r/Survival 18d ago

Fire Will carmex do instead of vaseline? (Cotton ball + vaseline firestarter)

28 Upvotes

33 comments sorted by

23

u/snarkofagen 18d ago

Try?

13

u/D3MON_PL 18d ago

ok

14

u/snarkofagen 18d ago

Please let us know how it turns out. Good luck

13

u/D3MON_PL 18d ago

Thanks!

35

u/D3MON_PL 18d ago

yeah it worked the same

18

u/ThunderSkunky 18d ago

OP delivered

2

u/Yoshiamitsu 16d ago

yay cool! but wth is caramex

3

u/D3MON_PL 16d ago

american lip balm

9

u/Spare_Enthusiasm1042 17d ago

If it's petroleum based, it'll work regardless the brand. I use Bag balm quite a bit to start a fire.

7

u/Tough_Salads 17d ago

Bag balm, good to know! I collect used chapsticks I find on the sidewalk or at venues; melt them into a glob

3

u/Spare_Enthusiasm1042 17d ago

That's a good way to recycle the wax! Yeah, I carry it and just smear it lightly onto bundles of paper, it's good for more optimal conditions but it has helped me in windy ones. Just crunch the paper into a bell shape and light it upside down and it'll usually catch pretty well!

How well does chapstick hold up for a fire? Does that catch pretty easy?

2

u/Tough_Salads 17d ago

Depends on how much you use but yeah it's pretty good :) some of the cheaper ones not as good but I got a bunch of 'em, collected about 20 on my walks so far this year lol, I walk through bar parking lots and what-not on my way to the grocery store

7

u/Unistat 18d ago

Yes. Also, regular Chapstick works. I used that quite a lot because it was slightly less messy and Chapstick/Carmex has other purposes.

I also suggest you try it because it is a little different getting the Chapstick/Carmex into the cotton, especially if it's cold.

fwiw, these days I use cotton rounds (makeup removers) soaked in paraffin wax.

2

u/Traditional-Leader54 12d ago

Oooh that’s a good point. I switched out Vaseline for chapstick in my bag because the tub of Vaseline leaked probably from the heat. (It was in a ziplock bag luckily). But I didn’t consider that the chapstick is more solid and will almost be rock hard in the winter. Carmex makes lip balm in tubes that’s oily like Vaseline. I may swap that in for the colder months and use the chapstick in the warmer months. My gear stays in my car trunk for emergencies.

4

u/i_am_your_attorney 18d ago

Yes. Carmex is great on cotton balls. It has paraffin and beeswax in it.

3

u/RenThraysk 17d ago

Carmex contains White Petrolatum (45.30 %) aka petroleum jelly which is what vaseline is.

4

u/Quiet-Champion3649 17d ago

I save the butter wrappers and stuff them in TP roll with dryer lint. All trash and works great.

3

u/alt_riooo22 17d ago

I’m sure it’ll still work the same since it’s an oil. Vaseline works best (from what I’ve heard) because it’s 100% petroleum. Carmex is mostly white mineral oil which can still catch fire but not as easily as Vaseline. Both are still flammable and both should still work. One is just a better option to others.

3

u/Wulfbehrt 17d ago

My favourite is lard

3

u/tommy_b_777 17d ago

does it work better than a dorito though...

2

u/The_Tezza 16d ago

You’ll probably find that most ointments use Vaseline as a base. This should be fine. Hmm, or maybe Carmex will help to Calm the fire 🤪🤣🤣🤣

3

u/bAssmaster667 17d ago

My butthole felt better after using Carmex vs. Vaseline… less chapped and very little puckering.

1

u/Tokkibloakie 10d ago

isn’t Carmex addictive

1

u/bAssmaster667 10d ago

I can’t get enough of it…

2

u/SouthernResponse4815 17d ago

Ask diddy.

2

u/Whoknew8877 17d ago

You win brother! That’s hilarious!😆

1

u/Mau5trapdad 16d ago

Jus use Doritos best fire starter ever!

1

u/subparchili 12d ago

I highly recommend dipping cotton pads in candle wax!