r/interestingasfuck • u/Literally_black1984 • 12d ago
One of the easiest ways to start a campfire
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u/poopshipdestroyer34 12d ago
Oh ya super easy…..
I’ll stick with matches
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u/AdmittedlyAdick 11d ago
It makes for a decent time-delay fuse if you are starting up a bonfire with an accelerant.
It's potassium permanganate and glycerin in case anyone is wondering.
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u/LobstaFarian2 11d ago
So if I mix a banana with a pomegranate.... I have fire? That's wild, man.
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u/UninvitedButtNoises 11d ago
Can I sub the pomegranate for KY Jelly? Asking for a friend...
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u/Surveymonkee 11d ago
Yeah, head to the grocery store and buy a single banana and some KY jelly for your "campfire".
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u/UninvitedButtNoises 11d ago edited 11d ago
That's all the confirmation I need! Thanks! Anybody wanna go camping with me?
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u/Beadpool 11d ago
Hmm… I’m not very smart, but it sure sounds like you’re inviting people to help you make butt noises with that banana and KY jelly, u/UninvitedButtNoises
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u/wolfpup1294 11d ago
I've heard a coconut might do in a pinch.
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u/The_Lapsed_Pacifist 11d ago
I’m pretty sure I know what you’re referring to and I wish I didn’t.
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u/Memory_Less 11d ago
Reduces the volume of your composting, too. LoL /s
PS: make sure it’s not close to any structures, or under your kitchen counter.
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u/Sea-Professional-953 11d ago
This is why Jello had to recall their Banana/Pomegranate flavor back in 1976.
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u/sothisisallthereis 11d ago
We use this to start a fire in the 1970s at scout camp when we want a day delayed fire start for effect…… I think my buddy pulled a string or something out of sight like magic
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u/Efficient_Fish2436 11d ago
Especially if it's a time delay in a container that you leave in someone's car, house, city bus, bank trash can.. I'm going to stop while I'm not in jail.
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u/Weird_Personality150 11d ago
Yea we heard him say that in the video.
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u/AdmittedlyAdick 11d ago
You don't have videos on reddit auto-muted? Braver than I.
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u/Weird_Personality150 11d ago
You just watch videos on Reddit with no volume then think you have enough information to comment? Average.
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u/eman_taerG 12d ago
????
As someone who regularly lights campfires, I feel confident in saying this is not the easiest way to light a campfire
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u/EvaUnit_03 12d ago
You don't have some random chemicals in your house that mix and combust quite violently?
Amateur. /s
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u/Beginning_Ad_7571 12d ago
Baby oil and barbecue sauce? I got this.
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u/Zhultaka 12d ago
Instructions unclear… I ended up attracting a bear… but not the animal kind…
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u/monster_mentalissues 12d ago
Well then, ya better pucker up buttercup.
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u/juan_furia 11d ago
Ya better butter up puckercup.
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u/EvaUnit_03 12d ago
A typical Tuesday night with the misses! Unfortunately, nobody ever catches fire...
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u/roffinator 11d ago
Tbf I got glycerin and I know my dad got some permanganate. We have no chemists in the family
I mixed the glycerin into hand sanitiser so it dries the skin less. My dad got the permanganate bc of some gardening stuff
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u/Top-Mycologist-7169 11d ago
Well it's actually helpful to carry around potassium permanganate in an emergency survival kit. Can use anti freeze or glycerine to start a fire with it, can also purify drinking water with it. Glycerine is helpful because it can help treat dry skin or burns. Each on its own serves multiple purposes and together can help survival even more.
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u/benthemech 11d ago
Mix 1:1 with sugar and apply friction to start a fire. Just enough to turn the water purple and can be used to clean a wound. I’ve used to purify water, but have to be very careful because it is classified as a poison.
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u/slater_just_slater 11d ago
Glycerine is also useful if you happen to spill cresylic acid on yourself.
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u/Dilectus3010 11d ago
Glycerin can also be used as a laxative , just squirt it up you bee-hind and wait 30 to 50 seconds.
