# Well I almost died **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 10, 2025, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-almost-died/1020704 "2025-07-10T15:58:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 96
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2025, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-almost-died/1020704/96 "2025-07-30T16:25:11Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Along those lines, for the example of the firestarter made from vaseline and cotton balls, I would think it’d be better to make them when needed rather than pre-making them. Take a small tube of vaseline and some cotton balls so you have the most options. If you need a firestarter, mix them up. But otherwise, keep the vaseline and cotton balls separate so you can use them for other purposes. The vaseline can be used for lip balm, anti-chafing, waterproofing, wound coverage, etc. Cotton balls can be used for first aid. Even if you don’t have cotton balls, just the vaseline alone can be mixed with whatever combustible material you have on hand to create a firestarter. But if you take along pre-mixed vaseline and cotton balls, they become a single purpose item. They will have limited backup uses. It’s really easy to make a few of these, stick them in a small medicine bottle or a jewel bag, and keep them in a little firestarting or med-kit. You could still use them for applying the petroleum jelly, but in general the obsession some people have with [trying to make everything multi-purpose]( [More parachute cord goodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-parachute-cord-goodness/983622) ) often ends up with ‘tools’ that are actually pretty useless for any purpose. When backpacking or camping I carry a firestarting kit with firesteel, storm matches, and a plasma lighter all in a small pouch along with some tinder and char cloth, and if carrying a belt knife I’ll usually put a plasma torch or small firesteel with tinder in the sharpening stone pouch on the sheath, or else have this in my chest rig. It’s just faster and less messy to pull out and use an already prepared firestarter rather than having to break open my medkit, dig out the components (disorganizing and potentially dropping or contaminating items within) and combine them together, and frankly if I’m needing to make a fire with a firestarter instead of preparing natural tinder there is probably something approaching an emergency in progress. > [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > I did actually have my fire kit but the wind was so strong that it was hard to stand so lighting a match just wasn’t going to happen. Also there was nothing but rock and snow and torrential rain. In the backcountry I always carry a [lightweight tarp](https://hilleberg.com/eng/products/shelters/tarp) or [emergency reflective Mylar® shelter](https://www.rei.com/product/199053/sol-emergency-bivvy-with-rescue-whistle-and-tinder-cord); faster than trying to make natural shelter and more reliable than looking for fuel to sustain a fire. The amount of extra weight is minimal and it can serve as both a sunshield, rain/snow shelter, and signalling device (if you pick a bright red, orange, or yellow color). Stranger --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-almost-died/1020704)._