2 June 2014, 00:00
Fire is the thing that separates Humans from all other animals and is so important to us that without it we simply can't survive in a survival situation, it's also something that we take for granted. We have to thank our ancestor Homo Erectus as the first of our species circa 500,000 years ago to gain control of this elemental force, enabling us to rule the world, and spend the lonely nights in safety, rather than cowering in the dark afraid of the night and the predators that ruled it, I tip my hat in respect.
Modern man Homo sapiens uses a variety of ways to make fire but the essence involves using a form of tinder that enables a hot ember/coal to be coaxed into a flame. The majority of fire lighting techniques use modern materials like Char cloth, Cotton buds coated with Vaseline, and Hexi blocks etc. All these materials are man made and don't exist in nature in a natural form. In the abscence of these we have to rely on what Mother nature gives us, so what can we use as a form of tinder?
In the UK we have a few options that are readily available and can be found almost anywhere.
1-- Dried grass- This is the most common and can be found everywhere and is very good if dried and processed correctly, and takes a spark easily.
2-- Fungus- Bracket Fungus- Birch Fungus hold a spark very well giving you time to to make a glowing ember, but it doesn't ignite as fast as dried grass etc, it does give you the ability to carry an ember as it keeps one smouldering for a long time enabling you to carry fire.
3--Bullrush/cat tails are an excellent source of tinder, and one flower head will provide a lot of material for numerous fires.
4--Pine resin-- Superb material and can be found where damage occurs on Pine trees. Don't use it in "block form" scrape it into shavings, this gives you a large surface area and will light even in rain.
5--Burdock seed heads-- I use these a lot as they are very common in my part of the Shire. The seeds have Oil in them and burst into flame with a good spark. You have to be careful processing these as they have sharp barbs protecting the seed heads. Smash the heads up teasing out the fluffy interior.
6--Nettles--gather the stalks when dry and pound till the fibres seperate, leaving you with a mass of string type material, a bit like Hemp and Flax. Takes a spark very well.
7--Dandelion, French for (teeth of the Lion) thank the Normans for the name. Surprisingly good although you only use the fluffy flower head and need quite a few to get any amount, best used in conjunction with other materials. Burns fast so you have to be quick getting it to your kindling.
I tend to use a composite tinder made from a few different species rather than rely on just one. For instance I will gather Burdock Heads, selected dried grasses, resin etc and mix it into a composite mixture and keep it in a pouch. When out walking you can gather these materials and make your tinder mixture at your own leisure when you get home ensuring you have an unlimited supply.
Char cloth, Cotton, Maya dust and Vaseline are superb but they don't occur naturally in the UK and once they run out in a SHTF situation you are up shit creek without a paddle if you don't know what to use in their abscence.
If you want to try a "modern" tinder source there is no better than the material found in your Tumble dryer filter, it ignites with the smallest spark.
Cotton obviously is a natural material, but not in the UK.
Modern man Homo sapiens uses a variety of ways to make fire but the essence involves using a form of tinder that enables a hot ember/coal to be coaxed into a flame. The majority of fire lighting techniques use modern materials like Char cloth, Cotton buds coated with Vaseline, and Hexi blocks etc. All these materials are man made and don't exist in nature in a natural form. In the abscence of these we have to rely on what Mother nature gives us, so what can we use as a form of tinder?
In the UK we have a few options that are readily available and can be found almost anywhere.
1-- Dried grass- This is the most common and can be found everywhere and is very good if dried and processed correctly, and takes a spark easily.
2-- Fungus- Bracket Fungus- Birch Fungus hold a spark very well giving you time to to make a glowing ember, but it doesn't ignite as fast as dried grass etc, it does give you the ability to carry an ember as it keeps one smouldering for a long time enabling you to carry fire.
3--Bullrush/cat tails are an excellent source of tinder, and one flower head will provide a lot of material for numerous fires.
4--Pine resin-- Superb material and can be found where damage occurs on Pine trees. Don't use it in "block form" scrape it into shavings, this gives you a large surface area and will light even in rain.
5--Burdock seed heads-- I use these a lot as they are very common in my part of the Shire. The seeds have Oil in them and burst into flame with a good spark. You have to be careful processing these as they have sharp barbs protecting the seed heads. Smash the heads up teasing out the fluffy interior.
6--Nettles--gather the stalks when dry and pound till the fibres seperate, leaving you with a mass of string type material, a bit like Hemp and Flax. Takes a spark very well.
7--Dandelion, French for (teeth of the Lion) thank the Normans for the name. Surprisingly good although you only use the fluffy flower head and need quite a few to get any amount, best used in conjunction with other materials. Burns fast so you have to be quick getting it to your kindling.
I tend to use a composite tinder made from a few different species rather than rely on just one. For instance I will gather Burdock Heads, selected dried grasses, resin etc and mix it into a composite mixture and keep it in a pouch. When out walking you can gather these materials and make your tinder mixture at your own leisure when you get home ensuring you have an unlimited supply.
Char cloth, Cotton, Maya dust and Vaseline are superb but they don't occur naturally in the UK and once they run out in a SHTF situation you are up shit creek without a paddle if you don't know what to use in their abscence.
If you want to try a "modern" tinder source there is no better than the material found in your Tumble dryer filter, it ignites with the smallest spark.
Cotton obviously is a natural material, but not in the UK.
