Starting a fire

target assassin

Hi All.

im looking for tips on starting fires with a flint and steel,

i normally carry some tissue in a bag with me which is very effective but im wondering is there any natural material in the forests that can be used with the same efficiency.

im not very familiar with types of trees ect so what is good and how and where to find it would be great.

thanks all

Donny5

I'm no expert at this, but I can do it using a feather stick relatively successfully.

Tabnabs

Congratulations, you've reached the advanced level of buschcraft

Natural tinder can be a tricky and in depth subject. What works really well on one day is rubbish and fire resistant the next.

One good and generally reliable source is the silver birch tree.

Birch bark has a natural oil in it. This is why sometimes in the woods you will find a limb lying on the ground which many months before has dropped from the tree. Most of the wood has rotted and broken down yet the bark is left, this is because of the oil in it.

Take a piece of birch bark preferably off a log or dead tree, not a living tree if possible as this can harm the tree if done incorrectly.

Once you have your piece of bark about say four inches by four inces, it doesn't have to be this size, whatever you find comfortable to work with. You'll find the bark will want to curl up so if you fold it like a concetina (sp) this will help stop it curling.

Hold the bark outer side facing upwards down on a flat surface. Take your knife and with the cutting edge scrape the bark backwards and forwards. A dust will form, try and protect it from the wind and make a small pile of it in the middle of your piece of bark.

Strike a spark onto the dust and it will ignit and start the bark burning. Pick the whole thing up and place it under your previously collected makings of your fire.

Other things to have handy in your bag or pocket is sisal, clothes dryer lint or cotton wool rubbed in vaseline.

It's recommended to practice firesteel control by lighting a candle with it. It's 95% spark control for successful ignition and 5% luck!

irishlostboy

get super low tech and use flint (as in the stone) and steel (as in the metal) make your charcloth from bullrush head. find different tinders than just birch, such as various lichens (my favourite). then you will be straying into the intermediate level of bushcraft.
good luck, happy experimenting and stay safe with fire.

Whitehawk

all info above is good but one thing that i find is gr8 is to scratch some of the flint in to a pile with all the other stuff you want to light then spark it the extra large pile of flint dust will just burst in to flames and help light all the other stuff!

target assassin

thanks for the tips.

would a feather stick catch from sparks though?

cant wait to try the birch bark one

Donny5

target assassin wrote: »

thanks for the tips.

would a feather stick catch from sparks though?

cant wait to try the birch bark one

Yeah, they do, especially if you can make the shaved wafers very thin. It requires a sharp knife, but it's effective. I find it harder to light the kindling with the flame from the feather stick than to get the feather stick going to begin with, although as tabnabs says, it's all about getting the spark in the right spot. Unlike Tabnabs, it's about 5% spark control and 95% luck and persistance for me!

il gatto

Feather sticks will take a spark if you shave them deep into the drier heartwood. Also, try and find standing dead wood as stuff you pick off the ground may be too damp.
Cotton wool dipped in Vaseline is great. I use it with a bundle of twigs to light the fire at home too. Char cloth and drier lint will take a spark, but need more practice with to develop into a flame.
Even with natural tinders, it's usually better to have some with you that you know is dry as in our climate, it can be very tricky to find it. Have a go and if it doesn't work, dig out your supply and use that instead. Birch bark, lichens, certain fungi (wouldn't touch unless you're certain), wood punk etc.

IPNA

Practise on cotton wool or fluffed up jute string. Once you have that mastered getting your firesteel to light birch bark will be easier.

The trick with lighting anything with firesteel is to fluff. Make your tinder really woolly or fluffy.

Then it is a balance of the fire triangle (air-fuel-heat). By compressing of fluffing up your tinder bundle you can modify your fire triangle to create the perfect balance of the three and get a tinder fire going.

What you do with it after that is up to you.