Trail Tech - Fire Starting

During my last trip to Maple Canyon I took the opportunity to practice a new fire starting technique (new to me anyways). I had been searching the web for weeks, while bored at work, for new things to practice on this trip. One of the things I found that intrigued me was a new tip for making water proof tinder.
Normally it is easy to find some dry leaves or even paper to start a fire, but what if it is cold and windy or even raining? The answer to bad weather fire starting seems to be cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly. with only a little prep you ca leave the extra paper and lighters at home, this technique is going to have you starting a fire in 30sec. or less.
Prep: With standard cotton balls (I want to try those cotton pads you use to wash your face with) and jelly already to go you need an old pot and low heat on the stove. Take a couple dollops of jelly into the pan and let it melt on low heat. It will liquefy fairly quickly. Once melted roll the cotton balls, a couple at a time, around pot with tongs or a fork. Once covered in liquid jelly pull the cotton balls out and place on a sheet of wax paper already set on the counter. Once cool place in a water tight container. I have heard of people using an old film canister for this, I used an old Altoids tin.
Use: Take one or two petrol soaked cotton balls from your canister and place it in the center of your fire area. Have tinder and kindling ready to go, if not already surrounding the cotton. (You may choose to pull the cotton apart a little bit to thin it out and create a wider surface area.) With a flint and steal spark directly to the cotton. I only had to strike twice in sub freezing temps. The petroleum with light and burns long enough to place kindling on the flame.
This light weight affective method is great for any kit. Whether on the trail or in survival the products used in this method can last forever in storage. You don't have to worry about faulty lighters or old matches failing. I still bring my BIC on the trail, but in the bad weather situations this is the way to go. Good luck. Let me know if you have any ideas for improving the method.