Woods Walker
The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
CSR (Cost to Survival Ratio) 8 out of 10.
Description:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Matchbox-Plastic-W-Matches-Coleman/13848642
Most know of these. For one dollar... not 99 cents but an even dollar you get this staple of survival, well at least for me anyways. How do they hold up to field testing. To the rigors of Walmart Survival? I compared three different matches. Coleman waterproof, Diamond strike anywhere and grocery store band paper matches.
After one minute of submersion all but the Coleman waterproof matches failed with paper being the worst.They're good matches and I have packed them for years. Not the best but hardly the worst. A good value IMHO.
What I really want to test is the case. In my pocket I tossed 4 ways to start a fire.
I intend to fish for trout using just my hands as is the custom of Walmart Survival. The water was low but my confidence is high.
I don't see anything other than minnows.
The water was cold. My cotton clothing were soaked.
Smart survivalist. I packed 4 ways to start a fire. Dumb survivalist. They were all in the same pocket which was under water for some time. Up first the paper matches.
Go!
That was a no go so next the wooden strike anywhere matches. The white thing flying up is the match head. The box split open.
Wooden matches GO!
That was a no go so time for the lighter.
Lighter GO!
Bic lighters are wonderful tools however there is a reason why some people including myself recommend packing at least 3 ways to start a fire. I am totally soaked in a valley at near dusk with about 95% humidity. That lighter is not going to GO! no matter what I do and did. I know many tricks to getting a lighter working again but not this time. It will eventually work and is working now as carry it but it will not work then. My clothes and hands are wet and will simply not dry off.
3 Down and one more to GO!
Waterproof match case with Coleman matches GO!
That's correct! The case was bone dry inside and matches resisted water transfer from my wet hands. So I have two down, the matches and case with one more to go which is the fire steel. During my adventure I was picking stuff up along the way.
By getting this before it was needed I have it when it is needed. It might be harder to find later or totally out of reach as dust moves on to night. Always look for opportunities and use your imagination to foresee what might happen. In this case me acting stupid attempting the near impossible doing my best to get wet. The little ferro rods on my match cases fall off so Gorilla glued them on.
Little ferro rod GO!
The flash over tinder wasn't really that good as it burned out before igniting the yellow birch bark however the bark did catch! The little ferro rod is a bit tricky to work with using a small necker.
There isn't a bunch of strikes in that little ferro rod before yea start digging into the plastic.
All of that said you can get a fire using the little ferrorod and stuff found in the woods.
Overall for a dollar it is a great buy IMHO. Here is a long winded video.
Description:
Matchbox Plastic W/Matches Coleman 2000015173 Plastic Match Box With Matches Features: - 25 matches included Fire starter paper included Watertight seal Flint on bottom of holder.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Matchbox-Plastic-W-Matches-Coleman/13848642
Most know of these. For one dollar... not 99 cents but an even dollar you get this staple of survival, well at least for me anyways. How do they hold up to field testing. To the rigors of Walmart Survival? I compared three different matches. Coleman waterproof, Diamond strike anywhere and grocery store band paper matches.
After one minute of submersion all but the Coleman waterproof matches failed with paper being the worst.They're good matches and I have packed them for years. Not the best but hardly the worst. A good value IMHO.
What I really want to test is the case. In my pocket I tossed 4 ways to start a fire.
I intend to fish for trout using just my hands as is the custom of Walmart Survival. The water was low but my confidence is high.
I don't see anything other than minnows.
The water was cold. My cotton clothing were soaked.
Smart survivalist. I packed 4 ways to start a fire. Dumb survivalist. They were all in the same pocket which was under water for some time. Up first the paper matches.
Go!
That was a no go so next the wooden strike anywhere matches. The white thing flying up is the match head. The box split open.
Wooden matches GO!
That was a no go so time for the lighter.
Lighter GO!
Bic lighters are wonderful tools however there is a reason why some people including myself recommend packing at least 3 ways to start a fire. I am totally soaked in a valley at near dusk with about 95% humidity. That lighter is not going to GO! no matter what I do and did. I know many tricks to getting a lighter working again but not this time. It will eventually work and is working now as carry it but it will not work then. My clothes and hands are wet and will simply not dry off.
3 Down and one more to GO!
Waterproof match case with Coleman matches GO!
That's correct! The case was bone dry inside and matches resisted water transfer from my wet hands. So I have two down, the matches and case with one more to go which is the fire steel. During my adventure I was picking stuff up along the way.
By getting this before it was needed I have it when it is needed. It might be harder to find later or totally out of reach as dust moves on to night. Always look for opportunities and use your imagination to foresee what might happen. In this case me acting stupid attempting the near impossible doing my best to get wet. The little ferro rods on my match cases fall off so Gorilla glued them on.
Little ferro rod GO!
The flash over tinder wasn't really that good as it burned out before igniting the yellow birch bark however the bark did catch! The little ferro rod is a bit tricky to work with using a small necker.
There isn't a bunch of strikes in that little ferro rod before yea start digging into the plastic.
All of that said you can get a fire using the little ferrorod and stuff found in the woods.
Overall for a dollar it is a great buy IMHO. Here is a long winded video.