Firesteel Tinders

[Outdoorsman]

I use cotton pads, just keep a few in my pocket

 

[Welsh Dragon]

I reckon there's a lot to be said for mixing a "fluff" tinder like thistledown or reedmace in with shredded birch bark. The fluff catches easily and quickly, but doesn't burn well on it's own. The bark burns well, but doesn't catch quite so easily. Mix the two together and you're sorted.

I've recently started experimenting with lighting fire by firesteel and I found the same, can't go wrong with that combination i think

 

[vance]

i find the best tinder to use with flint are the following which only takes a couple of strikes at most to get flame:scraped birch bark,dry dead grass,cat tail seeds,cotton wool,cotton t shirt lit and put out first,feathersticks,i also find that any dry wood you come across if you shave your knife up and down you produce very fine tinder which catches light easy,i like to use natural materials while im out as i often think what would happen if i had no cotton wool or charcloth,but then again i could just cut a piece off my t shirt which is still quite easy to light even if it hasn't been charred.

What tinders do you use with your firesteel?

I've had a firesteel for probably less than a year and I was wondering what sort of tinders you folk use? I carry some char-cloth & (poor) birch-bark with me in my sack, the first campfire I lit by firesteel I did with charcloth wrapped in birch-bark and it work superbly producing flames in just a minute. Then a second time about 5-6 weeks later using the exact same method on a trip to Dartmoor I couldnt light up at all My char-cloth didnt seem to burn as well, neither did the birch-bark I tried for like 20mins whilst my girlfriend waited patiently for tea, I gave up and used a lighter

Firstly my char-cloth was made out of a old sock, im thinking it might have been a little loosely woven, im guessing some more tightly woven cotton might be better. And also does birch-bark loose its flamable attributes a little if kept in a sealed tub for a few months? Thanks for your help and advise on firesteel tinders.

 

[bushtank]

I know its not bushcrafty but i used my sons pencil sharpenings and was supprised to see flame on the first strike of my ferro rod

 

[Martyn]

This is so confusing. Half the people in this thread are talking about traditional flint and steel...

The other half are talking about ferro rods...

Two very different bits of kit with uniquely different techniques. Many of the techniques suitable for a ferro rod absolutely will not work with flint and steel and many of the techniques necessary for flint & steel would be totally over the top for use with a ferro rod. I think we need a method of figureing out what somone means when they say "firesteel".

I'm guessing the chap who started the thread was referring to traditional flint & steel because he talks about using charcloth - which is just about essential with traditional flint & steel but unecessary for a ferro rod. But I could be wrong. If those of us who have been here for a while are getting in a muddle over this, imagine how confusing it must be for someone new to the place?


I propose Tony adds the word "firesteel" to the swear filter so it gets ********* out. Then we would all be forced to be more specific.

 

[Dave Budd]

I agree with the crossed terms I tend to assume that people are talking about a flint and steel as that's what I use, but then I've never got on with these fangled modern things

as for charcloth, the best I've found to catch a spark is stockinette (sp?) as use for modroc and such, nice open weave and with my steels I can often get it to light with only a single pass of the flint/steel Cramp balls are great but I have trouble holding them sometimes