Natural tinders without fatwood

bindlestitch

bindlestitch

Joined
Oct 23, 2006
Messages
1,461
And without birch bark.
Hey , guys. I was reading Ia's thread on how to use a firesteel and I noticed some people were talking about natural tinders and having a hard time lighting them with a ferro rod.
I did a few videos that kinda talk about the subject and thought I'd share.
I'd be interested in unusual things you use , too.

All of these were collected within a 200 ft radius of where I was sitting
[youtube]u8bNK9eGNL4[/youtube]

This one uses inner cottonwood bark and sycamore bark
[youtube]iOBQaRW7ZQs[/youtube]

This one shows the many different fire helpers that cottonwood has
[youtube]RxL-F5x2S9Y[/youtube]
You can use the bark as an always dry tinder, too. No matter how much rain you get the bark inside will always be dry on a mature cottonwood.

[youtube]faopp5y_fPM[/youtube]

There's a bunch more but I've already probably posted to much.
Thanks for looking and let me know your thoughts.
Iz
 
Thanks for posting those vids Iz. Natural tinders in the hardwoods can be a challenge. You did a nice job explaining several options.
 
As Iz already knows I am currently adventuring into the different uses of milkweed. Not only eatting it but cordage and tender.

I like that even when the seed pods are still green the "fluff" will take a spark. Giving you a tinder, contained in its own water proof container.

But better have your fire prep done, as the milkweed fluff is very much a flash tinder and will go up rather quickly.
 
Thanks Iz, really cool videos. Yes we do have a lot of fatwood down here in the southeast (for now...in years to come who knows with all the damage the pine beetles are doing) and I do like to use it under the often rainy and damp conditions. However I'd much rather have some good dry thistle or other fluffy seed pod tinders...much less labor intensive, but only available certain times of the year where as i can hardly walk here without tripping over fatwood stumps or logs which makes it less work than many others. Punk works great...but it's not always dry enough to use with sparks here in this temperate rain forest.
 
mistwalker said:
Thanks Iz, really cool videos. Yes we do have a lot of fatwood down here in the southeast (for now...in years to come who knows with all the damage the pine beetles are doing) and I do like to use it under the often rainy and damp conditions. However I'd much rather have some good dry thistle or other fluffy seed pod tinders...much less labor intensive, but only available certain times of the year where as i can hardly walk here without tripping over fatwood stumps or logs which makes it less work than many others. Punk works great...but it's not always dry enough to use with sparks here in this temperate rain forest.
Click to expand...

I hear ya, man. I don't blame you at all, if I had fatwood I'd be proudly using it all the time. It's a great natural tinder.




Thanks for the kind words everybody. I love talking about fire...is that a bad thing? :D
Iz
 
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