E.Tenn. natural tinder

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frontiersman

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Dec 20, 2006
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I started a fire out in the back yard today and used a tree that I cutdown back in June. I'm not good a tree ID. but I believe it was an oak tree. I have a couple of misc. hardwoods in the yard that I used the fallen branches as small kindeling. I also used some dry pine needles for my fire starting bundle. I use my Cold Steel trail hawk / Ontario TAK-1/ Leatherman wave to prepare the wood. I used a LMF firesteel for the sparks. I still had to cheat... more on that later. I need to find a easy to find natural spark catching tinder in the E. Tenn. area. Do I have something available like the guys up north have with birchbark? I thought mabe the dry pine needles would take a spark but no matter how much I struck the damned steel I couldn't get it to take. I wound up using a trioxiane tab to get it going. I know about pcb's but want to know if there is a natural tinder available to me.
 
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There is a fungus that grows on the inside of some oak trees in voids in the wood that makes an excellent tinder....it is brownish and catches a spark well.
 
Try to find an eastern red cedar tree. The bark on this tree works great for tinder. Just try to shred, puff it up to make it easy to ignite. The tree looks similar to a pine but with a 'hairier' bark and an obvious cedar aroma. BTW, where in East Tn do you live?
 
That's good to know. I'm heading down to Hazel Creek for some fly fishing around the first full week of January. I know there are white pines around there but I'll keep my eyes open of the eastern red cedar. Basically it sounds like I'll be looking for a tree that's having puberty issues. ;)
 
Don't forget about three natural tinders found most places.

1. Dead, standing grass.
2. Old man's beard
3. Break off dead twigs from the inside of evergreen trees and whittle a small pile of shavings.

It is possible to light just dry pine needles. It's not easy but possible. It takes a pretty sharp striker and a really good shower of sparks.

Dry grass and old man's beard can be ignited even when damp but it takes quite a few tries. You have to kind of get it charred and dried out but eventually it will dry and turn to flame. If you have that kind of time.:thumbup:
 
Mabe this is the situation that the magnisium block is for? Put a buttload of mag. shavings in the middle of some pine needles and away we go.
 
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