When going afield, it pays to carry more than one method of starting a fire. Usually a butane lighter is the first-line method - but then, if the flint gets wet, it won't spark. Now is the time for a second fire starting tool. If strike-anywhere matches are trimmed just a little bit in length, they will fit nicely into a plastic 35mm film can. These film cans are positively waterproof, and just the right size to fit virtually anywhere. They are light in weight, readily available and free for the asking from most film processing centers. Carry a liberal supply of these trimmed-down matches and a few pieces of rubber inner-tube and you'll have a great self-contained, water-proof fire-starting kit that will go anywhere.
The rubber inner-tube mentioned here will light without any trouble, even if soaking wet from the elements. It burns with such a hot, aggressive flame that it is almost impossible to put out, and makes a nearly perfect fire-starting medium to get other tinder ignited.


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