I’m a guitarist and a prepper but I never thought of buying a few extra picks to start a fire. Small, light weight, and cheap. I’m going to be adding these to my fire kits and bug out bags. Thank you!
@@WayPointSurvival guitar strings are more than a little useful in a bug-out bag. Far stronger than cord for lashing, conductive, and the string itself fits through the bridge stop "barell". By kinking the line slightly, it will hold a "noose" of your size specifications, yet slip tight easily. As your food tries to bail, they draw the noose tighter, and kink it to hold there. Food over the fire! I keep 2 packs of Ernie Ball "super Slinky" in my bag.
Jim Poff ~That's great, but as a very experienced survival instructor you may not know that it is a bad idea to use a 'guitar pick' as a fire starter because a person has their face & head down very close to it when first starting a fire and breathing in the very toxic plastic fumes 'is' harmful. But as you know wood smoke outside is 'not' harmful.
@@idahosixgun5601 You’re making no sense, you’re sarcastic insulting is all that’s on your mind, your just mean and a terrible person to live with making it miserable for the people around you. For your information I live in isolated area and I am an outdoor person and campfire smoke is harmless. But I do not want to breathe in plastic smoke from burning plastic fumes which are dangerously toxic being very harmful, maybe you didn’t realize that and you have to be trained.
I’ve been having my wife save the lint from the dryer screen and putting it in a paper based egg carton then lightly covering the lint with melted wax. Break off a “cube” when you’re ready to start the fire. Lights quick and burns very well.
Yep, I have wax-soaked cotton balls and waxed matches Along with a sandpaper type striker in an old Altoids can. Too old to be going camping or deep woods hunting anymore but I still have old outdoor gear on hand.
I learned this trick years ago. When my candles burn low , I keep the rest of the was and melt it all together and pour a bit in the egg cartons. Tear the egg carton apart and stick them in a tin . When I need to start a fire in the fire place I put one of my candle egg carton chunks on my kindling and wood , light it up and late nature take its course.. no fighting starting fire.
25 years ago...when I was in the forces... I hand dunked 1 by 1 an entire batch of about 60 matches .. candle wax.. dunked in wax, covered and boxed them.. the left them in their box in a cook pot mess tin.. my wife found them in the garage about 2 year ago and she brought them in the house with no idea where thy were from and she put them in the kitchen cupboard.. she STILL uses them to light birthday candles etc. They still look like the day I dunked them
As a huge Rock Music fan, it pains me to see a guitar pick intentionally set on fire but I have to say, I didn’t know they’re made out of celluloid which by the way I did know is extremely flammable. So it totally makes sense to carry a guitar pick around with you as just another quick an easy means to create fire in a pinch when you really need it. I’m definitely going to remember that trick and thank you so much for sharing. Take care! Cheers!
I dont feel like reading all the comments. IF I AM MAKING THE POINT OF CARRYING A LIGHTER AT ALL TIMES I !!!!!!!DO NOT NEED SEPERATE ITEMS AS A FIRE STARTER!!!!!!! And for anyome who doesnt know guitar picks are made of many dif materials (including many dif petrolium based polymers).
When I was 12 years old my father took me on a fishing trip and our car broke down in the middle of nowhere at the lake we were fishing absolutely nobody around and it was raining he built a signal fire in the rain using fat lighter he gathered up himself we ended up spending the night there until a neighbor came looking for us. Lucky my dad was always prepared we had plenty of army c ration and other canned food in the trunk so he made it into a camp out lol. His Army Airborne training along with being a Boy scout troop leader meant we were prepared that makes a big difference everyone should always carry food and fire starting supplies in their cars.
@@johnandevefoster3816 I'm thinking he means "a fatwood fire starter" made from evergreen knots, or sap permiated wood. They light right up, and burn like crazy for a long time! I've used them and they Will start a fire, even in the rain.
Great tip. I took some of my wife’s cotton makeup removing pads, melted some candle wax in a small egg pan and drop the pads into the wax. Let them dry an presto great fire starter. I keep them in an old Copenhagen can. Yep I give out weird Christmas gifts to the kids.
I have been using a guitar pick as a campfire fire starter for years. I've shown this hack to countless people. So glad to see somebody's finally getting it out there to everybody else. It's amazing how hot and quickly those things burn, but man will they get a fire going yesterday. Just be sure to buy the thickest pick you can possibly buy in the Celluloid family. A Fender heavy-gauge pick that looks like a tortoiseshell pick will work every single time.
The guitar pick trick is something I never knew. It's like birch bark! Also, when we were Scouting kids we discovered that one of our dads had a magnesium deck push lawn mower. Well, one of us scraped magnesium off the lower edges of the deck for fire starting. Dad wondered for a long time why his mower got lighter and lighter, easier to push!
Very good ideas. Another on you might want to consider, and which I learned at Boy Scouts (about 55 years ago!)! We used to take a normal white wax candle, and shave away two opposite sides in the length. This results in a flat candle that is not nearly so thick and round. One can tailor the shape to fit wherever you have space to fit it in. It needs to be kept in a place where it is unlikely to bend, eg in some sort of tin, or taped between two flat objects (we cut a normal school ruler in the middle, making two flat pieces. Then we put the flat candle between them and taped it together). Perfect. I really light that idea of the guitar pick! They can fit in anywhere, and you could pack in dozens without even knowing they are there! This adds a whole new dimension to fire-starting. The candle may just be a bit cheaper, however.
Fabulous video. Being a guitar maker and picker I knew celluloid was highly flammable and have actually burnt it but it never entered my mind to use it as a fire starter. Really enjoy your channel!
That was the slickest thing ever. The only thing I could add when using a Ferro Rod, is do everything you did but on top of a piece of that Duct Tape. The sticky tape will stop the shavings and the pick from blowing away in the wind, and the tape burns like crazy. Same hack should always be used with magnesium shavings.
Careful with magnesium; I believe it emits UV. I used to play with it (and admittedly, look at other very bright things). I now have issues seeing dim blue centrally, at night.
I discovered this about 40 years ago playing with a lighter as a kid. I eventually stopped asking people if they had ever seen how a pick burns after getting nothing but odd looks.
Love watching these and reading all the comments. We are never too old learn. I was in the girls brigade as a teenager, I amazed my sons on a camping trip with a few things they never thought their mother knew, along with my knot tying skills. They had no idea, not all things are learned in a classroom 👍
You are Truly a man of God. I am so filled with joy to see your face again!!! You're videos are amazing and I thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and love and kindness.
So when you get searched by the Cops and they demand to know why you are conceled carrying a lighter and length of Fuse Cord how do you respond and who is going to believe you ?
I always carry some wire wool to clean my pots and pans and a typical 9v square battery….one touch and you have instant flame and can keep your kit clean too!
you can start the waxed hemp with a fero rod if the lighter doesn't, and possibly even the lighter if you can get sparks (no fluid). Fluff the hemp/jute twine and remove a little wax from the end, then hit it with sparks from fero rod or lighter. It will work. Great idea about using a guitar pick. It weighs virtually nothing and doesn't take much room. I really enjoy your videos. Thanks.
Back in the day, we just called it camping. 🙂 But it seems to have grown into an entirely different animal. Although the principles of survival haven’t really changed, the equipment and attitudes have really blossomed.
@@arctodussimus6198 The only place I had really heard the term Bushcraft was in the Boy Scouts, but there really isn't a lot of time to do "bush crafting" in the Boy Scouts. I recently bought a popular "Bushcrafting" book and was a little disappointed, although it is helpful to have all that information in one book. But I am enjoying everyone's videos, the best being videos like this one that get to the meat of what they are sharing without too much rambling.
I've been a prepper girl for thirty years and I never knew. I guess it's true, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. Lol. Ps: I noticed that most replies to your demo get a little red heart. That means you actually read ALL the comments. Kudos to you, sir. I'm definitely subscribed. ❤
Hi Laura, That old saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." is as false as it is old. It was designed to marginalize the wise to promote the ego and undeserved reputation of those who are not. "A dog that is too old to learn new tricks, has ALWAYS been too old to learn new tricks." Anybody who has been leveraging their own experiences and those of others for 30+ years hopelessly outclasses new and the casual every time.
