Firesteel tinder
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you use fine feather sticks. i find pine work best for this, the resin in the wood makes them more flamable
dry grass, hay etc
the inner bark of some trees such as sweet chestnut. you have to scrape the inner part and will get fibers which you can buff to make them finer
king alfrids cakes fungi, grows on dead ash trees and burns like char coal
down from fissal, dandy lions and bull rushes
pete
dry grass, hay etc
the inner bark of some trees such as sweet chestnut. you have to scrape the inner part and will get fibers which you can buff to make them finer
king alfrids cakes fungi, grows on dead ash trees and burns like char coal
down from fissal, dandy lions and bull rushes
pete
I'm only starting learning the firesteel and was initially puzzled that it seems dependent on bringing an ultra fine, ultra dry tinder from home (considering birch is not found absolutely everywhere either). It seems to defeat the purpose of a solid, all-resistant firelighting device.
However I finally managed to put fire to tiny wood scraps. I split a piece of wood and took very fine shavings from the inside (a bit like a featherstick) but then also "scrapped" the wood fibers perpendicularly with the "belly" of the blade to get something closer to dust. This took the spark OK.
I have been told you could also shave off some fibers from a cotton cloth, use punk wood and some dry grasses.
So all in all, given some practice in manipulating the firesteel AND in locating natural dry tinder, I revised my somewhat skeptical views on firesteel
However I finally managed to put fire to tiny wood scraps. I split a piece of wood and took very fine shavings from the inside (a bit like a featherstick) but then also "scrapped" the wood fibers perpendicularly with the "belly" of the blade to get something closer to dust. This took the spark OK.
I have been told you could also shave off some fibers from a cotton cloth, use punk wood and some dry grasses.
So all in all, given some practice in manipulating the firesteel AND in locating natural dry tinder, I revised my somewhat skeptical views on firesteel
Dry grass, cotton wool, leaf skeletons, theoretically feather sticks, maya dust, paper, cotton lint from the drier, meths, petrol (but that would be really stupid), charred wood, wild cotton heads, clematis fibres, fibrous seed pods.
Lotsa stuff.
Lotsa stuff.
Theoretically? Practically, more like! It only takes a bit of practice.
Keep practising and you too can light a candle with your fire steel.
I was going to say I've lit a feather stick with a ferro rod, did it for the fist time this week end.Theoretically? Practically, more like! It only takes a bit of practice.
As to the candle, Mors did it at the moot with a brand new unburnt candle, took a bit of prep, and a few stikes, even he looked surprised at how quick he managed it
Charred logs from the fire the night before will light with a spark. Try to find bits with a lot of white ash type stuff on them. This will light quite easily.
If I feel all clever and decide to find my tinder in the wild then I use dry grass or dry straw rubbed together to make it more 'flowery'. The advantage of this over most of the other things suggested is that 1/ we all know what dry grass looks like (although it has to be properly dry - no green bits, however pale) 2/it's generally available all year round (though the wet dry grass will have to be dried out first) 3/It catches a spark a real treat.
If I am going to bring tinder from home then I use cotton wool, either covered with vaseline or not (depending on how prepared I am). Either way, cotton wool takes a spark exceedingly well.
If I am going to bring tinder from home then I use cotton wool, either covered with vaseline or not (depending on how prepared I am). Either way, cotton wool takes a spark exceedingly well.
In WW2 the standard British method of getting a brew on in the desert was as follows -
Get an old petrol can ("flimsy") and fill it with sand.
Pour in some petrol (not too much - no fuel should be visible) and allow it to soak in.
Light the petrol at the top of the tin (invisible as it has soaked into the sand but still able to catch a light).
For more flame, use a stick to stir the sand exposing more petrol.
Fairly safe and effective and therefor OK- ish for using this method for using petrol as a tinder with a fire steel I would think.
I have used this method with meths and sawdust before now but as I drive a diesel van and use gas or meths stoves I dont normally have petrol around.....
Get an old petrol can ("flimsy") and fill it with sand.
Pour in some petrol (not too much - no fuel should be visible) and allow it to soak in.
Light the petrol at the top of the tin (invisible as it has soaked into the sand but still able to catch a light).
For more flame, use a stick to stir the sand exposing more petrol.
Fairly safe and effective and therefor OK- ish for using this method for using petrol as a tinder with a fire steel I would think.
I have used this method with meths and sawdust before now but as I drive a diesel van and use gas or meths stoves I dont normally have petrol around.....
I sometimes carry an Ulitmate Survival Firesteel, it has a small compartment in the handle that holds a WetFire Tinder block which when powdered down will light from a spark even in the pouring rain.
I also use alot of MagFire waxed paper, when this is teased like birch bark it will catch a spark easily.
I also use alot of MagFire waxed paper, when this is teased like birch bark it will catch a spark easily.
Thats exactly how you prepare and light the WetFire Tinder, only it doesn't smell bad like hexi!
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