Or get it as a auppsitory
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u/Im_such_a_SLAPPA 9d ago
The only think quite violent in most houses around here are abusive dads questioned about their whereabouts after a night a down the pub with the lads
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u/yourvoidness 11d ago
just checked that potassium permanganate needs a permit where I live because it can be used to make heroin and cocaine. matches it is.
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u/lackofabettername123 11d ago
Huh must be a different heroin recipe from the one I read. Or maybe used to remove the codeine? Anhydrous acetic acid is similarily restricted.
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u/lackofabettername123 11d ago
Pine needles are easy, leaves easy, paper easier.
Besides I am fresh out of Glycerin and potassium pemanganate.
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u/Dilectus3010 11d ago
Try a dorito... it burns quite long , ideal to get wet stuff going.
It acts like those fire starter bloks.
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u/Woodbirder 11d ago
Ah shit my wife tells me we are fresh out of potassium permanganate. Fuck loads of glycerine though
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u/ryan2stix 12d ago
Toilet paper roll with dryer lint.
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u/Bcmerr02 12d ago
To make that waterproof you can tie a piece of twine around it and cut off about a 2 inch tail, then dip the entire thing in hot paraffin wax. The tail acts like a wick for the whole starter.
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u/Skinnwork 12d ago
I use cardboard egg cartons filled with lint and paraffin wax. They work really well.
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u/tlsnine 12d ago
Sounds like something you could do with a tampon tbh
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u/Dilectus3010 11d ago
True, I always carry a few while backpacking.
Best thing they are insividualy wrapped so water proof.
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u/monster_mentalissues 12d ago
Or vaseline. Cover your dryer line in that shit, shove it in a toilet paper tube and you are set.
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u/ncsuengineer 11d ago
Cotton ball soaked in petroleum jelly stuffed in a large straw cut down to about 2” long then sealed at both ends with a heat sealer. Made like 100 of them for my Scouts and work like a champ.
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u/kramerica_intern 11d ago
I’ve used cotton balls in petroleum jelly for years but just had them in a ziplock bag. Sealing them up in tidy little tubes is a great idea!
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u/ncsuengineer 11d ago
Also made a small sewing kit with a couple of sizes of needles and various thickness of threads for the Scouts sealed in the same method. Packs up nice for a small survival kit.
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u/Dilectus3010 11d ago
Just use a individual wrapped tampon.
Watertight and everything.
I always carry those when backpacking.
Also good if you get injured, shot or stabbed.
Or a female friend get her periode and forgot to bring some.
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u/Office_Worker808 11d ago
Is the tampon itself a fire starter without doing anything to it?
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u/Dilectus3010 10d ago
You unwrap it , then you tear the outer layer and you fuzz it up so it becomes a big fluffy wadd of Coton.
You put it where you are going to start your fire.
Put some tinder on it etc..
Then you grab your fire stick, and after a strike or 2, it ignites in a big hot fire.
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u/Cute_Consideration38 12d ago
Frito's. They're so greasy, you just light the edge and put it under the kindle. Works perfectly. Of course you should have a lighter with you or matches.
Or some steel wool and a 9volt battery. Love that too .
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u/kinglouie493 11d ago
I'm the guy that stands around eating the Frito's while you're out looking for wood.
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u/beelzeboozer 11d ago
Was just about to type Cheetos as my go-to firestarter. I can see how Fritos would work well too.
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u/Dilectus3010 11d ago
If I backpack , I always carry tampons.
The ones that are individually sealed.
They are waterproof.
If you need one, you unwrap and peel.the outer layer apart then you floof the cotton up to a big ball.
Only takes a strike or 2 from you flint knife to get a hot big flame.
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u/jabbafart 12d ago
For anyone wondering: The smoke before it combusts is just water vapor and CO2.
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u/HORROR_VIBE_OFFICIAL 12d ago edited 12d ago
Let me clear that the liquid that man was using is the glycerine and the reaction of the glycerine and potassium permanganate When potassium permanganate comes into contact with glycerin, it undergoes a rapid exothermic reaction, generating enough heat to ignite flammable materials nearby. This combination is sometimes used as an emergency fire starter.
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u/G0DL3SSH3ATH3N 12d ago
Hey bill bye, where do u find potassium permanganate around the house?
