Bisch polypore fungus as tinder

[John Fenna]

I have been playing With some Birch Polypore Fungus (BPF) and have been suprised at how good a tinder it is!
I found that I can light it with a couple of stokes on the old ferro fire steel and also blow it up into flame from a bit of glowing charcloth, sparked up from a flint and steel - I have no doubt that it will light to flame from a bow drill ember as well, though I am yet to try this.
I cut the BPF realy thin and rough it up until lint-like bits stick up. A couple of swipes from my knife on the ferro and the BPF was blazing and burned like a fast burning candle!
A tiny bit of char cloth , sparked up with a flint and steel (an old busted file) wrapped in a tube of BPF (thin cut and roughed) was blown up to flame so easily I nearly set my moustache on fire!
Previously I have only used BPF as fist use kindling to catch a flame and hold it, to help other kindling catch but now it will repace bulky tinders such as dried grass in my fire kit.
Luckily I found a huge BPF a while back so I have a good supply to play with.
Sorry I have no video or even still of this but I am cr*p with technology and my wife (though otherwise bril) is worse than I am!
John

 

[dwardo]

I will be trying that thanks!

 

[markheolddu]

I will have to try that to, thanks for the the pieces you gave me.:You_Rock_

Mark

 

[markheolddu]

now I remember you said you can use it as a plaster, that must be why you gave it to me.

Mark

 

[ganstey]

Hi John, You say that you cut it thin, but did you pre-treat it as I've seen others do with Horse Hoof Fungus? As you can tell I'm new to this natural tinder mallarky, and fungi as well

Cheers
G

 

[John Fenna]

Nope!
No treatment at all save drying it out, and that was just a by product of having it in the house for a while...
I just tried it again with a thicker piece and it did not work so well so I guess that thin-ness counts for a lot, plus roughing it up so that there are lots of edges to take the spark.
John

 

[ganstey]

Cheers for that. Next time I'm down in my wood I'll take a closer look at the birch and see if I've got any of this. As I said, I'm just learning about natural tinders, and am going to try birch bark next.

Cheers
G

 

[rich59]

I have got birch polypore to light direct from ferro rod a few times without cutting it thin. The bit close to the attachment to the tree worked best.

What I have never managed to get it to do is light from a true flint and steel, or a fire piston.

 

[oops56]

Ok try this boil or cook with it.I had a big piece that fit in can did not boil but was hot for coffee. [bich fungus]

 

[rich59]

Thats almost a mystical image!! Funny that that desk looks like mine.:You_Rock_