Great stuff. For people who never knew. Always used to use a roll of old roll of undeveloped photo film. Don't know if it is the same sort of thing, suppose it is being celluloid and all that. The little case provided protection and kept it dry. My dad's passed now but that was something he passed on and taught me. Great fun. Love the guitar pick idea though as it can be wrapped up in the lighter body. Thanks for the video. Enjoyed it.
When I was a boy scout, I used to carry a small bag with wood chips that I had soaked in gasoline and used oil to start fires. When the other scouts complained that I was cheating, I would explain, " you knew you were going camping, that you were going to need a fire, What is the boy scouts motto?"
I would have thought the gasoline would evaporate. About 50 years ago, I was working with some people on a roofing project. Afterwards, we washed our hands with gasoline, over some paper so it wouldn't soak into the ground. The next day, we wanted to make a fire, so we tried to use the gas-soaked paper from the day before. It was very difficult to light. We figured the gasoline had evaporated and left behind the additives. BTW, potato chips light up pretty good, so no need to go through the trouble of soaking wood chips in flammable liquid.
Got everything soaked on a canoe trip. Tried several ways to start fires but the only thing that worked was a flint striker on steel wool, which we used to light cotton balls mushed in Vaseline. That eventually caught the wood on fire.
I’ve had that wrapped around a bic lighter best thing ever I wrap mine three times and pull the end thru the last loop then tighten been riding in the mountains all my life I’m from Alberta Canada beautiful scenery and wildlife but been stuck there a few times no 1 priority is gun, heat ,water , a country boy will survive. Great vid
I discovered this by surprise when I was in my teens. I assumed it was plastic and I attempted to heat and reshape my pick. Instant fireball. Never really though of adding one to a fire kit so thanks for the reminder.
Just when a fire is needed the most, it's usually raining and wet. Having some kind of firestarter like this is crucial to survival when things are going wrong. Another way is to carry a few walnuts. It only takes a small piece, and it burns for many minutes. My biology teacher showed this when I was in about the 8th grade. Cheers!
Good video man. Definently gathering up some picks for my diddy bag. I keep the cellulose wrappers from any cigarette pack. They burn long and hot also. I keep many in a pint olive jar with book, and strike anywhere matches.Now Ill be adding dryer lint, the steel wool, and recently got the electronic flame lighter It actually works under water.
Good job. I'm a picker, I'm a grinner. I'm a lover, and I'm a sinner. I start my fires in the sun 🎶😉 I had a friend that showed me how flammable a ping pong ball was before and I never put it together that it's made out of the same material as guitar picks. Cool trick
Pine sap is highly flammable. I've been doing tree work over the last few years. After the tree is cut it will ooze sap. I would take a stick and scrape up a ball of the wax and light it with my bic. Stuff burns a good minute.
Just about any conifer resin has this property. Burns very intensely! If you can not find any dry tinder, look for thick bark and scrape off the outer layers. The inner bark will always remain dry. If no thick bark is available, cedar bark can be used if it is crushed between rocks. Makes a nest of dry fibres.
Great video. 👍 When we used to go out camping we would coat our matches (the kind you could strike on any hard surface )in molten candle wax to waterproof them. Very handy tip.
Great video. I completely forgot about the pick as a fire starter, and the way you put a little kit together is PERFECT. I'm going to copy this idea. I remember back in the 70's I was playing with a ping pong ball and held a match to it and it went up like gasoline, must be the same stuff as the picks, but a lot thinner. Keep up the great work.
Oil soaked expansion joint used in cement work will light when it's wet, cut em up into 1 inch squares and keep em in a Ziploc bag in your camping gear. Works like a charm Everytime!!
Dryer lint stored in a small zip-lock baggie works well too. And the lint is free. You'd be surprised how much flame you can get from a peanut or walnut set on fire.
Lent is free and also the cotton from medicine bottles. Infact, we soak the cotton we collect in Vaseline and push it compactly back into a medicine bottle and bring it with us hiking/camping. I store a couple of bottles inside of my Kelly kettle to start the fire for coffee, tea, oatmeal, soup,etc. (And to steralize water)
Chuck Berry showed me that trick 36 years ago in an ally outside a concert hall. Granted it was to get a doobie lit, but low and behold not only was he the father of rock and roll, but likely the first to recognize guitar picks as fire starters.
Yup, you can light a celluloid guitar plectrum on fire. However, I use acetyl plastic plectrums (Clayton) and those are more resistant to fire. Good ol' Fender plectrums are what you want to keep in your pocket.
As a guitar player for the past 35 years, I’ve been lighting guitar picks on fire ever since! By the way, not all guitar picks are the same, as far as flammability goes!
Another pointer, if lost in the wilderness when using a knife never cut toward your hands or body. You get a severe cut while lost in the woods and things go from bad to worse real quick.
@@MrXerios whenever I see someone cutting something, I say "be sure to always cut toward yourself", I've had a few people start to do it before their brain turns on lol
I like to do the same in my fire kit I have a small roll of waxed hemp. Another nice trick especially for wet fires try pine root also called lighterknot. The amount of pine tar in the root of an Old pine tree is significant and enables it to light in very damp conditions.
Fatwood is what we call it in the South. You can soak in in water overnight and still use it. The sap is locked into the core of the pine. Native Americans used the sap as epoxy glue. It's quite strong and almost impossible to remove from skin.
Bro I have been showing people this truck since I was a kid. I have always played guitar and also been kinda obsessed with fire. Lol. I remember the first time I ever saw one burn. I almost burned myself pretty bad!! This was awesome to see somebody else doing it!!
My husband works at a penitentiary and the inmates used to grind up pingpong balls to make small bombs out of them. If you put a flame to one it will immediately flame up.
That's great for an easy start, fantastic. For really good longevity though have petroleum jelly. A small 5" tube will last you for a few months or more if you're out in the sticks that long. Save it for when things are wet, using your guitar picks and twine when things are dry. Smear petro-jelly in some cotton balls/pads or if those are "valuable" in your situation then in shredded trigs - wet or not the jelly will burn long enough to dry out whatever is near its flame. I've gotten a good 5 minute burn out of ONE cotton ball with petro-jello rubbed well into it. I'll bet your twine with petro-jelly rubbed well into it would surprise you. Don't have a tube and not planning for Armageddon? Then just pre-smear cotton balls/pads, twine, etc before you leave civilization and put a ton into an old prescription bottle, zip lock bags, etc. Cheers and happy outdoors!
Wow! That was not what i was expecting for the trick. That was pretty slick! Small and lightweight could easily pack several in a fire kit. Thanks boss! Keep on keepin on and God bless.
The duct tape itself is a great fire starter. I’ve used duct tape many times to start fires. Take 3 pieces of duct tape 12-24” long role them up place them in a triangle light the points and there ya go. Works awesome!!!
@@lwhitt9655 I find the generic Gorilla tape at the Dollar tree to be the best tape I've ever found for many applications. Not only is it great for securing an array of different projects. It is very easy to split with your finger and it tears very straight so you can make the duct tape go a lot farther. It's better than gray tape it's not as sticky as Gorilla tape although that's why I really like it because it can be removed without leaving a gooey mess although it's still very very sticky.
I use cotton balls that have vaseline worked into the cotton. Then store them in a old pill bottle. You can stuff a lot of them in a bottle. Light weight and easy to carry. Water proof and works great.
Starting a fire can be hardest when you need it the most. Here is a cheap and effective way to carry a fire starter that is waterproof, lightweight and very portable. The real cool part of the video starts at 2:45. While there may be a few that know this trick, it's not widespread knowledge. Also the way I carry it is unique as well as the way to light it with a ferro rod so I hope you enjoy the video and please leave me a comment in the section below!
Nice idea. At the store where I teach music, guitar picks cost 50 cents to a dollar. And they burn very well. But if you burn them, you can't play that hot lead solo. Lol thanks for all you do😎
Great, Great tip! Can you tell me if all picks are made of celluloid and, if not, can you tell me a few brands that are. I have an assortment of picks that I tried strumming with and didn't like for that purpose, but would love to add them to my Cache Belt and Cache Hat if I thought they would burn like your examples did. Please, keep putting up these very handy tips.
@@thegrayman7373 Good question! The truth is that the title is a little tongue-in-cheek, as mentioned in the description I do know that there are folks who are aware of this. However, there are many who do not know it as evidenced by the many comments in the affirmative in the video comment section. Also, the way I carry it on the lighter is unique as well as the way I light it with a ferro rod. Thank you for watching and for your question!
