Preparing for Wilderness Adventures: Always Pack Essential Hygiene Items Like Tampons to Avoid Unexpected Challenges
Article Title: Unconventional Fire-Starting: Tampons, Batteries, and Kinder Chocolate Wrappers
In the realm of wilderness survival, creativity often plays a crucial role. A recent discovery showcases an unusual yet effective method for starting a fire – using a tampon, a battery, and a Kinder chocolate wrapper.
Tampons, made mostly of cotton fibers, are surprisingly efficient fire starters. By coating them with flammable substances like Vaseline or beeswax, they can burn longer, even when damp. A small battery, such as a 9V, can be used to ignite the tampon by short-circuiting it through conductive materials, like the metal foil inside Kinder chocolate wrappers.
The process is simple: prepare the tampon, fold the wrapper foil into a thin strip, place the tampon on a safe fire-starting spot, hold the battery terminals with the wrapper foil bridging the positive and negative ends, and watch as the foil heats up and ignites the tampon fibers. Once ignited, gently blow on it to grow the flame and carefully add kindling.
This method is a practical survival technique due to the lightweight and easily ignitable nature of tampons, the easy spark-producing capabilities of batteries, and the convenient conductive metal foil found in Kinder chocolate wrappers. However, it's essential to exercise caution when using batteries and foil to start fires.
Stefan Winkler, based in Peine, leads the Survival Camp Wense in Wense, focusing on teaching wilderness survival skills. The camp offers day and weekend courses that teach essential wilderness survival skills, including fire-making. During our visit, Stefan demonstrated three simple methods for starting a fire, one of which involved the unconventional combination of a tampon, a battery, and a Kinder chocolate wrapper.
In addition to fire-making, the Survival Camp Wense also teaches skills such as water filtering, shelter building, and other wilderness survival techniques. The camp's focus on practical, hands-on learning ensures that participants leave with the skills and confidence needed to survive in the wild.
For those embarking on long hiking trips, carrying a fire steel, tampon, battery, and a chocolate bar could prove invaluable. In Peine, an animal shelter found a box at the door containing these surprising and useful fire-making materials.
Another essential tool for fire-making is a ferro rod, which generates sparks when rubbed with a sharp edge. A ferro rod can last a lifetime and is resistant to water, making it a reliable tool for fire-making in various conditions.
In the wild, birch trees are ideal for survival purposes. Their sap can be consumed, and their bark can be used for starting a fire. To start a fire using a birch tree, one needs birch wood, birch bark, a knife, and a fire steel.
Stefan Winkler's fascination with survival in the wild began in childhood and has been cultivated through books, personal experience, and military training. His passion for survival skills is evident in the comprehensive courses offered at the Survival Camp Wense.
Whether you're an experienced outdoorsperson or a beginner, the Survival Camp Wense offers a wealth of knowledge and practical skills to help you navigate the wilderness with confidence. So, the next time you find yourself in a survival situation, remember the unconventional fire-starting method – tampon, battery, and Kinder chocolate wrapper – and stay prepared for whatever the wilderness throws your way.
This unconventional fire-starting method, using a tampon, battery, and a Kinder chocolate wrapper, showcases the importance of thinking outside the box, even in the realm of home-and-garden. Carefully applied Vaseline or beeswax on tampons, combined with a spark from a battery and the conductive metal foil from a Kinder chocolate wrapper, can create a powerful flame essential for outdoor-living and survival situations.
