Bushcraft tinder fire starting kit

[lee]

While re-stocking my tinder/fire kit I thought I would post a few pics. . . .

Mini NATO mess tin.
Mini clipper lighter.
CRKT Ritter neck knife.
Fire steel & striker.
Cotton wool.
Ulitimate Survival WetFire Tinder block.
Birch bark.
Pine shavings.
Magnesium block.
Mini saw blade.

 

[Ivan]

Heres mine, just tinders, basic but small light and does the job.

Ivan...

 

[lee]

The black balls look like fungi or charcoal Ivan?

 

[Ivan]

Hi Lee, they are cramp balls or King Alfred's Cakes, it is a fungi that grows on decaying ash trees and when dry is great tinder, years ago it was a good way of transporting fire from one camp to another.

Ivan...

 

[lee]

Thought so, Aborigines and Maasai people still do.

 

[leon1968]

Hi Lee, they are cramp balls or King Alfred's Cakes, it is a fungi that grows on decaying ash trees and when dry is great tinder, years ago it was a good way of transporting fire from one camp to another.

Ivan...

That would have to be one sizeable KAC. Cramp Ball's / King Alfred's Cakes / Daldenia Concentrica are great as an ember extender and generally smoulder for around 15 - 20 minutes for an average sized one. On a reasonable day can be used with either a fresnel / magnifying lens or a parabolic reflector, they'll start to smoulder in seconds (good reason for carrying a fresnel lens in your wallet). They can also be used with a Firesteel or traditional flint and steel as long as they're good and dry. Very good to use when doing fire by friction, transfer the coal to a couple of sections of Cramp Ball, use one in the tinder bundle use the other just incase you fail in taking the coal to flame.

Another good use was the pungent smoke that comes from it works as a natural insect repellant and it's been thought that our ancestors used to leave them smouldering at the entrance to shelters to keep insects at bay.

You would be better off using either TTF Inonotus Obliquus or HHF Fomes Fomentarius for carrying a coal for any distance. They are considerably larger, easier to carry especially if they have been "drilled" for a carrying stick and it wouldn't require the kids having to light up a new one every half mile or so.

 

[Ivan]

Nice one Leon, a much more comprehensive answer than mine! I only carry a few small ones along with a few other bits as a very lightweight and watertight tinder box, and to be honest i am a lazy sod! So it rarely comes out, but this year i will be spending more time going back to basics and more bushy stuff, because if you are not careful, with organising meets people expect lots from a site re home comforts.

Ivan...

 

[Bushcraft Rob]

This is my basic tinder kit

Consists of a copper tin which contains a piece of flint , steel , char cloth , amadou , and some jute small and lightweight.

 

[leon1968]

This is my basic tinder kit

View attachment 3929View attachment 3930View attachment 3931Consists of a copper tin which contains a piece of flint , steel , char cloth , amadou , and some jute small and lightweight.

That's a nice little kit there Rob. I haven't got any amadou at the moment so I'll have to process the artists conk that I have upstairs. A nice addition to your kit would be a slow match or sulphur matches both of which are easy to make.

If you make a slow match you're better using potassium nitrate rather than sodium nitrate in solution (both are reffered to as salt petre), potassium nitrate is slightly less hygroscopic and as such is better for the job. Cotton, linen or jute cord can then be left in solution for 24 hrs. Once taken out lie the cord on paper and not on metal as the metal will corrode if you do. Whilst drying move the cord so that it never rests on one side this means that you'll get an even distribution of saltpetre in the cord itself.

Sulphur matches are also a doddle, I found that using sulphur powder is better than using sulphur chunks or stars.
Cut the bottom off a coke can or some such, it needs to be high enough that a tea light can fit under it without smothering the flame.
Punch holes around the edge of the can.
Place sulphur powder in the recessed bottom of the can, light a tea light under it and then watch the sulphur melt.
Be aware not to inhale the fumes and that if doing this do either outside or in a very well ventilated area.
You'll need something along the lines of a lollipop stick to dip into the molten sulphur, the ideal are the wooden stirrers that you get from motorway service stations.
Take one and cut the tip to a sloping point do the same in the middle and to the other end. You now have two sticks with pointy ends.
Either dip or roll the ends in the molten sulphur, do not double dip or double coat the ends.

I demonstrated how to do this to some friends at the Cornish RV last year. I was actually taking a leatherwork class at the time and some friends were on it and they asked how I made sulphur matches.

 

[Bushcraft Rob]

That's a nice little kit there Rob. I haven't got any amadou at the moment so I'll have to process the artists conk that I have upstairs. A nice addition to your kit would be a slow match or sulphur matches both of which are easy to make.

If you make a slow match you're better using potassium nitrate rather than sodium nitrate in solution (both are reffered to as salt petre), potassium nitrate is slightly less hygroscopic and as such is better for the job. Cotton, linen or jute cord can then be left in solution for 24 hrs. Once taken out lie the cord on paper and not on metal as the metal will corrode if you do. Whilst drying move the cord so that it never rests on one side this means that you'll get an even distribution of saltpetre in the cord itself.

Sulphur matches are also a doddle, I found that using sulphur powder is better than using sulphur chunks or stars.
Cut the bottom off a coke can or some such, it needs to be high enough that a tea light can fit under it without smothering the flame.
Punch holes around the edge of the can.
Place sulphur powder in the recessed bottom of the can, light a tea light under it and then watch the sulphur melt.
Be aware not to inhale the fumes and that if doing this do either outside or in a very well ventilated area.
You'll need something along the lines of a lollipop stick to dip into the molten sulphur, the ideal are the wooden stirrers that you get from motorway service stations.
Take one and cut the tip to a sloping point do the same in the middle and to the other end. You now have two sticks with pointy ends.
Either dip or roll the ends in the molten sulphur, do not double dip or double coat the ends.

I demonstrated how to do this to some friends at the Cornish RV last year. I was actually taking a leatherwork class at the time and some friends were on it and they asked how I made sulphur matches.

Thanks for that been looking into a slow match

 

[greenbear]

This is my basic tinder kit

View attachment 3929View attachment 3930View attachment 3931Consists of a copper tin which contains a piece of flint , steel , char cloth , amadou , and some jute small and lightweight.

I bought one of these - really nice. Swapped out the striker for a woodlore (Andrew Kirkham) one though

 

[leon1968]

Thanks for that been looking into a slow match

The best material for a slow match is linen IMHO. The next bit will sound a bit strange, but the best place to get linen cord is from purveyors of bondage equipment. A mate told me he gets his from a place called "bound to please" and that's where I have been getting mine from ever since. I get through about a metre or so of linen cord a year. You can get quarter inch brass tube from model shops, this works as the sleeve to snuff out the match. The saltpetre I bought on ebay, likewise for the sulphur of all places.

I'll look out the weight of KNO3 to the volume of water that you'll need. When you finish with the solution you can use it as a strong fertiliser (it'll need watering down for your tomatoes or chilli's if you grown them).

 

[Bushcraft Rob]

purveyors of bondage equipment ya ok leon and you know the name of the shop bound to please but your mate uses it OK

 

[leon1968]

Thanks for that Rob, I am old soldier, I should have known better lol

 

[Bushcraft Rob]

Thanks for that Rob, I am old soldier, I should have known better lol

Sorry mate left ya self wide open for that one