As a guitar player and physics junkie I can tell you there are several types of materials commonly used for guitar picks, and I seriously doubt any of them would burn like celluloid. Most cheep picks are ordinary plastic. For this to work you're going to need celluloid. Fender premium celluloid is about all you're going to find in a music shop. Try it with most pics and you're probably going to freeze.
eatanAustralopith_ Thanks for your pin point. All I know is what I read in youtube comments sections . . . would you buy this "smashing ping pong balls" comment from another thread (?) : Artificial Hobos, 5 days ago, "Cotton balls dipped in Vaseline work great. If you want some cheap fire starters just get some ping pong balls and smash them. same material as the guitar pick. Cellulose."
While in the Scouts, my uncle was a Scout Master, he use to cut cardboard into 2" squares and melt wax, dip them to coat and let dry in a cookie cooling rack. They make great fire starters and are waterproof. Which is why you use waxed hemp string. He would also dip strike matches. The cardboard is a better idea, they don't burn as fast as those hemp strings and cellulose. That cellulose burns pretty quickly making it hard to start tree branches and twigs. In an emergency you may not have the time to prep your kindling, and especially if it's windy and it doesn't take the first try. The cardboard is prepped before hand, and burns longer. I've used them to easily build campfires.
Actually in wet windy conditions it can be. I've been in cold enough weather that I have to put the lighter down my pants to warm the butane before it will light.
Scotland here: value added - bang on the lanyard a UV chapstick, extra firestarter, lubricant and keeps your lips nice and soft on those hot summer days. Great tip with the picks, 50 on order. great vid.
You know I never thought about the celluloid or celluloid guitar picks as a form of fire starter. You can get those kind of picks in bulk for a few bucks online. I saw some on Amazon before of like 50+ celluloid picks for like $5-$5. I kinda pick around on the guitar sometimes and my dad plays the guitar a lot. So it wouldn't hurt getting a small batch of these lol. A little fun fact is that Celluloid was the 2nd "plastic" type material made. It was an invention by John Hyatt around the 1870s. He John Hyatt actually bought the patent for Parkesine from Alexander Parked for a substitute of ivory for billiard balls. Celluloid was used as alternative way of making jewelry, combs, etc which was made from things like horns, ivory, and tortoise shells.
Learned that trick from the "Who" many years ago. After they would smash up a hotel room, they would set their picks on fire! Seriously, I had seen that in Creek Stewart's "Art of Fire" course a few years back. Until that time, I was old school with the PJ cotton balls...and for those that can't afford the $1.50 for 200 xl cotton balls, dryer lint can work after running your 100% cotton towels through the dryer. Good job getting these little tricks and tips out there.
Excellent! I do know that there are some folks out there that have seen this before but it's actually not a very well known trick. Thank you for watching!
Not sure what else is made of celluloid. Not all ping pong balls are anymore or all guitar picks. It's so very flammable that it was pretty well phased out in the 1940s and into the 1950s.
@@WayPointSurvival where do we buy them if they're phased out. Any help thanks and great video. I struggle to start my camp fires. This will definitely help if I can find them.
This Trick will only work with celluloid picks, remember that. not all guitar picks are made of this material. (if there is a turtle on it, the pick may not burn.)
@@ASCII_68 delrin, for instance, is burn resistant, and just sort of melts and shrinks down until ash. Its highly disappointing. As for the pick trick, get a Jim Dunlop Nylon originals series pick. That will work like a waxed wick after it has been removed from the candle, slow, and steady. I suggest the .60mm. Hope this evolves your trick to a much longer use time, thus, higher efficiency. I tested this out, it is no fluke and lasts at least 3 times as much as a thin celluloid at the .60mm nylon level. Ah, one caveat (edit time!) ,you should embed the pick in the brush and tinder where you want a direct flame spire to form. This will produce a steady flame from anywhere you place it, but expose just the tiniest bit, Barry the rest right on X marks the spot, ya know what I mean Vern? 🤫😉🤣
That was a great tip! I’m always carrying as my family considers odd things but they’ve realized that I usually have something that’s needed when we’re camping fishing or hunting. I would like to comically point out that if it’s a tip no one knows then we wouldn’t even be watching the video 🤣. Only teasing!
Thanks for the tip. I didn’t know that guitar picks were made of celluloid. I don’t think much is made from that anymore. I know that billiard balls were made of celluloid up until about the 1920’s. They were OK for billiards, it’s more of a soft shooting kind of game. Once 8 ball and 9 ball came around, however, they had to come up with a different kind of plastic. When the celluloid balls impacted very hard, they would sometimes start to combust, and occasionally would explode. I wonder if the impact of a hammer or a metal mallet on the guitar pick on a hard surface would generate enough heat for it to spontaneously combust?
Also, some Ping Pong balls are still made of celluloid. Not sure about the hammer and the picks... that's interesting! Thank you for watching and for your comments and information!
Hey waypoint survival! I discovered using guitar pics as a fire starter over 50 years ago when I was a young and living on the road. I wouldn’t lay them flat though I would stick the point either in the ground or if it was wet or there was snow on the ground I would poke a little slot in a piece of wood or bark to keep it dry and stick the point of the guitar pick in it and just touch a flame to the edge. I do like your trick of feathering the edge of it so you can start it with a ferro rod. By the way, I created a fire starter that makes its own tinder; I do have a patent on it. I’m semi computer illiterate but I’ll see if I can figure out how to send you a picture of it.
Well I have, "dun larned me sump en, yew heah" ! First thing I never knew a guitar pick was so flammable and I was impressed at how easily you were able to ignite it with the Ferro rod. And I am guessing that will kill all the "kum-ba-yah" around the campfire! Enjoyed it and will be looking forward to more of your videos.
I take old candles and melt them, dip cotton balls and makeup removal pads in the wax. Works exactly the same they burn long enough to start a fire in a wet area.
@@WayPointSurvival As a guitar player, I knew many picks are made of celluloid, but never connected the dots. Great tips. You can also throw a bunch in a firestarter bundle.
I like your tips very informative, but living in an area that has more months of cold weather than mild weather, pic lighters are useless in cold weather. Always pack wooden matches in a water tight container. Thanks for the guitar pick tip, I will be sure to get some and have them in my pack.. Thanks again and stay safe my friend.
You may want to look into the thyrm zippo case. Injection molded plastic with an O-ring. Will keep the fuel in well enough that a monthly check will be good.
I will agree that all of our fire starting materials will behave differently in the extreme cold. Having been a long term smoker, I will attest to Bics getting fussy as temps drop but all you need to do is keep them warm by carrying them close to your body and if you forget, just hold it in your armpit for a while and it will warm enough to start working again in pretty short order. Be sure to gather your tinder beforehand though because the lighter will cool off pretty quickly again once its back out in the open. PS, that doesn't mean I wouldn't carry matches too, just in case... lol
I learned this several years ago quite by accident when I dropped my guitar pick in an ashtray. 2 things you should always have in your wallet one is a thin guitar pick and the other is a handcuff key
No, actually most of them are all alike. It's called a standard universal handcuff key.There is a difference for the maximum security handcuffs as well as the keys for thumb cuffs are different.
I don’t know about anyone else but it was a first for me. What’s crazy is I have about a thousand picks I bought at a garage sale and I don’t even play. I only bought them because they were $5. I guess I will had some to my fire kits and give some to my friends for their kits as well. Of course I will give you the credit.😉
@Outcast Outdoors - On a Fishin' Mission . Fills an entire room with smoke? One guitar pick in a full ashtray of toxic cigarette butts? So dam full the pick can't be seen ? Right. When dumb-ass goes to visit lazy bum at a pot party, no one with booze in their gut will think of slapping a dirty cereal bowl over the fire. I was once that hung-over dude returning beer cans. Thanks for the grin
First person I have seen do this! I've known for years how flammable guitar picks are and found out by accident. Was "flicking my bic" one day when I was 16ish and became curious. Took one of my thinnest picks and stuck it to the flame. Thing went up like flash paper! Scared me how fast and tall the flame was. But, I was undeterred and tried all the sizes. The thickest one I had burned for like 20 seconds or so and the melted residue burned for about 10 more seconds. Now a guitar picks is part of my edc kit. I carry at least 5. Never thought about wrapping them like that but that is cool. Off to Lowes now for gorilla tape!
