them like I do, they are very easy to light in even the wettest conditions.You can also make emergency candles with them.

[Cannibal]

off topic a bit here, I apologize - how much petroleum do you need? Never heard of this. I always used to make napalm (gas and styro) until I realized what I was doing ...
doesn't the cotton ball mush down into a big nothing? - kind of like wet down?

Like slowhike said, you can just pick at it a little to get the cotton ball to open back up a bit. I think the last time I put a timer to it, a plain cotton ball burns REAL GOOD for about 20 or 30 seconds. Add the PJ and it burns for closer to 5 minutes. If you try them, you'll be hooked. Don't try this at home, but if you throw one at somebody and it hits their butt it will stick! Incredibly entertaining for all those present except of course Mr./Ms. My Butt Is On Fire.

Napalm huh? Gasoline and dish soap was my combo of choice; sticks to everything!

[Cannibal]

I think I make mine a little different than most people. I normally make them in a sizeable batch because I give a lot away to friends. I start with an entire bag of cotton balls and the medium/large jars of PJ.; not the biggest they sell and not the smallest.

First I put all of the PJ in a quart size freezer bag and suspend it in a pot of gently boiling water until it completely turns into a liquid. next I start stuffing the bag full of cotton balls and start mixing it with the liquid PJ. Every few minutes I will dip the bag back in the hot water and put in more cotton balls until all the excess PJ is soaked up. This will take most, if not all of the bag of cotton balls. After you have all the cotton balls added to the PJ, put it in the water agian for a few seconds to keep the PJ warm, and squeeze the bag to really work the PJ into the middle of the cotton balls and completely saturate them. I will let them sit overnight and then I will repackage the fire staters into small 2"x3" jewelery bags. Each jewelery bag will hold 8-10 cotton balls, and it only takes 1/2 of a cotton ball to start a fire in most conditions.

I like using this method because it saturates the whole cotton ball, all the way to the middle, and makes an easy to light, long burning fire starter. If you have parts of the cotton ball that does not have PJ on it and it gets wet, it will not burn. I you make them like I do, they are very easy to light in even the wettest conditions.You can also make emergency candles with them.

Thanks for sharing that; I've had problems with them getting wet before and not lighting. That's the reason I carry them in a film cannister now. I'm gonna try your method next time I make another batch.

[TiredFeet]

I think I make mine a little different than most people. I normally make them in a sizeable batch because I give a lot away to friends. I start with an entire bag of cotton balls and the medium/large jars of PJ.; not the biggest they sell and not the smallest.

First I put all of the PJ in a quart size freezer bag and suspend it in a pot of gently boiling water until it completely turns into a liquid. next I start stuffing the bag full of cotton balls and start mixing it with the liquid PJ. Every few minutes I will dip the bag back in the hot water and put in more cotton balls until all the excess PJ is soaked up. This will take most, if not all of the bag of cotton balls. After you have all the cotton balls added to the PJ, put it in the water agian for a few seconds to keep the PJ warm, and squeeze the bag to really work the PJ into the middle of the cotton balls and completely saturate them. I will let them sit overnight and then I will repackage the fire staters into small 2"x3" jewelery bags. Each jewelery bag will hold 8-10 cotton balls, and it only takes 1/2 of a cotton ball to start a fire in most conditions.

I like using this method because it saturates the whole cotton ball, all the way to the middle, and makes an easy to light, long burning fire starter. If you have parts of the cotton ball that does not have PJ on it and it gets wet, it will not burn. I you make them like I do, they are very easy to light in even the wettest conditions.You can also make emergency candles with them.

A small wrinkle on the cotton ball fire starters and the emergency candle -- saturate the cotton balls with PJ as described - HC4U has an excellent method - then enclose the saturated cotton ball in AL foil as for the emergency candle. You get a small flat package. Then when you light it, instead of opening the foil as for the candle, just use a knife and cut an 'X' in the top of the foil, peel the foil back somewhat and light as normal. The opening regulates the amount of oxygen feeding the flame and it burns a LOT longer and pretty hot. One of the survival gurus developed this and taught it to all his students - they swear by it. I think they say a single one will burn for about 20 to 30 minutes.