Wetfire failure

[John Brown]

Have been playing around w/ wetfire in my backyard. Have found a couple things:

1) Can't light it w/ firesteel, need lighter.

2) Big chunks don't stay lit

3) No way does it burn ten minutes as claimed in their promo video.

Mind you, these are ideal conditions I'm testing under… No wind, warm, concrete floor, dry, etc.

Is it my technique that's off? Or is the product overhyped?

What are your experiences? For those of you who have had successful experiences, pls share technique. Thx!

[Mark McLauchlin]

Hi,

Take a look at my youtube videos on the wetfire, below for you;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-Cd47kCtAI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMjHHlGzB2g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IwbQuYYHN4

Cheers
Mark

[Jeff Antig]

As you can see, Mark lights them in like 2 seconds. It's all in the technique :)

You can have it easier on yourself if you put a little bit of hand sanitizer on the tablet and take your firesteel to that.

[John Brown]

Wow, looks great in your video. My experience is so different, I wonder what gives? Somehow got a bad batch or something?

What makes me wonder if it's really a technique issue is that after I got tired of trying with the fire steel, I used a butane barbecue lighter on it. It did light (after holding the flame to cube for a second or two), but it was just a blue flame on the surface that fairly quickly went out, without even burning the whole cube…

[Mark McLauchlin]

Trick for me when lighting was to scrape a little bit off with your firesteel and place that on top, try to strike that directly.

Cheers

[John Brown]

Ok, going back out to the yard to try again.

[Mark McLauchlin]

Will wait….. :)

[John Brown]

No luck. Again, went to the barbecue lighter after failing with the firesteel, cube lit, but then quickly went out, not completely burned…

[Mark McLauchlin]

Sounds a bit weird, perhaps you do have a dodgy batch.

Are they dry? They should feel oily. Are they brittle? They should be like a warm biscuit (making some now), easy to break but still soft.

They should burn out completely and leave you with a black rusty shell, you can see that in the videos.

I have a few I could send up there, free, but I think postage would be a deal breaker for you.

Cheers

[John Brown]

Double post, sorry.

[John Brown]

Pls send biscuits, will send postage ;-)

Cubes are dry rather than oily, break easily but not soft. Maybe they're just too old. Gonna go look for some new ones tomorrow, see if that makes a difference. Your video clearly shows it works, so gonna try some new ones.

Thanks for the insights…

[Mark McLauchlin]

No probs John, let us know how you get on.

Cheers
Mark

[Jeff Antig]

It didn't work with the hand sanitizer method? Then, there is something seriously wrong with the tab!

Mark, I will take some of those biscuits as well. I hope they're buttermilk.

[Joe Cangelosi]

They definitely do have a shelf life, as I once found out the hard way. A fresh one should light right up with a lighter and burn in the rain.

As for firesteel use, I hate to say RTFM, but if you read the directions it says to scrape them apart into bits. In fact, if you're just using it as tinder, 1/4 tsp of flakes will get a fire going in dry conditions.

I have started a fire with a whole cube and a little heartwood kindling in moderate rain.

[Bob Bankhead]

Contact the manufacturer and return them. They'll know what's wrong.

Ultimate Survival Technologies
14428 167TH Avenue SE
Monroe, WA 98272-2915

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[Scott Truong]

+1

Worked like an absolute charm. Put a bit on bark once, tiny wood slivers another time, strips of a cigarette pack twisted and all lit first try.

[Author]

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