Where I live, we lose power in late late Fall, late Winter and throughout the spring, which means we have to occasionally start a fire in the middle of the night in our wood stove.

Without tinder and easily accessible tinder, starting that vital source of heat becomes much more difficult.

This Emergency Tinder Bundle solves that dilemma as much as it would solve needing tinder in a survival situation; below is what you need and what you need to do to make this amazing Emergency Tinder Bundle.

1.    Jute twine (10 to 12 feet) – find the thicker twine if possible
2.    Wax (half-handful)
3.    Double boiler and stove (heat source)
4.    Nail or metal pin like a door hinge pin
5.    Variable speed drill (not necessary but I like power tools)

Set up your double boiler with enough water in the bottom container to make the top container float. While bringing the water to boil, prep you twine.

Step 2:

Measure and cut about 12 feet of jute twine… about 2 arm spans for me. Roll it around 3 of your fingers to make a loose bundle. Place the entire bundle in the melted wax. Flip it over to completely saturate the jute.

Set bundle aside and prepare your drill.

Step 3:

Place the drill in a vise. Tie one end of the twine to the head end of the pin with a basic slip knot.
With one hand on the trigger of your drill and one holding the tag end of the twin, slowly squeeze the trigger to begin winding the twine around pin. You’re trying to coil the cord almost to the drill bit opening on your first pass. When you reach that point near the drill, guide the twine back towards the other end. I make my bundles oblong – skinny on the ends and fat in the middle.

Step 4:

Remove the pin from the drill. Hold the bundle in your hand and press it gently down on a hard surface causing the head end of the pin to emerge from the top of the bundle. Grab the head end and pull.
Tie the loose tag end at the middle of the bundle leaving a 1 inch tag to hang free. This loose tag end is where you’ll start unrolling pieces from the bundle.

Step 5:

While the wax is still liquefied, hold the knot end of the bundle and coat with the remaining melted wax on all sides.

Step 6:

To use, find the short tag end at the middle of the bundle from Step 4. Untie and roll off a 2 inch section. Process the piece by pulling and fraying the individual strands to create a fibrous, hairy looking nest. This only takes a few minutes.

It's pretty simple to make – and if you do not want to use a drill, you can hand wind the twine.

To learn more about this and other great ideas on common sense survival hacks, please visit Survival Sherpa.

Here's a video showcasing how it works:

In a pinch, having something like this Emergency Tinder Bundle in your survival kit, bug-out bag or just around the house near a fireplace or wood stove is an awesome time saver.