![MINI OIL LAMP [Really Works!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rrXAT5ke5k4/mqdefault.jpg)
![Amazing Pocket Fishing Kit [ NEW HACK! ]](/img/n.gif)
I’m a guitarist and a prepper but I never thought of buying a few extra picks to start a fire. Small, light weight, and cheap. I’m going to be adding these to my fire kits and bug out bags. Thank you!
Even if you duct tape the picks to your go bag, you know they're still going to vanish in seconds.
That's great that you play guitar, but please don't use your vintage Martin Dreadnought as kindling!..
Hehehe...
Stevie Ray Von could set fire to a guitar pick playing Little Wing.
Vaughan.hell yeah🤟
Remember when picks used to be 10 or more for a 1$.cool hack,but I'll use toothpicks.😊
The duck tape is also useful for scraping magnesium onto it when it is breezy/windy. It keeps the magnesium shavings in one place for firestsrter
Good idea!
That is a great idea, stealing it for my kit.
Plus the stickum on duct tape is quite flammable also.
As a survival instructor for 30 years. I find your instruction so valuable!! Thank you!
Thank you for watching and for all the kind words, I really do appreciate it!
@@WayPointSurvival guitar strings are more than a little useful in a bug-out bag. Far stronger than cord for lashing, conductive, and the string itself fits through the bridge stop "barell".
By kinking the line slightly, it will hold a "noose" of your size specifications, yet slip tight easily.
As your food tries to bail, they draw the noose tighter, and kink it to hold there. Food over the fire!
I keep 2 packs of Ernie Ball "super Slinky" in my bag.
Jim Poff
~That's great, but as a very experienced survival instructor you may not know that it is a bad idea to use a 'guitar pick' as a fire starter because a person has their face & head down very close to it when first starting a fire and breathing in the very toxic plastic fumes 'is' harmful. But as you know wood smoke outside is 'not' harmful.
@@royjohnson465 OMG. Seriously bud? Wow Mr Feae everything and it's survival NOT BOYS scout camp. Puzzxyyyy
@@idahosixgun5601 You’re making no sense, you’re sarcastic insulting is all that’s on your mind, your just mean and a terrible person to live with making it miserable for the people around you. For your information I live in isolated area and I am an outdoor person and campfire smoke is harmless. But I do not want to breathe in plastic smoke from burning plastic fumes which are dangerously toxic being very harmful, maybe you didn’t realize that and you have to be trained.
I’ve been having my wife save the lint from the dryer screen and putting it in a paper based egg carton then lightly covering the lint with melted wax. Break off a “cube” when you’re ready to start the fire. Lights quick and burns very well.
Yes, indeed.
Yep, I have wax-soaked cotton balls and waxed matches Along with a sandpaper type striker in an old Altoids can. Too old to be going camping or deep woods hunting anymore but I still have old outdoor gear on hand.
Thanks for the idea! Was about to throw out the lint today but didn’t so I’ll save it :)
I learned this trick years ago. When my candles burn low , I keep the rest of the was and melt it all together and pour a bit in the egg cartons. Tear the egg carton apart and stick them in a tin . When I need to start a fire in the fire place I put one of my candle egg carton chunks on my kindling and wood , light it up and late nature take its course.. no fighting starting fire.
I do the same thing when replenishing my supplies and usually am replenishing others' supplies too-great tinder to have around!!🤙🏻👌🏻👍🏻🧚🏼♀️😉😊
25 years ago...when I was in the forces... I hand dunked 1 by 1 an entire batch of about 60 matches .. candle wax.. dunked in wax, covered and boxed them.. the left them in their box in a cook pot mess tin.. my wife found them in the garage about 2 year ago and she brought them in the house with no idea where thy were from and she put them in the kitchen cupboard.. she STILL uses them to light birthday candles etc. They still look like the day I dunked them
Excellent. Good thing to know. Thank you for watching.
As a huge Rock Music fan, it pains me to see a guitar pick intentionally set on fire but I have to say, I didn’t know they’re made out of celluloid which by the way I did know is extremely flammable. So it totally makes sense to carry a guitar pick around with you as just another quick an easy means to create fire in a pinch when you really need it. I’m definitely going to remember that trick and thank you so much for sharing. Take care! Cheers!
Thank you for watching and glad you enjoyed it!
How about Jimi Hendrix setting his entire guitar on fire? Maybe it was a survival situation
And use the stings for traps and the case to make shelter, it is all in there
I dont feel like reading all the comments.
IF I AM MAKING THE POINT OF CARRYING A LIGHTER AT ALL TIMES I !!!!!!!DO NOT NEED SEPERATE ITEMS AS A FIRE STARTER!!!!!!!
And for anyome who doesnt know guitar picks are made of many dif materials (including many dif petrolium based polymers).
When I was 12 years old my father took me on a fishing trip and our car broke down in the middle of nowhere at the lake we were fishing absolutely nobody around and it was raining he built a signal fire in the rain using fat lighter he gathered up himself we ended up spending the night there until a neighbor came looking for us. Lucky my dad was always prepared we had plenty of army c ration and other canned food in the trunk so he made it into a camp out lol. His Army Airborne training along with being a Boy scout troop leader meant we were prepared that makes a big difference everyone should always carry food and fire starting supplies in their cars.
Yes, being prepared is always a good idea and it's great that you had such a wonderful father to teach you.
i am confused, sorry, What did he use? " using fat lighter he gathered up himself " what? what is " fat lighter"
@@johnandevefoster3816
Fat lighter is old pine tree stumps that are full of hardened pine sap same as heart of pine it light even wet
Something to carry water in is also a good recomendation. Got a 2 qt canteen in m' truck...?
@@johnandevefoster3816 I'm thinking he means "a fatwood fire starter" made from evergreen knots, or sap permiated wood. They light right up, and burn like crazy for a long time!
I've used them and they Will start a fire, even in the rain.
Great tip. I took some of my wife’s cotton makeup removing pads, melted some candle wax in a small egg pan and drop the pads into the wax. Let them dry an presto great fire starter. I keep them in an old Copenhagen can. Yep I give out weird Christmas gifts to the kids.
Sounds great! Thank you for watching.
Cotton balls dipped in candle wax works great.
I soak mine in 180 proof grain alcohol...works great
@@chrishensley33 candle wax on the firewood during wet times
If your wife uses Scentsy wax , soak cotton ball , few wood chips wrap in paper …….works for 10 minutes
Been playing in the woods for 40 years . . . . but that guitar pick trick is a new one for me. Thanks!
I have been using a guitar pick as a campfire fire starter for years. I've shown this hack to countless people. So glad to see somebody's finally getting it out there to everybody else. It's amazing how hot and quickly those things burn, but man will they get a fire going yesterday. Just be sure to buy the thickest pick you can possibly buy in the Celluloid family. A Fender heavy-gauge pick that looks like a tortoiseshell pick will work every single time.
Yes. Good points and thank you for watching.
The guitar pick trick is something I never knew. It's like birch bark! Also, when we were Scouting kids we discovered that one of our dads had a magnesium deck push lawn mower. Well, one of us scraped magnesium off the lower edges of the deck for fire starting. Dad wondered for a long time why his mower got lighter and lighter, easier to push!
Lol. Good story, thanks for watching!
Very good ideas. Another on you might want to consider, and which I learned at Boy Scouts (about 55 years ago!)! We used to take a normal white wax candle, and shave away two opposite sides in the length. This results in a flat candle that is not nearly so thick and round. One can tailor the shape to fit wherever you have space to fit it in. It needs to be kept in a place where it is unlikely to bend, eg in some sort of tin, or taped between two flat objects (we cut a normal school ruler in the middle, making two flat pieces. Then we put the flat candle between them and taped it together). Perfect. I really light that idea of the guitar pick! They can fit in anywhere, and you could pack in dozens without even knowing they are there! This adds a whole new dimension to fire-starting. The candle may just be a bit cheaper, however.
Thank you for watching and for the ideas!
Fabulous video. Being a guitar maker and picker I knew celluloid was highly flammable and have actually burnt it but it never entered my mind to use it as a fire starter. Really enjoy your channel!
Thank you so much!
