The best fire starters I've made were from cotton and wax. It's good enough for army survival kits (wax soaked cotton balls). I take a little different approach though. I dip a round cotton pad about 2/3 in hot melted paraffin. Set it on cardboard or something else to harden. I then sprinkle some magnesium powder along the line that the wax starts to end (on the wax). Then let them dry. As they are close to drying, pick them up and set them back down making sure they don't get stuck to the surface they are set on. When lighting them, tear up the dry cotton part to get more surface area and strike your firesteel at that section. The dry cotton acts as a wick to melt the wax and get it going. The line of magnesium acts as an accelerator to light the waxed area quicker and makes it more wind resistant. Burn time is around 7 minutes. By using a pad instead of a cotton ball, there is a larger surface area to catch a spark. If wet, it will still light, but you'll have to light the waxed part directly with matches or a lighter. These fire starters have an unlimited shelf life, unlike cotton balls and petroleum jelly.
