Introduction: Worlds Best Pocket-Sized Fire Starter

O.K.-This is my first Instructable, so try not to Bash me too much.

As I was looking at the home page I saw there was a contest happening for those wishing to share their know-how on the subject of simply staying warm. Looking through my library of knowledge for anything interesting, I remembered a little trick I used to use to start some of the best fires. These Fire Starters work so well I have been able to even light waterlogged pieces of wood, so BE CAREFUL.

DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for any use or misuse of this instructable. FIRE BURNS (believe it or not) so this product is potentially dangerous, whatever you or someone else decides to do with it is none of my business, but neither is it my responsibility. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

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Step 1: What You Need

Materials:

-2 small paper cups NO PLASTIC, plastic is bad all around to burn, so no plastic coating on the cups, try to stay away from wax coating, you can use it if you really need to, but I advise against it

-Petroleum Jelly

-A disposable Knife

-2 to 5 cotton rounds

-A fire starter

OPTIONAL

-Alcohol for those of you to lazy to wait an extra 5 seconds for the cup to catch on fire

Step 2: Step 1

The first thing you need to do is take your cotton rounds, the plastic knife and the petroleum jelly, and use them to smear the jelly on ONE side of the cotton rounds. I normally only use two of the cotton rounds, but three is what you should aim for.

*Note: while you can use up to five, it is not recommended because the jellied cotton rounds will, after a certain amount, become to dense and slow down the rate of their burning, and, sometimes even smother themselves.

Step 3: Step 2

Now, take one cup, the knife, the petroleum jelly, and the jellied cotton rounds. Put some petroleum jelly on the inside bottom of the cup, than stack the jellied cotton rounds on top, with the side that has the petroleum jelly on it facing up. Get rid of the knife.

Step 4: Step 4

Finally, take the second cup and place it over the top of the first as shown, to make a little capsule that stops the jelly from getting all over anything that it touches.

Step 5: Lighting

take the fire starter out, remove the top part placing it under the bottom cup as shown, and place it under the base of your fire, or just use it out in the open to watch it. For those of you who brought alcohol, pour a little over the top of it. As it burns you will notice that the paper cup shell it the first thing to go, which causes the jellied cotton rounds to catch, which burn at a much slower rate. Just set it on fire and it burns for a long time, guaranteed to light almost any fire.

(This picture was taken out in the open on a cold snowy day, no alcohol used. It burned for 20 minutes straight.)

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