I'm going to go out again this afternoon and give that a go.
What are people's favourite most reliable natural tinders for catching a firesteel spark?
I think cattails may be replaced by my dog's fur now!
No matter the weather, a tuft of her fur seems to always take a spark!
Cat tails would not be my first choice of natural tinder. They usually catch a spark readily but burn with a "flash" flame, which is gone in half a second and leaves little in the way of "coals". It's really not a very reliable fire lighting tinder at all in my view.
I'm very surprised that your dogs fur actually catches fire rather than simply singeing! A bit of a hazard for the dog to be honest!
My first choice for natural tinder is birch bark, every time. If I'm going somewhere that may not have suitable supplies available, I'll take plenty with me. Birch bark is rich in oils and volatile chemicals which if the bark is prepared correctly,allows it to burn like a candle.
Add some conifer resin, either collected straight from the tree or collected and then boiled to form pitch( much less messy and easier to handle) and you will find that this gives a steady burning flame once lit, which will help get a fire going in damp conditions.
Some people struggle with birch bark and firesteels-it's pretty straight forward really, but requires some practice (please ignore the music!
)
[video=youtube;bc2wQ9ryts0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc2wQ9ryts0[/video]
If I'm canoeing or just "out and about" I always carry cotton wool balls soaked with vaseline/petroleum jelly. This stuff lights even if its been dropped in water if prepared correctly. Whether you use a firesteel, match or lighter.
good luck and remember; practice makes perfect
Steve
You would not believe the mess :yikes:
