Alternative to Char-Cloth

[Longstrider]

Inspired by a recent comment of Waylands about alternative tinders to use with a traditional flint and steel, I have started to experiment to see what I can get to take a spark and turn it into a coal.
Last week on a trip down to the New Forest I found a large area of fallen ash trees, most of which were literally smothered in cramp balls both dead and living. I gatered a few of the dry dead ones and later that day tried a small sliver of cramp ball (King Alfreds cakes) in place of my normal char-cloth with my flint and steel.
It worked ! After only 3 strikes of the steel I had a small glowing coal that soon grew to a useable size. Adding it to a larger section of cramp ball I was very soon able to add it to my tinder best and blow it to flame.

 

[Limaed]

Nice one Longstrider,
This is something ive been looking at myself, no problems with Charcloth just no joy with anything else!
Sadly Crampballs arn't very common up here but ive lots of Horses Hoof fungus and intend to make some Amadou when I get five minutes ive tried both with the firestick and can easily get an ember.
Be great to hear if you have any success with anything else. Have you tried flint and iron pyrites? Ive just got a piece and barely managing to produce any sparks at all, no doubt its all down to technique! Ta Ed

 

[Buckshot]

I've used the middle section of Artists fungus to take a spark successfully.
I boiled it in ash and then pounded it flat then let it dry before use.
I've found if I tear a piece leaving the wispy ends it takes well on those bits. But not well at all on the pounded section - I suppose the fibres have been squashed together too much.

We have loads of crampball here too but no Horses hoof. Perhaps we do a swap Limaed?

Cheers

Mark

 

[gregorach]

ive lots of Horses Hoof fungus and intend to make some Amadou when I get five minutes

Hehe - you'll need more than five minutes mate! Preparing amadou is surprisingly labour-intensive.

I've found if I tear a piece leaving the wispy ends it takes well on those bits. But not well at all on the pounded section - I suppose the fibres have been squashed together too much.

You need to fluff up the amadou with a sharp edge to make it take a flint-and-steel spark. The tricky bit is getting it fluffy enough whilst keeping it more-or-less in one piece. Separate the fibres too much and all your fluff gets knocked off on the first strike. Although I have to admit I'm not very well practiced with flint and steel, which could be part of the problem...

 

[andy_bell]

I agree with the comments about fluffing up amadou, with natural tinders its the prep work that counts. Punk can be started from a flint and steel (traditional) if it is very dry and you can get a paper thin (or thinner) sliver from it, rotten ash trees are very good for this. I often end up with a tiny piece smaller than my little finger nail that will take a spark as easily as char cloth. I just drop this onto a larger piece of the same punk and blow it up into a good size coal before transferring it into the tinder bundle.

 

[Limaed]

Thanks fella's,
Some good info there. As with everything in Bushcraft, the skills are a lot harder than they seem at first. Buckshot thanks for the offer, im down in Aylesbury the week after next, if you wish and can get across to me I can bring down a couple of Hoof's for you. Dont worry about the Crampballs i ll get some when I come down. PM me if you wish to do this ta Ed

 

[firemaker]

Milkweed ovum’s will work very well. Just a piece of it held on your flint.

Mullein will also work. Gently scrap the dry feathery bark off the outside., or the pith cut into paper thin strips vertically from the stock (not perpendicular to the stock). This will give you nice strips.

Char cloth doesn’t grow on trees but there are other alternatives to the cotton cloth. You can char Mullein pith cut in long strips as well as wood punk to make them more reliable.

Darrel

 

[rich59]

Char cloth doesn't grow on trees, but lime bark does. If you collect some old lime bark inner fibre (found on dead lime branches when exposed to weather for a few months), rub it to separate the fibres and char it then it will work as well a char cloth. It's down side is that it is quite fragile and can fall apart with transportation.

The punky wood from poplar trees can catch a spark if dry.