Whipped these DIY firestarters up last weekend . Dipped heavy duty blue shop paper towels into melted wax, then let dry. Cut each towel into 4 pieces (see pics - beer cans for scale). Put 3 shop towels (cut into 4 pieces, enough for 12 fire starts) into a freezer bag. These pack very flat . Multiple freezer bags of these flat waxed firestarters can be tucked a shirt pocket, hip pocket, cargo pocket etc and you don't even know they are there. Very very light too , as well as waterproof/submersible to many feet deep. To use: remove one shop towel quarter from the freezer bag and fold each corner up. This gives you a waterproof base "plate" for your tinder, as well as four lighting points. You can also cut into very thin strips if you want. Burns much hotter than PJCB, as well the flame size is much bigger. Lights easily with flame based methods (matches, lighter) Downsides - only burns about 5 minutes vs waxed PJCB firestarters (5-7 minutes). Also hard to light with spark methods (firesteel , flint & steel. waxed PJCB on left, waxed shop towel on right. Notice the much larger / hotter flame base & flame height, as well it burns much hotter than the waxed PJCB. That larger flame base and taller flames equals faster lighting of the tinder placed on top of it, critical in an emergency situation or general lousy firestarting conditions (damp tinder, high winds, rain, etc)
