Tinder
Tinders are what you use to start your fire, there are many types from man made to natural. The tinder box to the left is the one i carry in the woods, it contains a variety of tinders for different methods of fire lighting!
The next few posts will cover different tinders in more detail so you can see exactly what you want to carry.
The next few posts will cover different tinders in more detail so you can see exactly what you want to carry.
Micro/Mini inferno
Created for dave canterbury at the path finder school this tinder is amazing! It isnt cheap but the disks or tabs can be cut into four so will light four fires furthermore, its waterproof has a long burn time and burns hot enough to light even wet fuel.
When you need a fire this stuff will get you it in all conditions if you dont believe me check out my video of me using it in snow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1doVtJm_lAo
When you need a fire this stuff will get you it in all conditions if you dont believe me check out my video of me using it in snow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1doVtJm_lAo
Birch bark
Birch bark is one of natures ultimate tinders, this is due to to the oils in the bark allowing it to burn even when wet. All you do is collect the bark off dead birch trees, scrape some shavings up with your knife and ignite with your firesteel!
Here is a demonstration of the method i just mentioned: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awdrK6VFq9w
Here is a demonstration of the method i just mentioned: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awdrK6VFq9w
Fatwood
Fatwood is another one of natures perfectly designed tinders, found in the roots of dead pine trees even a big chunk will light with just a match and burn for a very long time. Fatwoods brilliant qualities are due to the fact when the tree dies alot of resin is left the roots and is trapped this means it often outdates the main bulk of the tree in terms of decaying and of course gives us brilliant tinder!
Amadou
Again one of natures perfect tinders amadou is made from a dried out layer of the horseshoe fungus or fomes fomentarius. Humans have used this source of tinder since prehistoric times due to its ability to catch a spark from the type of spark created by flint and pyrite the resources that they had!
Tinder card
tinder card is a man made waxed compressed card that will fluff up when scraped with your knife and catch a spark from a firesteel. Its compact size, ease of use and burn time make it perfect for your tinder kit.
Tinder puck
The zippo tinderpuck is essentially a compacted cedar sawdust that is waxed. obviously cedar is fairly resinous and the wax will extend burn time furthermore, it will light from just a spark all in all this makes it a great tinder.
Charcloth
charcloth is a brilliant tinder for use with a flint and steel due to its ability to take a spark and hold it from this method. charcloth is a manmade tinder, here are the instructions on how to make it
- cut some 100% cotton cloth into strips
- place it in a tin such as a paint tin with a holes cut in the top
- place this tin sealed into a fire
- you will see flames coming out the top of the tin when these go out plug the hole with a piece of wood
- finally once it has cooled open the tin and there you have it!
Tinder quik
Tinderquik is a compacted cotton tab impregnated with some sort of wax/liquid that increases burn time and makes it waterproof. I love these tinder tabs due to their ease of use all you do is increase the surface area by teasing out the fibers and light with your firesteel you then have 2-3 minutes of burn time to get your fire started.
Lamp wick
Lamp wick is almost the lazy mans charcloth as it is essentially the same thing apart from you char the end and thats it, made from 100% cotton usually used as a wick for lanterns it is a perfectly good tinder for use with a flint and steel.
Jute twine
Jute twine is often used as cordage yet for a bushcrafter it has another use as a birds nest for blowing a coal to flame when you use such methods as bow drill. It excels as a tinder for this method due to its high surface area but as for use with a firesteel it burns too fast!
King alfreds cake
A fungus often found on dead ash tree's 'Daldinia contentrica' can help you get a fire going if you know how. The fungus gets its latin names due to the concentric rings you can see when i is split open. To use this as a tinder it has to be dried as it often isn't when you find it however, if it is it will take a spark from a firesteel rather nicely and also extend coals from methods such as the bow drill.
P.S you can also use it smouldering to help repel insects!
P.S you can also use it smouldering to help repel insects!