Martin1 I'm a guitar picker I didn't know this shit
That was the slickest thing ever. The only thing I could add when using a Ferro Rod, is do everything you did but on top of a piece of that Duct Tape. The sticky tape will stop the shavings
and the pick from blowing away in the wind, and the tape burns like crazy. Same hack should always be used with magnesium shavings.
Good idea. Thank you for watching.
@@WayPointSurvival P.S. Just bought 100 guitar picks.
What a great idea!
Careful with magnesium; I believe it emits UV. I used to play with it (and admittedly, look at other very bright things). I now have issues seeing dim blue centrally, at night.
@@trollme.trollmehard.9524 Also, if you use a magnifying glass to start a fire, remember not to stare into the sun.
I discovered this about 40 years ago playing with a lighter as a kid. I eventually stopped asking people if they had ever seen how a pick burns after getting nothing but odd looks.
That's a pretty funny story! Thank you for sharing it and for watching the video!
I used to ask my friends if they had ever seen a guitar pick burn and then light one... a fire in a guitar pick factory would be SCARY!!
Love watching these and reading all the comments. We are never too old learn.
I was in the girls brigade as a teenager, I amazed my sons on a camping trip with a few things they never thought their mother knew, along with my knot tying skills.
They had no idea, not all things are learned in a classroom 👍
You are Truly a man of God. I am so filled with joy to see your face again!!! You're videos are amazing and I thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and love and kindness.
Love the things mums can do💪💪. Happy new year
@@ritakisil1669 Happy New Year to you as well, greetings from 🇦🇺
@@blacksorrento4719 from Borneo (Sabah, East Malaysia)
I am a terrilble guitarist, so now I can do something usefull with my picks.
Lol! Thank you for watching!
I'm so bad at playing i should burn the whole damn guitar.....lol
The guitar players association could nail him!
send them to me I never seem to have enough
@@kellywalker8407 send me the guitar I'll send you some firewood . Lol
One of the first "you've never seen this before" vids that I've never seen before. Certainly the best use of 5 minutes I'll spend today!
Great, so glad you enjoyed the video and found it useful!
This
👍👍
So when you get searched by the Cops and they demand to know why you are conceled carrying a lighter and length of Fuse Cord how do you respond and who is going to believe you ?
I always carry some wire wool to clean my pots and pans and a typical 9v square battery….one touch and you have instant flame and can keep your kit clean too!
you can start the waxed hemp with a fero rod if the lighter doesn't, and possibly even the lighter if you can get sparks (no fluid). Fluff the hemp/jute twine and remove a little wax from the end, then hit it with sparks from fero rod or lighter. It will work. Great idea about using a guitar pick. It weighs virtually nothing and doesn't take much room. I really enjoy your videos. Thanks.
Thank you for watching!
That’s the reason I don’t use celluloid picks when I’m playing. The ferocity and pace of my playing often causes spontaneous combustion.
Lol! Thank you for watching!
🎸🔥
LOL of the day - good one Yngwie!
Same with playing ping pong too hard.
Same
Now I"m even more convinced that if I was going to be stranded on a deserted island with one other person, it should be David Gilmour.
Thank you for watching.
My guitar picks are my fingers. I’ve burned them a few times but never started a fire!! Thanks for the tip!
Thank you for watching!
He didn't get the joke rofl
Wouldnt work for Brian May.
Heart goes out to this guy, as in A for effort and creativity, TYVM.
Thank you so much!
Been in the survival realm since 1971. Back when it wasn't so popular. Like it is today. I can tell you i didn't know about the guitar pick.
Great, glad I could help add a little bit to your knowledge base then. And thank you so much for watching!
Same here. I thought I knew just about all the tricks, but this is a new one to me.
Back in the day, we just called it camping. 🙂
But it seems to have grown into an entirely different animal. Although the principles of survival haven’t really changed, the equipment and attitudes have really blossomed.
It’s been on youtube for years!
@@arctodussimus6198 The only place I had really heard the term Bushcraft was in the Boy Scouts, but there really isn't a lot of time to do "bush crafting" in the Boy Scouts.
I recently bought a popular "Bushcrafting" book and was a little disappointed, although it is helpful to have all that information in one book.
But I am enjoying everyone's videos, the best being videos like this one that get to the meat of what they are sharing without too much rambling.
Whoa! A video that actually WASN'T click bait!? That's super refreshing to see on CZcams! Super cool trick, thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for watching, glad you enjoyed it!
Get a life
I've been a prepper girl for thirty years and I never knew. I guess it's true, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. Lol.
Ps: I noticed that most replies to your demo get a little red heart. That means you actually read ALL the comments. Kudos to you, sir.
I'm definitely subscribed. ❤
Thank you for watching the video and I'm glad you liked it and found it useful! Also thanks for the sub and welcome aboard!
Hi Laura, That old saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." is as false as it is old. It was designed to marginalize the wise to promote the ego and undeserved reputation of those who are not. "A dog that is too old to learn new tricks, has ALWAYS been too old to learn new tricks." Anybody who has been leveraging their own experiences and those of others for 30+ years hopelessly outclasses new and the casual every time.
30 years prepping for...
@@softmetals3702 the unexpected, that is the point don't you think?
Great stuff.
For people who never knew.
Always used to use a roll of old roll of undeveloped photo film.
Don't know if it is the same sort of thing, suppose it is being celluloid and all that.
The little case provided protection and kept it dry.
My dad's passed now but that was something he passed on and taught me.
Great fun.
Love the guitar pick idea though as it can be wrapped up in the lighter body.
Thanks for the video.
Enjoyed it.
It would have to be really old film because film hasn't been made from celluloid since the mid 1950s. Thank you for watching.
@@WayPointSurvival yeah, it was my grand dad's really old stuff, that's the only reason he let us use it as such I think.
I always wondered.
That last bit with the ferro rod definitely deserves a likes up. Thank you.
Thank you so much!
Carrying around a lighter is the best fire trick I've ever seen
Right? Thank you so much for watching!
I know, right? Ain't a trick until there ain't no lighter ;)
@@CarposPhilosophy 👍🏼👍🏼✌🏼
Well he did use spark as well. Cool trick sir!
When the gas run's out then what ?
When I was a boy scout, I used to carry a small bag with wood chips that I had soaked in gasoline and used oil to start fires. When the other scouts complained that I was cheating, I would explain, " you knew you were going camping, that you were going to need a fire, What is the boy scouts motto?"
It's always good to " be prepared ". Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
@@WayPointSurvival the best fire starter is self lighting charcoal. It only take 2 and it rocks.
I get what you’re saying, but shouldn’t you also be prepared for a situation where you don’t have those things to help you out?
@@lkayh if your not always prepared , your never prepared , be safe be happy beware ,
I would have thought the gasoline would evaporate.
About 50 years ago, I was working with some people on a roofing project. Afterwards, we washed our hands with gasoline, over some paper so it wouldn't soak into the ground. The next day, we wanted to make a fire, so we tried to use the gas-soaked paper from the day before. It was very difficult to light. We figured the gasoline had evaporated and left behind the additives.
BTW, potato chips light up pretty good, so no need to go through the trouble of soaking wood chips in flammable liquid.
I come from a family of musicians....known that trick since I was a kid. This is the only other time I have ever seen it. Well done!👍🏽🤘🏽🎸
Thanks so much!
@@WayPointSurvival Love the channel, so glad I found it!👍🏽
Got everything soaked on a canoe trip. Tried several ways to start fires but the only thing that worked was a flint striker on steel wool, which we used to light cotton balls mushed in Vaseline. That eventually caught the wood on fire.
Great. Glad you got that fire going. Thank you for watching.
I’ve had that wrapped around a bic lighter best thing ever I wrap mine three times and pull the end thru the last loop then tighten been riding in the mountains all my life I’m from Alberta Canada beautiful scenery and wildlife but been stuck there a few times no 1 priority is gun, heat ,water , a country boy will survive. Great vid
Thank you so much! Did you get to the part about the guitar pick and how to light it with a ferro rod?
I discovered this by surprise when I was in my teens. I assumed it was plastic and I attempted to heat and reshape my pick. Instant fireball. Never really though of adding one to a fire kit so thanks for the reminder.
Excellent! Glad you liked the video and thanks for watching!
Never spill Acetone on them either!
So curious now. I'm going to put acetone on one now! 😂
Tea lights have removable wicks, they are light, small, and burn a while. The wax is useful to add burn time to your kindling. Happy hunting folks.
