rainy day tinder

[thecalbanner]

as the weather is now heating up ive cut down on some of my kit.
inc (foolishly i know) carrying dry tinder. the other day i got caught out an i only had silver birch bark to fall back on.
what's your favourite or most effective wet day fire starting method?????

 

[sally]

In wet conditions I personaly prefer birchbark + dead (brown) pine/spruce needles as a very fine kindling. For a tinder I use either birchbark or ladies tampon. Always trying to protect the young fire with my body/basha...etc. I heard, that strips of bike tire work well, when lit by the lighter - will have to give it a try sometimes.

 

[addo]

Birch bark, cotton wool, both with the firesteel Vaseline added if needed.
Bike inner tube and lighter if rearly wet.
Feathersticks to extend, or on its own with the sparks.
Split wood after that, or dry kindling/mainfuel, found under evergreen trees with large canopies.

 

[g4ghb]

birch bark 'paper' and the finest birch twigs - has never let me down to the extent I never carry 'stock' bar the odd bits of birch paper I collect in my pockets as I go....

 

[Limaed]

Fatwood from Scots Pine for me.

 

[Neumo]

Depends how 'natural' you want to go or if you want a method using modern materials. For the natural route, as mentioned, then it's feather sticks, birch bark, camp ball funguis etc.. Then there is things like like maya sticks, that are pretty good. For the man made route then it's haed to beat things like rubber buke tube, a bit of hexamine (just to get things started), BBQ lighters etc... as well as the standard cotton wool & vaseline, fine wire wool, tinder cards, alcohol based hand cleaners etc.. Whatever the weather looks like I always try to have a small amount of some of the above in my pack to give myself several options in case the more traditional ways like charcloth are not working for you.

 

[Peter_t]

fatwood or birch bark are the best and are almost waterproof, i'l use these with a firesteel over matches or lighters any day. my other favorite tinder is bark from honeysuckel, this fluffs up real well and can be used with a firesteel or embers but is not at all water resistant.

lumps of pine resin collected from wounded trees is a good fuel to use between tinder and small twigs to make fire starting more reliable in bad weather. this is like a natural equivalent to the strips of rubber tyre.

imo natural is best, you can't find hexi blocks or vasaline in the wild! welll if im honist im never far wayay enough from society that made tinder isn't practicle but its just more bushcrafty.


pete

 

[apj1974]

imo natural is best, you can't find hexi blocks or vasaline in the wild! welll if im honist im never far wayay enough from society that made tinder isn't practicle but its just more bushcrafty.
pete

I wouldn't say I stumple across fatwood everyday in the wild though! As I've mentioned before, you can make a reasonable substitute by pickling some kindling in wd40!

 

[TJRoots]

I wouldn't say I stumple across fatwood everyday in the wild though! As I've mentioned before, you can make a reasonable substitute by pickling some kindling in wd40!

fatwood is very easy to get hold of when you know where to look, i've got tonnes of the stuff. dont just try the stumps, sometimes dead fallen pines can contain quite alot as well.

TJ

 

[thecalbanner]

yeah i forgot about the cramp ball. never tried fatwood time for a mission me thinks.

 

[Neumo]

I like the idea of tinder in WD40, must give that a try. I like to try something new with a firesteel every time I go out, when possable, but it's always nice to know that you have a few alternatives in your pack for when you really need a brew rather than just practicing your firelighting.

 

[Limaed]

fatwood is very easy to get hold of when you know where to look, i've got tonnes of the stuff. dont just try the stumps, sometimes dead fallen pines can contain quite alot as well.

TJ

I agree fatwood is easy to find if you know where to look, the knots where branches join the main tree is the best place. Why buy Maya sticks from South America when you can produce your own here?

 

[sticks65]

Birch bark and ferro rod.

 

[thecalbanner]

I agree fatwood is easy to find if you know where to look, the knots where branches join the main tree is the best place. Why buy Maya sticks from South America when you can produce your own here?

when harvesting the fat wood am i loking for dark seams of resin or do i take any timber?

 

[TJRoots]

darks seems of resin, also give it a sniff, it smells very strongly of pine resin, i've had some before strong enough to make your eyes water

TJ

 

[Limaed]

It also has a 'waxy' apperance. Its worth looking at trees that are really decomposed, often all that is left is the fatwood. Its worth using an axe to split it all out. Mistwalkers posts are excellent if you want more info:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45378&highlight=fatwood

 

[caswcc]

birch bark or really fine feather sticks.. i find a really sharp serrated blade is great for really fine feather sticks.... and also i collect the thinest birch bark as i walk and put it in my pocket that really does make a big difference to how easily it lights from a spark.. i am not a happy bunny if i have to resort to matches.... he he