Use of cattails to ignite tinder???

troutfisher13111

troutfisher13111

Gold Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2006
Messages
2,482
Tried making a fire with a ferro rod and cattail fluff today with no luck. The cattail would catch a spark easily, but burn out really quick without igniting my tinder. Whats the secret? Thanks.
 
Are you sure it was dry? Sometimes the fluff is still a little bit alive, like a stick can still be a little bit "green" when you pull it off the cattail.
 
Because Cattail is a 'flash' tinder, one answer is to mix some very fine Birch bark with it. It has to be processed very fine or 'wispy' in order to catch fire before the Cattail goes out. Not my first choice.

Doc
 
Midwest Ninja said:
Are you sure it was dry? Sometimes the fluff is still a little bit alive, like a stick can still be a little bit "green" when you pull it off the cattail.
Click to expand...

Yeah it was dry. Its been in my house for a week. It took a spark easy, it just went up into flame real quick before it could ignite my tinder. Think I will stick to birch bark.
 
I was just using finely shredded newspaper just to see how well the cattail would work. Birch would work better, but I might as well use that to catch a spark too.

Oh well, this is why I carry Pj soaked cotton balls!
 
Place your seconday tinder on top of it and spark it up, works fine for me.

Skam
 
Cattails work best when you char the fluff beforehand like making char cloth.
Bill
 
Hello..

It works fine,, but you have to have your fire set ready to go,, and set up for a flash tinder...

It goes up like Gas,, however only last for a split second...

Your tinder has to be just right or you'll miss it...

Milk weed pod does the same thing.. One or two pods opens up to a Huge handful of fluff, but it goes up like a hand grenade.. One second it's there,, the next it's not.

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
YOu guys are trying to light too small amounts. Use lots of cattail fluff for more burn time.

Skam
 
Like some have already stated... Cattail is a flash tinder think of it as an accelerator for your firesteel... not useful on it's own but invaluable if your have trouble getting your sparks to ignite your primary tinder. Like spraying EZ Start on your lawnmower.

This summer I accidentally burned out a six foot diameter patch of dandelion fluff at the park while showing my nephew how easily it catches flame. I swear it only took 1 second.... whooofff!

Rick
 
Yeah the same happened to me with Cat-tails, I'd only use them again if there was nothing else !
Try scraping some fine Cedar bark like I'm doing in the pic, this catches a spark real easy...
Francisking010.jpg

And here it is after it had caught the spark...
Francisking.jpg
 
Magnussen said:
This summer I accidentally burned out a six foot diameter patch of dandelion fluff at the park while showing my nephew how easily it catches flame. I swear it only took 1 second.... whooofff!

Rick
Click to expand...

I was out for walk through a field of dry leaves, with my little brother and his friend behind me. I didn't know they had a book of matches and were lighting off dandelions till they yelled to me for help. They had a patch of leaves a few feet across on fire! Kids. :)

(I got all of us kicking more leaves and some dirt on the fire and we smothered it pretty fast, then spent a looong time stomping it to make sure it was out.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top