Charring and Using Natural Materials with Flint and Steel...Part 2

In part one I charred some punk wood by lighting it and stopping the burning process by smothering it in an air tight tin. I also wanted to try charring material in a tin on the fire much like charcloth is done.

Some of the materials I had along was some Ceder bark, Cattail down and some of the punk wood. All three materials I placed in an Altoids tin on the coals for about three minutes or so, I took it off the coals when the gasses escaping out from under the closed lid would burn for about thirty seconds or so and allowed them to cool.



Ceder bark

Cattail

Punk wood
















The finished product in the order above after cooling off.

I was able to strike and catch a spark in all three materials that I charred.While not quite as easy as catching a spark in charcloth it's not that difficult. The technique I used was to hold the steel stationary above the tin or fire box and strike down with the flint throwing the sparks downward into the charred material where it would catch and start to glow. I held my tinder (shredded Ceder bark) against the glowing material and blew on it until it caught and started to burn. Once lit I closed the lid saving it for future use.

Although I didn't try it you could take a piece of charred materiel and place it on the flint to catch a spark in the more traditional manner but I want to experiment more with this method to see if the firebox can be "fed" with small amounts of tinder to be self regenerating.

Stay safe
Bob

Charring and Using Natural Materials with Flint and Steel...Part 1

   Ever since watching these excellent videos on the subject I've been meaning to give this a try, fact of the matter is as mentioned in the videos you probably wouldn't cut up your clothing for use in flint and steel fire lighting if it could be helped and our ancestors had an acute awareness of the natural world and how to make fire as their very existence depended on it.
Field Preparation Of Plant Tinder For Use With Flint & Steel By Charring
No Charcloth Flint & Steel Fire Lighting
 
I made the trip to my fire pit down at the creek  taking along some natural materials and some tins to char them in. These materials I had on hand as I tend to gather and save tinder when I find it.

The first material I tried was some punk wood, I simply placed the material on the coals and once lit took it out and placed it in an air tight tin.

I removed the burning punk from the fire with some tongs made from a branch and placed them in a tin

After placing the burning punk in the tin I covered it and I allowed it to to cool before trying to throw a spark on it. After a couple of strikes it landed on a suitable spot and started to ember up.

Stay safe
Bob

Quick trip to the woods.

Between the farm weather and my job free time has been getting mighty scarce. Sunday we found some time to get to the woods plink with 22's and have some fun while getting a couple of Bushclass requirements done.

Made some char cloth with an Altoids tin, I did not put a hole in the lid after thinking there would be enough of an air gap around the lid and it seems to work.

It seemed to work well!












 Also we made some plain Bisquick bread or bannock.
 

The pot hook method did not work so well so I ended up putting it in the coals. All in all I was pretty happy with the outcome and made me wish we would have made some stew to go with it.








Enjoying the fruits of our labor.

Stay safe
Bob