Just when a fire is needed the most, it's usually raining and wet. Having some kind of firestarter like this is crucial to survival when things are going wrong. Another way is to carry a few walnuts. It only takes a small piece, and it burns for many minutes. My biology teacher showed this when I was in about the 8th grade. Cheers!
I like that.
Definitely a better use of walnuts than eating them.
Indeed. Thank you for watching.
Brazil nuts do the same,eg will burn when set alight.
@C.......14 but that's liquid, he didn't have anything that would spill.
Here before 1 million views.
Me too!
That would be awesome! I do hope it gets there!
Love this. I practice something new every time I camp...this will be January's trick! Thank you.
Just make sure that the guitar pick is made from celluloid. Many of them aren't anymore.
Good video man. Definently gathering up some picks for my diddy bag.
I keep the cellulose wrappers from any cigarette pack. They burn long and hot also. I keep many in a pint olive jar with book, and strike anywhere matches.Now Ill be adding dryer lint, the steel wool, and recently got the electronic flame lighter It actually works under water.
Good job. I'm a picker, I'm a grinner. I'm a lover, and I'm a sinner. I start my fires in the sun 🎶😉 I had a friend that showed me how flammable a ping pong ball was before and I never put it together that it's made out of the same material as guitar picks. Cool trick
@@kmi964 damn right 😂
They make great smokebombs too.
Crap! Was off to buy guitar picks...now adding ping pong balls.....Where does it end?😁 More?
Pine sap is highly flammable. I've been doing tree work over the last few years. After the tree is cut it will ooze sap. I would take a stick and scrape up a ball of the wax and light it with my bic. Stuff burns a good minute.
@@Black-p5w Indians used to stick green pine needles into their captives and set them ablaze. Must have been quite gruesome.
In Australia, eucalyptus leaves are highly flammable too. The oil can be bought as well. A few small drops will speed up the process.
Just about any conifer resin has this property. Burns very intensely! If you can not find any dry tinder, look for thick bark and scrape off the outer layers. The inner bark will always remain dry. If no thick bark is available, cedar bark can be used if it is crushed between rocks. Makes a nest of dry fibres.
Thank you for watching.
@@WayPointSurvival o
Great. During my last camping outings, I tried a flint striker with dry leaves and twigs. Worked well.
Thank you for watching!
I actually have been carrying guitar picks in my bag. I didn’t know they were good for starting fires! Thanks James!
Just make sure that they are made from celluloid.
Great tip. Good note for both are they’re extremely lightweight. Definitely adding both to my survival kit.
Excellent, glad you liked it!
Great video. 👍 When we used to go out camping we would coat our matches (the kind you could strike on any hard surface )in molten candle wax to waterproof them. Very handy tip.
Thank you for watching.
Hard to find large green tip strike anywhere with a tip of white phos. on the tip.
Wow! Loved seeing a glimpse of the extremely rare Long-Tailed Polar Bear in the background!
Thank you for watching.
That’s what I said too “hey look a long tailed polar bear going into the woods looking for Bigfoot”
I am going to make a lot of these to give to my friends and family for the holidays. Thanks for sharing this neat survival trick!
Great video. I completely forgot about the pick as a fire starter, and the way you put a little kit together is PERFECT. I'm going to copy this idea. I remember back in the 70's I was playing with a ping pong ball and held a match to it and it went up like gasoline, must be the same stuff as the picks, but a lot thinner. Keep up the great work.
Yes, ping pong balls are often also made of celluloid. Thank you for watching and glad you enjoyed the video!
You could slice the ping pong ball and stuff it with guitar picks?
That would be an idea!
Wow. I'm gonna try it..
Oil soaked expansion joint used in cement work will light when it's wet, cut em up into 1 inch squares and keep em in a Ziploc bag in your camping gear. Works like a charm Everytime!!
That's a great idea. Thank you for sharing it and for watching the video!
Wow, Great idea!!
Dryer lint stored in a small zip-lock baggie works well too. And the lint is free. You'd be surprised how much flame you can get from a peanut or walnut set on fire.
Lent is free and also the cotton from medicine bottles. Infact, we soak the cotton we collect in Vaseline and push it compactly back into a medicine bottle and bring it with us hiking/camping. I store a couple of bottles inside of my Kelly kettle to start the fire for coffee, tea, oatmeal, soup,etc. (And to steralize water)
Chuck Berry showed me that trick 36 years ago in an ally outside a concert hall. Granted it was to get a doobie lit, but low and behold not only was he the father of rock and roll, but likely the first to recognize guitar picks as fire starters.
lo and behold
Thank you for watching.
Yup, you can light a celluloid guitar plectrum on fire. However, I use acetyl plastic plectrums (Clayton) and those are more resistant to fire. Good ol' Fender plectrums are what you want to keep in your pocket.
if this is so, you should have been spreading this to everyone.
@@bioswars8827 It's obviously BS. Mostly because if You can light a pick you can light a joint.
As a guitar player for the past 35 years, I’ve been lighting guitar picks on fire ever since! By the way, not all guitar picks are the same, as far as flammability goes!
Are all pics made from celluloid?
@@davidrice3337 Many are straight plastic and some are nylon.
@@UR2Compliant okay -
As a self described "Girl Scout" bc I am always prepared for most things...I loved this! I will be carrying a pic around all the time now! Thx!!
Excellent, thank you so much for watching the video!
Guitar picks are awesome I've been carrying them in my kits for a long time. They always work. Thanks for sharing. God bless and stay safe.
Excellent! Thank you for watching and God bless you too!
From...Wandering polar bears no doubt...
Right!
Another pointer, if lost in the wilderness when using a knife never cut toward your hands or body. You get a severe cut while lost in the woods and things go from bad to worse real quick.
Thank you for watching.
Who overall ever meets the wilderness these days?
@@kulturfreund6631 only people who want to. But those people do occasionally get lost or injured and need to know a few things about how to do things.
Well that’s good advice anyway, not only when you are in the woods.
@@MrXerios whenever I see someone cutting something, I say "be sure to always cut toward yourself", I've had a few people start to do it before their brain turns on lol
I like to do the same in my fire kit I have a small roll of waxed hemp. Another nice trick especially for wet fires try pine root also called lighterknot. The amount of pine tar in the root of an Old pine tree is significant and enables it to light in very damp conditions.
just buy a box of duraflame firestarts 18 for $4 ... waterproof and burn like napalm
Fatwood is what we call it in the South. You can soak in in water overnight and still use it. The sap is locked into the core of the pine. Native Americans used the sap as epoxy glue. It's quite strong and almost impossible to remove from skin.
Bro I have been showing people this truck since I was a kid. I have always played guitar and also been kinda obsessed with fire. Lol. I remember the first time I ever saw one burn. I almost burned myself pretty bad!! This was awesome to see somebody else doing it!!
Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
My husband works at a penitentiary and the inmates used to grind up pingpong balls to make small bombs out of them.
If you put a flame to one it will immediately flame up.
Only if they are made from celluloid / nitrocellulose. Many ping pong balls aren't anymore, unfortunately. Thank you so much for watching!
@@WayPointSurvival yes very true. The pen changed to the other kind of balls
That's great for an easy start, fantastic. For really good longevity though have petroleum jelly. A small 5" tube will last you for a few months or more if you're out in the sticks that long. Save it for when things are wet, using your guitar picks and twine when things are dry. Smear petro-jelly in some cotton balls/pads or if those are "valuable" in your situation then in shredded trigs - wet or not the jelly will burn long enough to dry out whatever is near its flame. I've gotten a good 5 minute burn out of ONE cotton ball with petro-jello rubbed well into it. I'll bet your twine with petro-jelly rubbed well into it would surprise you. Don't have a tube and not planning for Armageddon? Then just pre-smear cotton balls/pads, twine, etc before you leave civilization and put a ton into an old prescription bottle, zip lock bags, etc. Cheers and happy outdoors!
Absolutely. Thanks for watching!
Yes I always use cotton balls smeared in petroleum jelly and also fat wood as tinder
That's awesome advice. The petroleum jelly doubles for first aid and for fire starter.
@@eventhisidistaken yes I learnt that well it's a first aid treatment as well .the reason for cotton balls being used with petroleum jelly .
Wow! That was not what i was expecting for the trick. That was pretty slick! Small and lightweight could easily pack several in a fire kit. Thanks boss! Keep on keepin on and God bless.
