Fire Kit

[nifeman]

OK tell the dummy what is "tow" and where I get it

I made a heck of a smoke today but never got a flame

Tow can be tricky to find (cheap), but, the other day my wife found that if you get these coconut basket refills that hang on your porch and tear them apart they work as good if not better than tow. They're pretty cheap now that flower growin' seaon is over. BTW, she uses them to make repros of "Skookum dolls", not fire ;)...Bud

[nifeman]

Hey Jerry, just went outside to make a fire for the heck of it and tried a little of the coconut liner. It seems to have some kind of waxy waterproof coating on it. As far as I know it could be Napalm, it lit that fast. Once I had an ember in my char, the stuff readily ignited with just a few puffs. Not a Bic but purty near as quick ...Bud

[Ranger]

Good tip, Bud!

[Ironwood]

Your tinder doesn't have to be Tow, it can be almost anything that is shredded and will let air pass through easily.  I have never been able to get dryer lint to work for me.  I do use lots of other things.  Cedar bark works great, just plain ol' dry grass will work also.  The leaves shed leaves from a cypress tree works fine.  I've even used the dried oak blooms when they drop off in the spring.

One thing to remember, hold the tinder above your head when you blow on the glowing charcloth.  Tinder will sometime burst into flame.....taking your eyebrows, mustach, and part of your beard if you are not careful.....speaking from experience here. 

[Ranger]

[david32cal]

i like to use cedar bark myself, easy to shread and birdnest and flames up quickly.

[Ironwood]

Yes david I like Cedar Bark also.  The bark seems to burn longer than some other types of tinder. 

[boardilly]

The way I carry my char cloth is putting in in a piece of heavy brown paper folded up and tied with a string. Keeps it dry and safe. Also paper might come in handy.  Dilly

[TomG]

Jerry here is a pic of my fire kit.

A tin for baking and storing char cloth,flint and steel,extra cotton and some hemp rope.
And a bees wax candle.

[gonzales]

Here is one of my fire kits with several Mike Ameling steels, English grey flint, Texas blue flint, small tin with char and tinder fungus and linen tow. Old tin cigar box from Backwoods Tin.



Larry

[pathfinder]

I use an old Altoids tin that was burned in the fire,put my char in first,a piece of leather over that to protect it from the flint and steel on top of the leather. I also keep some jute twine to unravel for the nest. The twine takes up less space than tow. I also have a few pieces of birch bark to keep the fire going untill the kindeling catches.

[old salt]

A few years ago I was given a Horn about 4" long and 2" in dia. to keep fire
kit in, It dose not hold a lot, but enough to get a fire started and I have never
separated the componets and have never had the char turn to powder

[Sinnanatha]

Greetings brothers. When you use the lint out of the dryer, make sure that it is only natural fibers.  I like to clean it out after the cotton T-shirts/undies,sox have gone thru the dryer. Obviously (I would hope), you are aware that synthetic fibers will not ignite, I don't care how good your sparks from your flint and steel are.  I like hemp; sisle; cotton string better for my tinder.  Megwetch, Sinnanatha

[Sinnanatha]

Greetings again.  During dinner I got to thinking(dangerous), and I remembered three other items that I have had a lot of success with for tinder.  When my parents were alive, and lived in Florida, I used to peel the outer, fine shred bark from the palm trees in their yard.  I'm not sure how PC it is, but it seems to have some oil (palm oil?)in it that takes to the spark/heat very well.  I also use the fine bark shreds off the cedar trees in my yard.  When I cut one down for fire wood, I just peel the bark shreds off before I split it and sore it in old plastic pretzel jars until I need it for an event.  The third one is the inner bark from popple trees.  Again, when I cut one down, I take the inner bark, that is against the wood and dry it and use it for tinder.  Works very good.  Megwetch, Sinnanatha

[William]

Greetings brothers. When you use the lint out of the dryer, make sure that it is only natural fibers.  I like to clean it out after the cotton T-shirts/undies,sox have gone thru the dryer. Obviously (I would hope), you are aware that synthetic fibers will not ignite, I don't care how good your sparks from your flint and steel are.  I like hemp; sisle; cotton string better for my tinder.  Megwetch, Sinnanatha

I've been reading up on fire making techniques and decided to try some dryer lint today using a piece of hacksaw blade and flint, and it lit quick!  I wonder if humidity affects lint or charcloth ability to ignite? Anyway, mky fire kit will include dryer lint for sure now that I know how well it works.