Birch Polypore as coal extender

[Pappa]

Hi,

I've just been experimenting with some Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus).

I lit a piece of King Alfred's Cakes (Cramp Ball) and used it to light a piece of Birch Polypore by pressing the two together and blowing. The Birch Polypore was glowing and burning within a few seconds. I left it on the floor out the back for ten minutes and came back later to check on it. It was still burning and glowing to the same extent as when I left it. I think it would make an excellent coal extender. It doesn't burn as hot as King Alfred's Cakes, but it does glow and stay lit without any additional help.

The peice of Birch Polypore I was using was a slice about 5mm x 50mm x 60mm. It had been previously dried thoroughly.

Pappa

 

[wolf]

yes ive actually carried a birch fungi around with me to see if it would keep glowing,lasts quiet a while.

 

[Marts]

Poke a hole through a piece and you can thread a withy through it for carrying from camp to camp.

 

[Jeff Wagner]

Hmmmm....sounds a bit like something Otzi might do...

 

[Roving Rich]

Yup it sure is - I believe he had a bark container stuffed with moss for the purpose.
Birch polypore will smoulder for hours, infact the its very difficult to extinguish, I ended up wrapping it up in tinfoil to starve it oxygen.
The smoke has a strange smell to it, I have used it to smoke bugs out of debris shelters before settling in for the night.

Cheers
Rich

 

[Pappa]

Hmmmm....sounds a bit like something Otzi might do...

I think Otzi had some Birch Polypore 'sticking plasters' with him.