The Best Tinder

[Titsonafish]

(24 October 2012, 14:45)uks Wrote: We use real seeds grow a few more so they go to seed. Stored right the seeds will last 3 years. We've stored seeds for 3 years and use them in rotation so that we always have 3 years worth of seeds at anyone time.
http://www.realseeds.co.uk/

(20 November 2012, 13:12)Wildman Wrote: Silver birch has always been real good but if you have the time to collect only the lightest peelings they'll catch in any condition that isn't a hurricane.

Yep silver birch is brilliant.

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I didnt mean to quote the first post. Im still learning this forum, sorry.

[Mandlaka]

Still having problems making char rope.
A simpler way is to stuff a closeable tin with cotton balls and use the same process for making char cloth...and voila! Char cotton balls. No need for vaseline 'cos they take a spark brilliantly. It really works and I currently have a few tins of char cotton balls ready. And you don't need to use a whole ball either. Just tear off a small piece and it is enough to get your fire lit.

NR, thanks for the initial idea! Much appreciated.

[Luci_ferson]

in jail we learned to make something called a wick lighter.
never thought jail would come in usefull, but its surprising where you learn usefull stuff.

A wick lighter is a small tube from a biro cut into two halves, and taped together side by side.
in one tube you put the wheel from a clipper lighter.
in the other tube you take a string from a clean mop and stuff it up the tube.
now with just a little bit of the mop string exposed you roll the lihter wheel slowly for 4 or 5 turns to get some of the fillings onto the mop string.
the n you flick the lighter wheel to cause a spark
the mop string ignites and glows. a few gently blows and you have an ember that can light a fire.

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the problem with things like Vaseline and mop wicks etc. is eventually there will be none.
we need a good tinder that nature provides.

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cotton wool balls are the same, they will eventually run out

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looks like il be sticking with sliver birch as there is a plentifull supply of it near me.
its a very common tree here.

[Mandlaka]

Great points, Luci.
I will certainly keep them in mind and start looking for some birch bark too.

Thanks much.

[Hrusai]

Char-cloth (and presumably char rope too)

Get yerself a metal tin, altoids works fine, cut some cloth to stuff in there, bung it in the tin, stab a hole in the top of the tin, put tin above fire to heat up, once gas is being released out the hole in the tin, set it on fire so you get yerself a nice lil' flamethrower coming out, once this flamethrower thingy stops, take the tin off the fire, let it cool down, open it up and you should have some char-cloth!


hope that helps

[Rush2112]

[attachment=173]

this is the fire starter set up we go with, beside a couple packs of lighters. the string is cotton string dipped in parafin wax and dried. it doesnt take a spark well, but a little flame lights it and it stays burning for several minutes. comes in handy trying to have fire in a wet environment. estimate this jar good for about 100 fires.

ive been making char cloth using altoids tins too, but was thinking of using 2 flat pieces of heavy duty foil, put cotton cloth in the middle, seal all edges and burn the same way as usual. could make a lot more at one time if it works.

if you have kids at all interested in prepping try making a fire from one spark using ferro rod/charcloth or the battery/steel wool method. my kid had fun doin it, so did i

[Wildman]

if u think like i do when u see a town, city, estate or village. its just another terrain, with thousands of sources of tinder that would out do alot of wild ones. soggy chip board that has dried takes a spark well, as do cheap cloth's lol. a small peice of rubber from a vehicle will take a spark while raining. park benches have been painted to protect the wood, a few splinters of this top layer will also catch a spark well. fag butts re lit(with spark) then placed were u want fire. sweet things mixed with tinder will burn brighter and quicker, like sugar and rubber. burns well quick and hot. just dont mix sugar with shit unless u want to or want something else to go boom big time. thin shavings from tele poles might have the same resin bassed paint, so if cut thinly enough might be a good tinder.

[Luci_ferson]

ive just been reading that the fluff round thistle heads is excellent tinder.
went looking for nutritional value of the nuts, and found out its good tinder. weird where you find stuff. lol

[Highlander]

I have just been out practicing with a magnifying glass, perfect in the sun we have here,... have had to be careful though we have eight wild fires burning all around us at the moment, its not rained here for four weeks and everything is tinder dry

[Luci_ferson]

hope they were nothing to do with your previous experiments lol

be interesting to hear your results .