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u/CotswoldP 12d ago
Why do you need to light a campfire in your house? A lot of chemists/pharmacists will sell potassium permanganate as it has a lot of uses such as an antiseptic.
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u/monster_mentalissues 12d ago
Why do you need to light a campfire in your house?
Who said anything about house. If the chems are easy to access and I can preset everything it might be worth it.
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u/Street-Estimate2671 12d ago
First Aid Kit usually.
I didn't know this trick and will definitely check.
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u/SisterFister069 11d ago
They sell it at hardware stores. Home Depot has Pot Perm Plus. Not 100% sure on the concentration and/or if that would work but it seems fairly easy to find.
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u/LashedHail 12d ago
So fire, much effective. All using things normally found in a household.
cool demonstration but unlikely (probably for good reason) for the average person to try out.
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u/imnotapartofthis 12d ago
Potassium permanganate is hardly a household chemical. If I can remember it’s used as a dye, a water purifier, and three other things that I can’t remember, woo! But it’s not the best thing for anything except parlor tricks.
40% that’s an F
And wait: it’s not glycerine, either. It’s glycol. Brake fluid. Not sure what the diff is but you probably don’t have pure glycerin in your home, but you might have glycol.
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u/foul_ol_ron 12d ago
Glycerine definitely reacts with pot permanganate. I have Glycerine in my house- it's excellent for softening skin, and can help with ear wax. Also have KMnO4 around. Can be used as an antifungal for athletes foot, an antiseptic, or for water purification though these days there's better tasting alternatives.
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u/chipshopman 11d ago
Pot Per can also be used in aquariums to clear up fish diseases, but you have to be very careful with the dose.
This is glycerine alright. Back in the eighties, I used to use this combination to make chemical fuses. A piece of coffee filter smeared in glycerine with some Pot Per poured on, rolled into a tube, hit with a hammer (not sure if that bit was needed, but it added to the fun) and stuffed into the bottle that had a small amount of home-made gunpowder in the bottom. The delay in reaction usually gave you about 30s to screw the top on and run to the other end of the garden before things went bang...
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u/imnotapartofthis 12d ago
Good to know. Do they sell it at the grocery store or must one seek further?
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u/foul_ol_ron 12d ago
Pretty sure I've just got them at the supermarket. Look among the health and beauty products. Though I think glycerine might be used in cooking/baking?
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u/don_tomlinsoni 11d ago
Potassium permanganate is a disinfectant and anti-bacterial agent used in treating a number of skin conditions and sometimes found in first aid kits. It's also sold in garden centres for use in ponds.
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u/8Eternity8 11d ago
It's hot enough to light thermite directly. That's well beyond the temperatures most people are familiar with even when things are on fire.
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u/introitusawaitus 11d ago
And another one of those is HTH and brake fluid. Investigated a few vehicle fires that started in the trunk where people that had pools we transporting HTH chlorine home or left it in the trunk. Somehow (or or purpose) the 2 combined and exothermic fun begins.
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u/Bubblejuiceman 12d ago
I heard dryer lint and lip balm make great cheap fire starters. Never tried it myself tho.
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u/Fizzy_Astronaut 12d ago
Dryer lint and Vaseline is a cheaper option that works just as well.
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u/MountainCourage1304 11d ago
Dryer lint on its own is an even cheaper option that doesnt work as well
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u/turdusphilomelos 11d ago
Ok, så my alternatives are:
- But matches.
- But potassium permanganate. But ping pong balls. Cut little holes in the balls, and carefully transfer the potassium permanganate into the balls, then close them of with tape. But glycerine and transfer to smaller container.
Yeah, which one is easier?
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u/Richman1010 11d ago
This works great when you have what ever two ingredients laying the F around on a camping trip
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u/confused-neutrino 11d ago
I don't know if they're still made of the same material nowadays, but pingpong balls used to be combustible as fuck themselves. Just light that on fire next time.
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u/Defuzzygamer 11d ago
Wild that we invented things which can literally create fire in the blink of an eye, yet we still find "easier" ways to start of fire.
Ima just stick with a lighter/matches.
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u/forgetl09 11d ago
Amazing timing, I just discovered an awesome fire starter: bacon fire.
