C'mon baby light my fire

[Ogri the trog]

Mention was made at the very beginning of this thread about Maya Dust and its questionable availability in the UK as a naturally available tinder source.

It certainly is available, though not overly common in my experience. The fallen or cut stumps of conifers "can" contain fatwood if a number of conditions are right. Finding a suitable stump may or may not result in you getting a reasonable haul, though once you find "some" you will have the experience of knowing where to look to find more - you can take it home and store it or rely on using it fresh - up to you!

My advice, however, is in carrying Maya dust.

It used to be sold in metal tins but now comes in plastic tin-shaped containers. Nothing wrong with the container, but if the shavings within are then carried in your pocket for anything more than a few days, heat from your body will drive off the volatile organic compounds that would otherwise catch a spark or flame and lead to it burning brightly.

If you carry Maya Sticks, they still contain the same VOC's but they are not so easily driven off by body heat, owing to it being in a significantly larger lump - and a little scraping, feathersticking or fine carving will produce a usable pile of dust at the time you want to make fire.

Furthermore, if you cut a Maya stick in half, drill a hole in one end and attach it to a key ring with a hank of jute cord that you have smeared in wax. A ferrocium rod and striker would be the only other items needed to be the start of numerous fires.

ATB

Ogri the trog