Other tinders than char cloth and fungi for flint and steel method?

T

tuxtex

Joined
Jun 18, 2009
Messages
82
Hello,

I'm currently on the flint and steel fire making trip.:cool:

I was successful with flint and steel together with char cloth and I assume that true and false tinder fungi would work as well.

Has anybody successfully tried an other type of tinder? if so, which one?

Best regards,

tuxtex
 
Shredded cottonwood bark works really good for me. I also think it was popular among the mountain men if I'm not mistaken.

I bet cedar bark would work too.
 
tuxtex said:
Do you use the outer cottonwood bark?
Click to expand...

No, I use the coarse, hair-like inner bark. There's areas here that beavers have chewed down lots of cottonwoods. After the trees sit dead for a bit, the bark starts to fall off in large chunks. The inner bark starts to separate from the outer bark and it's easy to harvest.

I think you would have the best luck with the hair-like inner bark on cedars too.
 
countryboycansurvive said:
No, I use the coarse, hair-like inner bark. There's areas here that beavers have chewed down lots of cottonwoods. After the trees sit dead for a bit, the bark starts to fall off in large chunks. The inner bark starts to separate from the outer bark and it's easy to harvest.

I think you would have the best luck with the hair-like inner bark on cedars too.
Click to expand...

Do you char it first?

I have never gotten any natural non charred substance to catch a spark from a natural flint and striker, always on the look out for tender fungus but so far no luck. I have gotten charred punky wood to catch a spark though. Chris
 
August West said:
Do you char it first?

I have never gotten any natural non charred substance to catch a spark from a natural flint and striker, always on the look out for tender fungus but so far no luck. I have gotten charred punky wood to catch a spark though. Chris
Click to expand...

Yep. Sorry. should have mentioned that. I've never gotten it to catch that tiny spark from a flint and steel unless it was charred. It works good uncharred with a firesteel but that's a whole different story.

I char some, just like charcloth, and put it in a tin. A tiny spark will catch and then can be blown into a coal that can be removed and placed into your tinder bundle.
 
jute... take a single jute strand and pinch it, then pull-it de-strands the jute into a ball of superfine hairs, it takes a spark explosively.
 
Okay, I've been known to ask really stupid questions from time to time, and this may be my stupidest question yet. Has anyone experimented with taking some bark strands like these and microwaving them?

I know, I know, it's not the same as charring, but it might make them super dry and lightly charred in a hurry.

I'm working on a job right now, so I don't have time to try it myself at the moment, but it might be interesting.
 
Much as I would love to find a natural tinder that will 'catch' a spark from natural flint and steel, I am inclined to think that I never will.

Even some batches of charcloth seem to be better than others.

Perhaps in very hot and dry conditions if I try long and hard enough I might, one day, get a spark to take in something that hasn't been charred. But of course I am most likely to need a fire in conditions that aren't hot and dry.

In comparison with a natural flint, man-made firesteel flints are amazing.

Although I have not been successful in finding a good natural tinder, that is not to say that they dont exist. I will always be on the lookout for good tinder.

Best wishes.... Coote.
 
I'm told very dry punkwood will catch a flint & steel park directly just like tinder fungus. I have yet to do that, but a few respected members of BUSA have indicated it can be done.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top