Some tinders suck !!!!

pitdog

pitdog

Joined
Apr 13, 2007
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While I was hiking today I grabbed a handfull of furry seeds which I thought would make good tinder.
I also found a gnarly piece of fatwood and took that with me as well.

Back home I set up to try some firelighting.....

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I shaved some small pieces of fatwood using Kgd's RC4.....

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The tinder caught with the second strike of my ferro rod but went straight back out, I think it was a small piece of fatwood that caught !

It then took me about 20 strikes !!!! The seed fibres just fizzled and were pretty much useless, eventually a small piece of fatwood caught.If I'd known how pathetic the seeds were I would have made some fatwood dust as this catches straight away !

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Never assume that because something looks like it would make good tinder that it will, always test them so you know what works and what doesn't before you really need to use that knowledge !!!;):thumbup:
 
Agreed - sometimes the fluff just burns so darn fast that it seems like nothing happens! Good 'ole fatwood though. A hiker's best friend for sure!
 
kgd said:
Agreed - sometimes the fluff just burns so darn fast that it seems like nothing happens! Good 'ole fatwood though. A hiker's best friend for sure!
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Yep. I've used cattail and thistle seed fluff and it burns fast. Got it to work in a nest of dry grass though.

Fatwood is great stuff.
 
That is part of the fun though, isn't it? Experimenting to find out what works and what doesn't.

I love the old stand by's, like fatwood, but don't like relying on ONE thing. Sometimes things are easy to find in some areas, and not so easy in others. I try to learn as many good tinder sources as possible. Learning that something doesn't work so well, is just as important as finding something that does work good.

Nice pics pit!

B
 
For starting the fires in my wood stove at home when the wood was a bit damp or even for sometimes just boosting a flame good to get it going better at home I've always made a habit of keeping some of the fine ash from when I clean out the stove. I take that ash I've saved and put it in a 5 gal. metal can that has a lid and soak it in some kerosene. Its not wet or anything but just damp with it. Always worked for me if I need to start a fire because I just throw in some smaller kindling pieces of hackberry or whatever other small pieces and using the shovel from the tool kit scoop a bit of ash on it and light it. I've never had any problems with the chimneys or soot from using small amounts of it in many years of doing that. I have my chimney flu cleaned regularly and not one of the guys coming every other year has ever said a word to me about a problem doing it either.

As a result of doing this I've also saved some in little camera film cannisters I can put in my back pack or fanny pack when camping. Starts a fire right quick with just a dab of kerosene smoked ash usually especially when spread on just a bit of dry tinder or even some that is slightly green and damp.

Just a thought.

STR
 
Interesting. Sounds gross, but I got my hair trimmed up today (here at home since it's cheap cheap!), I took the pile of hair and tried to catch a spark on it w/ my ferro rod. Yup! Caught on the first try, but it burns weird, so I had to be careful with it.

Now, I will never do that again! Man did it smell, but if I'm desperate, I guess hair would make an ok tender.
 
Yeah, it took me about an hour and a half to start and fire and actually keep it going, I kept using the same tinder and were the spark went, would burn so fast it did not catch the rest of the bundle, so I decided to use more of the fuzzy tinder, mixed with some wood trimmings, worked like a charm.
 
Great advise. Always test it before you might really need it. I bought some of those alcohol impregnated hand wipes thinking they would work great for fire starting. Barely lit at all. At least I found out before I might have really needed to start a fire.
 
kgd said:
Agreed - sometimes the fluff just burns so darn fast that it seems like nothing happens! Good 'ole fatwood though. A hiker's best friend for sure!
Click to expand...

Ever see naturally occurring asbestos? Fluffy as all get out! doesn't make for very good tinder though... :thumbdn:

You're right... we need to stick with fatwood! Fatwood fuzz sticks!

Stitchawl
 
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