There are many, many reasons for packing a tub of petroleum Jelly (such as Vaseline) and cottonwool balls on a camping trip. However, many of them aren’t appropriate to go into here, you filthy minded beggars.

That said, the two can be combined to make super effective fire lighters. A couple of days before your trip, soak a load of the cotton wool balls in petroleum jelly melted gently in a saucepan, and leave them for 24 to 48 hours. What you’ll be left with are super light weight, and incredibly compact fire lighters that will burn for long enough to get a roaring fire on the go.