Instant charcloth from a paper towel

[Elines]

The source of this is Slammer 187 so thanks are due to him.

When I was finding out about wood gas stoves I came across utube videos by Unlimited Bushcraft/86thmountmerrion (= Slammer187 on BCUK) and I think the most up to date of the uTube names is Unlimited Bushcraft at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/UnlimitedBushcraft

One of the videos is called "Instant charcloth...Fire from a knife and a tube".

It looked like a really good idea that I hadn't seen before. So I had a go.

The basic materials are a piece of tube - about 2", (I used half inch/15mm copper tube) and a paper towel (plus flint and steel).

You roll the paper towel up and put it in the tube
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and set fire to it
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let it burn out or, better, pull it back in the tube to ensure it is out
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The resulting 'charcloth' very easily takes a spark

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The ember looks more than good enough to light tinder but (confession time) I couldn't get my tinder to light - probably didn't prepare it well enough so 'must do better'.

I think this is a useful thing to know when out and about and it certainly seems a good little exercise for me to show the scouts when I next visit the village troop.

PS the reference to fire from a 'knife and a tube' is simply that, in the video, a knife and a 'found' bit of flint are used to create the spark for the ember on the (already ) charclothed napkin

 

[Mesquite]

Now that is a neat idea

 

[Man of Tanith]

i like that very much
bit like a slow match in some ways

 

[John Fenna]

I have seen this with cotton rope and a tube - we used to call them "Arab cigaret lighters"...

 

[Elines]

I have seen this with cotton rope and a tube - we used to call them "Arab cigaret lighters"...

Yes I'd seen them too - and it is on my list of things to do when I can get tube and 100% cotton rope that fit but thought this cheapo version was interesting and worth a try - and it worked!

 

[mountainm]

Setting fire to a cotton wool ball then stamping it out works too - just drop a spark on the burnt bit of the cotton wool and it will take easily from a traditional flint and steel at a later date.

 

[Elines]

Setting fire to a cotton wool ball then stamping it out works too - just drop a spark on the burnt bit of the cotton wool and it will take easily from a traditional flint and steel at a later date.

That's worth knowing too - thanks

 

[drewdunnrespect]

so gonna try this in the morning

 

[oldtimer]

Very similar to the saltpetre soaked cord in tube cigarette lighter Breton fishermen use. Their advantage is that the stronger the wind the better they work.

 

[slammer187]

Haha I'm flattered that someone has found use from my videos

If you want to light a tinder bundle I find that the best thing to do is to hold the glowing cloth in the tinder bundle without blowing on it to create a larger ember and then blow it into flames or the best thing I find is that if you have a batch of charcloth that isn't of good quality you can use this to light it then drop that into a tinder bundle!

 

[Elines]

Haha I'm flattered that someone has found use from my videos

If you want to light a tinder bundle I find that the best thing to do is to hold the glowing cloth in the tinder bundle without blowing on it to create a larger ember and then blow it into flames or the best thing I find is that if you have a batch of charcloth that isn't of good quality you can use this to light it then drop that into a tinder bundle!

Thanks - I'll give that a go - especially as I have some poor quality charcloth!