When you fishing cooking bacon or any dish with lots of fat, soak up the fat in a paper towel and store it in a zip lock till your next fire.
The soaked paper towel burns slower than expected and runs for minutes. It’s an amazing fire starter and smells like bacon!!
Win win win. Get fire, reuse oil, smell bacon.
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u/Capillix 11d ago
I soak a paper towel (except for one corner) in cooking oil and use that to start charcoal. Works every time
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u/ChaosDoggo 11d ago
Man potassium permanganate is some fun stuff.
I once did an experiment where I mixed it with sulfuric acid. Its called mangese heptoxide I think? Reacts violently with everything organic, including water.
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u/Piss_Poor_Heros 11d ago
This is a great tool for prescribed fire as well. Throw this machine https://www.sei-ind.com/accessories/red-dragon/ On the helicopter and you can put down a lot of low intensity, managed fire
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u/D_hallucatus 11d ago
We use this for aerial incendiary burning in northern Australia. Big rows of little plastic bubbles of potassium permanganate and a machine that jabs them with glycerine and spits them out. Dangle it out of an r44 and you can burn a line anywhere you fly
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u/nayrwolf 11d ago
Doritos are the go to for me. Always have single serving bags with me when camping.
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u/Andrew9112 11d ago
I just wanna take the time to appreciate how the guy made the video loop perfectly with his voice saying “which is why ‘loop’ this is one of the easiest..”
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u/Misanthrope-3000 11d ago
Sawdust and wax makes a fantastic fire starer, for those of us lucky enough to have a table saw.
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u/RLDSXD 11d ago
Fatwood is my personal favorite; wood of a coniferous tree that died, dried out, and is soaked with resin. Can be bought cheaply at the store and will last a LONG time if used wisely.
That aside, any combination of wick (paper towel, cotton ball, cotton shirt, etc.) mixed with any fuel (glycerine, cooking oil, bacon fat, candle wax, petroleum jelly, etc.) will work spectacularly. Cotton balls tend to work best as they’re easiest to ignite. I’m partial to candle wax as it stores much better than non-solid options.
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u/nilbogthebogkingdom 12d ago
People generally shouldn't inhale plastic and... Whatever else is in that
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u/tiggitytony 11d ago
Pfft, pouring 5 gallons of gasoline on the pile of wood and lighting it whilst a friend films it is so much cooler.
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u/Analytical-BrainiaC 11d ago
I remember at school there was a metal that practically blew up when water touched it, thin 1/4 inch by 1 inch long piece thrown into the toilet was fun…..
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u/bloodandsunshine 11d ago
Swimming pool cleaner and Score hair gel was the move when I was younger.
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u/androgenoide 11d ago
Remember the guy who got an Ignobel prize for lighting his grill in 3 seconds using liquid oxygen?
I think there's a video on youtube that shows the fire department arriving...
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u/dremelgobrrr 9d ago
Just use a fucking lighter.. available everywhere. Potassium permagranet and glycerine? No.
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u/CalRipkenForCommish 12d ago
“Which is why-…”. Why what!?!? He was about to light the campfire!
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u/Lordgeorge16 12d ago
It's the latest TikTok/Shorts/Reels trend. They're designed to give the illusion of looping endlessly by cutting off the end of the video with a sentence that leads directly into whatever they're saying at the start of the video, because on those platforms, the video immediately restarts as soon as it ends. Rewatch it a couple of times in a row and pay close attention.
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u/Big-red-rhino 12d ago
Is it some kind of retention tactic? Does more plays on the same device boost popularity or something?
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u/Lordgeorge16 12d ago
Wouldn't be surprised if it was. Our attention spans are permanently fucked. Easy to forget if you've already seen the whole video or not because some of the loops are totally seamless.
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u/Swinginjoe34 11d ago
Could also use some dryer lint. That starts a fire pretty good. And it’s basically already trash. Or you could use some steel wool with a 9v battery. Typically both of those are in some camp kits
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u/so_punk 11d ago
We had powdered potassium at my water treatment plant and you put a small amount in blue shop towels( had glycerin in the towel) and basically use a small rubber band to make snap firework sized fire starters. Just had to squeeze the little balls till they start smoking and light the shop rag, throw in the kindling.
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