Glad you liked it, and God bless you too!
I'm a drummer, and I once lit a guitar pick on fire and was astounded by how fiercely it burned!! Have used this trick often!
The duct tape itself is a great fire starter. I’ve used duct tape many times to start fires. Take 3 pieces of duct tape 12-24” long role them up place them in a triangle light the points and there ya go. Works awesome!!!
Indeed, that is why it's on the lighter among other reasons. Thank you for watching!
Any particular brand of duck tape
@@lwhitt9655 I find the generic Gorilla tape at the Dollar tree to be the best tape I've ever found for many applications. Not only is it great for securing an array of different projects. It is very easy to split with your finger and it tears very straight so you can make the duct tape go a lot farther. It's better than gray tape it's not as sticky as Gorilla tape although that's why I really like it because it can be removed without leaving a gooey mess although it's still very very sticky.
Right on. Thumbs up fo sho. Keep up the good work my bradda
@@lwhitt9655 I’ve found you can do it with any tape. However I think the more sticky the better
As a guitar player I endorse this message !!!
Thank you for watching and for your edorsement!
I’m a bass player. I use cotton balls soaked in Vaseline 🔥
Thumbs up for the Hawks.... Go Hawks!
Well your right about one thing I definitely didn't know that a guitar pick would burn so easily great video.
I use cotton balls that have vaseline worked into the cotton. Then store them in a old pill bottle. You can stuff a lot of them in a bottle. Light weight and easy to carry. Water proof and works great.
Starting a fire can be hardest when you need it the most. Here is a cheap and effective way to carry a fire starter that is waterproof, lightweight and very portable. The real cool part of the video starts at 2:45. While there may be a few that know this trick, it's not widespread knowledge. Also the way I carry it is unique as well as the way to light it with a ferro rod so I hope you enjoy the video and please leave me a comment in the section below!
Nice idea. At the store where I teach music, guitar picks cost 50 cents to a dollar. And they burn very well. But if you burn them, you can't play that hot lead solo. Lol thanks for all you do😎
Great, Great tip! Can you tell me if all picks are made of celluloid and, if not, can you tell me a few brands that are. I have an assortment of picks that I tried strumming with and didn't like for that purpose, but would love to add them to my Cache Belt and Cache Hat if I thought they would burn like your examples did. Please, keep putting up these very handy tips.
if no one knows this fire trick than why you and alot of others knows it
@@thegrayman7373 Good question! The truth is that the title is a little tongue-in-cheek, as mentioned in the description I do know that there are folks who are aware of this. However, there are many who do not know it as evidenced by the many comments in the affirmative in the video comment section. Also, the way I carry it on the lighter is unique as well as the way I light it with a ferro rod. Thank you for watching and for your question!
@@WayPointSurvival just maybe you want too re word something next time as too acting like no one but you know something,just saying SON
As a guitar player and physics junkie I can tell you there are several types of materials commonly used for guitar picks, and I seriously doubt any of them would burn like celluloid. Most cheep picks are ordinary plastic. For this to work you're going to need celluloid. Fender premium celluloid is about all you're going to find in a music shop. Try it with most pics and you're probably going to freeze.
Indeed. Thank you for watching.
First thing that jumped out was , who uses celluloid ? It was replaced by plastic due to it's flammability .
eatanAustralopith_ Thanks for your pin point. All I know is what I read in youtube comments sections . . . would you buy this "smashing ping pong balls" comment from another thread (?) : Artificial Hobos, 5 days ago, "Cotton balls dipped in Vaseline work great. If you want some cheap fire starters just get some ping pong balls and smash them. same material as the guitar pick. Cellulose."
ping pong balls too...
@@solarnaut I hope it was true,ping-pong balls, because I already have loads of them ,owning a table.
While in the Scouts, my uncle was a Scout Master, he use to cut cardboard into 2" squares and melt wax, dip them to coat and let dry in a cookie cooling rack. They make great fire starters and are waterproof. Which is why you use waxed hemp string.
He would also dip strike matches.
The cardboard is a better idea, they don't burn as fast as those hemp strings and cellulose. That cellulose burns pretty quickly making it hard to start tree branches and twigs.
In an emergency you may not have the time to prep your kindling, and especially if it's windy and it doesn't take the first try.
The cardboard is prepped before hand, and burns longer. I've used them to easily build campfires.
If you stick three strike anywhere matches side by side into your corrugated cardboard, your waxed cardboard device will work even better.
Having watched this a few years ago, I made a kit with the picks and made one for my son. Light weight and very hot fire starter kit, thank you.
That is awesome!
When you start with a lighter, lighting a fire is really not an issue!😁
Actually in wet windy conditions it can be. I've been in cold enough weather that I have to put the lighter down my pants to warm the butane before it will light.
Indeed. You can also stick the plastic part in your mouth for a few minutes.
Thank you for watching.
Scotland here: value added - bang on the lanyard a UV chapstick, extra firestarter, lubricant and keeps your lips nice and soft on those hot summer days. Great tip with the picks, 50 on order. great vid.
Excellent! Thanks for the additional info and for watching the video!
I always thought if you carried/ improvised a wick you could even make a candle from the Chapstick but haven't tried it so far
@@GeorgeOrwell-yz6zx I have a video on that.
No lie...at first I thought that was a polar bear behind you at the creek. Lol
Or some kind of BIG FOOT .
He's almost big enough! Thank you so much for watching!
It's also true that he has pretty big feet! Lol!
At first I did too. Lol.
I thought he had more to worry about; a wolf
You know I never thought about the celluloid or celluloid guitar picks as a form of fire starter. You can get those kind of picks in bulk for a few bucks online. I saw some on Amazon before of like 50+ celluloid picks for like $5-$5. I kinda pick around on the guitar sometimes and my dad plays the guitar a lot. So it wouldn't hurt getting a small batch of these lol.
A little fun fact is that Celluloid was the 2nd "plastic" type material made. It was an invention by John Hyatt around the 1870s. He John Hyatt actually bought the patent for Parkesine from Alexander Parked for a substitute of ivory for billiard balls. Celluloid was used as alternative way of making jewelry, combs, etc which was made from things like horns, ivory, and tortoise shells.
Thanks for watching!
Learned that trick from the "Who" many years ago. After they would smash up a hotel room, they would set their picks on fire! Seriously, I had seen that in Creek Stewart's "Art of Fire" course a few years back. Until that time, I was old school with the PJ cotton balls...and for those that can't afford the $1.50 for 200 xl cotton balls, dryer lint can work after running your 100% cotton towels through the dryer. Good job getting these little tricks and tips out there.
Excellent! I do know that there are some folks out there that have seen this before but it's actually not a very well known trick. Thank you for watching!
A guitar pick, who’d a thought.👍🔥
Right? Thank you for watching!
i know eh , chapstick is flammable too or so i heard
@Grim FPV cool, was just wondering what else is made of it
Not sure what else is made of celluloid. Not all ping pong balls are anymore or all guitar picks. It's so very flammable that it was pretty well phased out in the 1940s and into the 1950s.
@@WayPointSurvival where do we buy them if they're phased out. Any help thanks and great video. I struggle to start my camp fires. This will definitely help if I can find them.
I've heard of this. Never seen it demonstrated before, thanks for the lesson!
Thank you for watching!
FANTASTIC!!! I already carry similar things but now I will modify them!!! Thank You YUUUUGLY!!
Thank you so much, and glad you enjoyed the video!
Hey, that was amazing! Never knew that a guitar pick could be so flammable.
Celluloid plastic is very flammable. It is the same material as old movies which are a fire hazard.
I'm a guitar player and I can vouch this.
It's no wonder some of these famous Rock stars haven't got torched on stage!
Picks similar to plectrums?
Yes, they are.
I saw the description and said "yeah right, everybody says that". But this is one I have never seen. Keep up the Great videos.
Thank you, glad I could add to your repertoire of knowledge!
And for all these years, I've just been throwing away all my worn out guitar picks. Thank you
You are very welcome. Thank you so much for watching the video!
This Trick will only work with celluloid picks, remember that. not all guitar picks are made of this material. (if there is a turtle on it, the pick may not burn.)
