I saw one of these used on a recent Woodlore course and have been waiting to try it myself - and thought I may as well record the results. Basically, the 'cigar' is a tube of birch bark packed with tinder which is used to turn an ember into a flame.
To start with you need a piece of curled birch bark (not the papery bark, a piece of proper bark) cut from a fallen branch or tree. I'm sure I don't need to say this, but don't cut it from a living tree. The bark will usually curl naturally as it dries out after removing it from the dead tree.
Now, this piece isn't really too good as a tube, so if it looks like this, unroll it and then re-roll it so that the end of bark that was in the centre of the tube is now on the outside. It should then take on a proper tubular shape.
Next, you need some tinder. I am using the papery birch bark (which can be peeled from a living tree if it is peeling already) and some shredded bark taken from a dead tree.
Pack the tube with the tinder, leaving a gap at one end of the tube.
The tinder should extend all the way to the other end of the tube.
Next, you need your firelighting kit. I'm using a traditional flint and steel, together with charcloth made from an old pillowcase, charred in a boot polish tin.
Strike a spark onto the charcloth, make sure it is glowing nicely, and insert it into the gap that you left at the end of the tube. Push it into the tube with a bit of twig to make sure it is in contact with the tinder.
Now, blow into the end of the tube, and as you draw breath do the Ray Mears thing of sweeping the tube down while you take a breath, then bringing it back up to your mouth. Soon, you should see clouds of smoke billowing out of the far end of the tube. There was smoke here (really), but I had to stop blowing to take the picture of myself.
The tube can get hot, so you may want to make a pair of 'pliers' out of a couple of twigs, or grab whatever is near at hand (in my case my garden secateurs) to hold it. At Woodlore, the instructor managed to get flame while still holding the tube.
Finally, put the tube into the base of your fire...
...and add your kindling and fuel.
Hope this is of use. The 'cigar' is something that could be prepared in advance and taken out into the woods in a waterproof container, to help light a fire quickly if there isn't anything else readily available.
[EDIT]Next time, I'd probably use a longer tube and maybe only fill it half way with tinder. That way I could hold the tube at the 'mouth' end and, hopefully, this won't then get hot, as the flames should only occur at the far end of the tube.
Geoff
To start with you need a piece of curled birch bark (not the papery bark, a piece of proper bark) cut from a fallen branch or tree. I'm sure I don't need to say this, but don't cut it from a living tree. The bark will usually curl naturally as it dries out after removing it from the dead tree.
Now, this piece isn't really too good as a tube, so if it looks like this, unroll it and then re-roll it so that the end of bark that was in the centre of the tube is now on the outside. It should then take on a proper tubular shape.
Next, you need some tinder. I am using the papery birch bark (which can be peeled from a living tree if it is peeling already) and some shredded bark taken from a dead tree.
Pack the tube with the tinder, leaving a gap at one end of the tube.
The tinder should extend all the way to the other end of the tube.
Next, you need your firelighting kit. I'm using a traditional flint and steel, together with charcloth made from an old pillowcase, charred in a boot polish tin.
Strike a spark onto the charcloth, make sure it is glowing nicely, and insert it into the gap that you left at the end of the tube. Push it into the tube with a bit of twig to make sure it is in contact with the tinder.
Now, blow into the end of the tube, and as you draw breath do the Ray Mears thing of sweeping the tube down while you take a breath, then bringing it back up to your mouth. Soon, you should see clouds of smoke billowing out of the far end of the tube. There was smoke here (really), but I had to stop blowing to take the picture of myself.
The tube can get hot, so you may want to make a pair of 'pliers' out of a couple of twigs, or grab whatever is near at hand (in my case my garden secateurs) to hold it. At Woodlore, the instructor managed to get flame while still holding the tube.
Finally, put the tube into the base of your fire...
...and add your kindling and fuel.
Hope this is of use. The 'cigar' is something that could be prepared in advance and taken out into the woods in a waterproof container, to help light a fire quickly if there isn't anything else readily available.
[EDIT]Next time, I'd probably use a longer tube and maybe only fill it half way with tinder. That way I could hold the tube at the 'mouth' end and, hopefully, this won't then get hot, as the flames should only occur at the far end of the tube.
Geoff
