Blue Shop Towels

[Moe Dog]

Thank you to Ryan Jordan who suggested using blue shop towels as an alternative to toilet paper. This also works brilliantly as firestarter. A 1"x1" square frayed around the edge and balled up easily ignites from a flint striker.

Forget carrying cotton balls with vaseline or any other 'single-use' tinder. Just smear some Carmex (which I already carry for its obvious use) into the piece of towel. OR, add a couple of drops of Purell alcohol gel (which, again, is already carried for its obvious use a hand sanitizer). Now that same piece of towel will burn for about 30 seconds.

But if you really want flame, add a couple drops of 100% deet (again, now a multiple-use item) and that small piece of towel will burn with a 5-inch flame.

Pretty cool!

[paul johnson]

Good suggestion. I'm going to try them with Purell. My old standby fr/my boyhood days (cotton balls soaked in vaseline) is too heavy and definitely not dual-use.

I'll take your word on the DEET and 5" flames.

[John S.]

Home Depot has the shop towels in white also.

[Roger Caffin]

> using blue shop towels as an alternative to toilet paper. This also works brilliantly as firestarter. A 1"x1" square frayed around the edge and

Please, reassure me … you aren't using 1" squares for TP?

[paul johnson]

Roger, the towels are much larger than that, ~1' square in some cases. I'm guessing a piece is torn off, approximating 1 in^2. Actually, i think you just "hooked me" and i took the bait hook, line, and sinker. You were jesting, weren't you with your tongue-in-cheek Post.

[Moe Dog]

>"Please, reassure me … you aren't using 1" squares for TP?"

Well, I haven't tried them as tp yet – just bought a roll a couple of weeks ago. But if I use the pliers on my multi-tool (another multiple-use) I should be able gain increased accuracy and reduce wasted material that would otherwise serve only one purpose (that of having something to grasp). Although you could look at the extra material as serving a second purpose of protecting the wary finger or knuckles… But this is all about ultralight. Hmm… now what could I re-use those 1" squares for?…

[paul johnson]

You could use also your signaling mirror in order to get a good view of the toxic spill cleanup site, thereby minimizing contamination and also minimizing wasted effort and shop towels.

How steady is your third world squat? This might affect usage of the needle-nose pliers on your multi-tool. Might i suggest a more blunt nose plier as the application device, particularly if steady third world squat skills are somewhat lacking. This would aid in avoiding a difficult to disinfect penetrating wound if balance is lost at an inopportune moment. Such might bring to an untimely end the current trek and leave lasting physical and psychological scarring.

[Note: i hope no one thinks i'm serious with the above suggestions.]

[John S.]

lol…one shop towel makes nine tp squares for me.

[Moe Dog]

Now y'all know who NOT to ask if they can 'spare a square'.

[Caleb Wininger]

since we're all dancing around the subject of using spent tp as tinder, here's the final iteration of the concept. why not use those alcohol-soaked baby wipes as tp. presto! built in flamability. i always say "leave no trace…from your fire or in your shorts."

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