@@ASCII_68 delrin, for instance, is burn resistant, and just sort of melts and shrinks down until ash. Its highly disappointing. As for the pick trick, get a Jim Dunlop Nylon originals series pick. That will work like a waxed wick after it has been removed from the candle, slow, and steady. I suggest the .60mm. Hope this evolves your trick to a much longer use time, thus, higher efficiency. I tested this out, it is no fluke and lasts at least 3 times as much as a thin celluloid at the .60mm nylon level.
Ah, one caveat (edit time!) ,you should embed the pick in the brush and tinder where you want a direct flame spire to form. This will produce a steady flame from anywhere you place it, but expose just the tiniest bit, Barry the rest right on X marks the spot, ya know what I mean Vern? 🤫😉🤣
@@caiusmadison2996 you use a pick long enough to wear it out??? Damn, I loose um light years before that.
@@caiusmadison2996 don't see a originals, did U mean standard, like these? www.jimdunlop.com/products/guitar-picks/nylon/
That was a great tip! I’m always carrying as my family considers odd things but they’ve realized that I usually have something that’s needed when we’re camping fishing or hunting. I would like to comically point out that if it’s a tip no one knows then we wouldn’t even be watching the video 🤣. Only teasing!
I know, right? The title is definitely tongue in cheek. Thank you for watching!
@@WayPointSurvival lol yeah but it did catch my attention and raise my curiosity. My pleasure and I will definitely check to see what else you’ve got!
I'm set for life when it comes to fire, I have so many packs of celluloid guitar picks laying around i could make hundreds of these!
Very cool! Thank you so much for watching!
Thanks for the tip. I didn’t know that guitar picks were made of celluloid. I don’t think much is made from that anymore. I know that billiard balls were made of celluloid up until about the 1920’s. They were OK for billiards, it’s more of a soft shooting kind of game. Once 8 ball and 9 ball came around, however, they had to come up with a different kind of plastic. When the celluloid balls impacted very hard, they would sometimes start to combust, and occasionally would explode. I wonder if the impact of a hammer or a metal mallet on the guitar pick on a hard surface would generate enough heat for it to spontaneously combust?
Also, some Ping Pong balls are still made of celluloid. Not sure about the hammer and the picks... that's interesting! Thank you for watching and for your comments and information!
Hey waypoint survival! I discovered using guitar pics as a fire starter over 50 years ago when I was a young and living on the road. I wouldn’t lay them flat though I would stick the point either in the ground or if it was wet or there was snow on the ground I would poke a little slot in a piece of wood or bark to keep it dry and stick the point of the guitar pick in it and just touch a flame to the edge. I do like your trick of feathering the edge of it so you can start it with a ferro rod. By the way, I created a fire starter that makes its own tinder; I do have a patent on it. I’m semi computer illiterate but I’ll see if I can figure out how to send you a picture of it.
Thanks so much, I would love to see a picture of it. You can find my email at my website at www.waypointsurvival.com.
Well thanks, now after trying this I can't play my guitar. You really got me.
Lol
Well I have, "dun larned me sump en, yew heah" ! First thing I never knew a guitar pick was so flammable and I was impressed at how easily you were able to ignite it with the Ferro rod. And I am guessing that will kill all the "kum-ba-yah" around the campfire! Enjoyed it and will be looking forward to more of your videos.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for watching!
It's plastic, gilchrist 👻
It's celluloid, not plastic from petroleum products as you're thinking about. Do a little research.
@@WayPointSurvival I wasn't thinking petro products, but thank you correcting 😷🌈
Time to practice those finger picking skills!
Brilliant 5 thumbs up. I have loads of these picks and never thought they could be this handy.
Just as long as they're made from celluloid and not nylon or some other plastic.
I take old candles and melt them, dip cotton balls and makeup removal pads in the wax. Works exactly the same they burn long enough to start a fire in a wet area.
I do too ... great minds think alike.
Actually, the wax hemp was just a teaser for the rest of the video. Did you watch when I got to the part about the guitar pick?
@@WayPointSurvival As a guitar player, I knew many picks are made of celluloid, but never connected the dots. Great tips. You can also throw a bunch in a firestarter bundle.
Dryer lint and wax
@@WayPointSurvival fake video, that polar bear crossing the river behind you wasnt real
LOVE this … it suits my Gemini tendencies nicely.
Clever, Small, Efficient, Powerful.
Best of luck out there.
Thanks so much!
That is ingenious. It’s almost scary how fast that pick goes up in flames.
Thank you!
Pool balls used to be made of that stuff... made for interesting games.
Indeed, movie material was also made from celluloid.
czcams.com/video/3gR-vRZb6qc/video.html
Its NOT genius. He's burning plastic, releasing toxic fumes/gases. smh
@@Stall-FedCalves yeah, he's showing you a way to survive in extreme situations.... this isn't for you. Go away
That’s pretty neat! Guess you can teach old dogs new tricks after all, thanks.
Thank you for watching!
I use old credit cards for my guitar picks. Now I'll buy guitar picks for starting fires! 🤗
Sounds good to me! Thank you for watching!
Potato chips are a great fire starter. Fritos too.
I like your tips very informative, but living in an area that has more months of cold weather than mild weather, pic lighters are useless in cold weather. Always pack wooden matches in a water tight container.
Thanks for the guitar pick tip, I will be sure to get some and have them in my pack..
Thanks again and stay safe my friend.
You may want to look into the thyrm zippo case. Injection molded plastic with an O-ring. Will keep the fuel in well enough that a monthly check will be good.
I will agree that all of our fire starting materials will behave differently in the extreme cold. Having been a long term smoker, I will attest to Bics getting fussy as temps drop but all you need to do is keep them warm by carrying them close to your body and if you forget, just hold it in your armpit for a while and it will warm enough to start working again in pretty short order. Be sure to gather your tinder beforehand though because the lighter will cool off pretty quickly again once its back out in the open. PS, that doesn't mean I wouldn't carry matches too, just in case... lol
Great stuff James. I’ll definitely be adding a couple to my kit. Never had any idea they were so flammable. Thanks and have a great week my friend!
Thank you my friend! You too!
Actually an old trick, but still a good one. Yeah, it’s the material they’re made from. Always worth revisiting 👍
Thank you so much for watching and for your kind words!
Being a guitarist (and a bit of a pyro...) I knew this about picks - But it never occurred to me to use it as a survival technique. THANKS!
You're welcome!
I learned this several years ago quite by accident when I dropped my guitar pick in an ashtray.
2 things you should always have in your wallet one is a thin guitar pick and the other is a handcuff key
Good advice. Thank you for watching!
Aren't the keys of every handcuffs pair different?
No, actually most of them are all alike. It's called a standard universal handcuff key.There is a difference for the maximum security handcuffs as well as the keys for thumb cuffs are different.
I don’t know about anyone else but it was a first for me. What’s crazy is I have about a thousand picks I bought at a garage sale and I don’t even play. I only bought them because they were $5. I guess I will had some to my fire kits and give some to my friends for their kits as well. Of course I will give you the credit.😉
Very cool, what a great purchase! Thanks for watching!
Make sure they are made of nitrocellulose. I have seen picks made from many different materials.
@@dougbennett31 how do you know the difference?
It should tell you in the description when you buy them. Also if they are second hand by the way that they burn.
@@WayPointSurvival it’s just a box full of picks no attached item descriptions.
When a guitar pick ends up in an ashtray it fills the room with toxic smoke in seconds.
Why would someone put a guitar pick in an ashtray? Thanks for watching!
@Outcast Outdoors - On a Fishin' Mission . Fills an entire room with smoke? One guitar pick in a full ashtray of toxic cigarette butts? So dam full the pick can't be seen ? Right. When dumb-ass goes to visit lazy bum at a pot party, no one with booze in their gut will think of slapping a dirty cereal bowl over the fire. I was once that hung-over dude returning beer cans. Thanks for the grin
Only in california where everything is toxic and causes cancer.
First person I have seen do this! I've known for years how flammable guitar picks are and found out by accident. Was "flicking my bic" one day when I was 16ish and became curious. Took one of my thinnest picks and stuck it to the flame. Thing went up like flash paper! Scared me how fast and tall the flame was. But, I was undeterred and tried all the sizes. The thickest one I had burned for like 20 seconds or so and the melted residue burned for about 10 more seconds. Now a guitar picks is part of my edc kit. I carry at least 5. Never thought about wrapping them like that but that is cool. Off to Lowes now for gorilla tape!