What are the easiest tinders to ignite with the ember from a Bow Drill ?
This question arose as a result of me trying to get from an ember to a flame using 'Cotton Wool'. Cotton wool ignites very easily with a firesteel and is probably the method I use more than most for firestarting. This lead me to believe it would work easily with a bow drill ember. However I can only get the cotton wool to glow red and smoulder when I drop the ember into it - I cannot get it to burst into flame.
Is this a problem with my post-ember technique or is it that cotton wool has a higher flashpoint than other tinders ? I imagine the high temperature sparks from the firesteel would tend to hide this if it was the case.
Comments ?
This question arose as a result of me trying to get from an ember to a flame using 'Cotton Wool'. Cotton wool ignites very easily with a firesteel and is probably the method I use more than most for firestarting. This lead me to believe it would work easily with a bow drill ember. However I can only get the cotton wool to glow red and smoulder when I drop the ember into it - I cannot get it to burst into flame.
Is this a problem with my post-ember technique or is it that cotton wool has a higher flashpoint than other tinders ? I imagine the high temperature sparks from the firesteel would tend to hide this if it was the case.
Comments ?