Drier lint works great, one spark and you get instant flames. But I want to be able to start a fire with the fire steel from forest debris without having to strike it 25-times.


The pencil sharpener idea sounds good, I will have to experiment with it so see how well it works.



A little story about my son that happened a few months ago.

He’s 18-years old and was over for the weekend. He saw a baggie full of drier lint sitting on a shelve amonge the camping stuff in the basement. He says “Dad, why are you are saving this, you are weird.”

I took the fire steel and some of the lint outside and showed him how well it works to start a fire. He says “that’s so cool!!!” He had to have a fire steel so we went and bought him a fire steel. And now I would guess he has a baggie of it stashed away in his camping stuff. I just told him not to play with it in the basement, don’t want him burning down the X’s house.

The best tinder in my area is dried out and small dead pine branches and needles from a live or dead tree. (Even a tree that s living, there are always a few dead branches usually on the lowest branches). These branches and needles burn extremely easy and hot.

Once a few of these branches and needles are burning, throw in some dried up pine cones of which there 1000's on the ground. Next add some larger tinder and pieces of wood of your choice and you have a fast hot fire in less then 3-4 minutes.

I have built many, many of these types of fire in the wettest, coldest and snowiest conditions you can imagine with no difficulties.

In my experience, standard jute twine frays up easily and catches a spark very quickly and bursts into flame. It's cheap, too. Use it to light a candle and you can set fire to almost anything but a water fountain.

Sherpadog, you're absolutely right about "red" pine. You can see it for miles. I've just never tried it with a flint. Will try it, carefully (it's awfully dry this year, definitely don't want a wildfire).

sotto, I never thought of jute twine. Must try that. Will it work as crude candle wicks (with paraffin, fat, etc.?).

I think the pencil sharpener is a great idea to add to your kit, I'll be putting one in mine today.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned char-cloth, it's as traditional as the flint and steel itself and works excellent with a handful of cedar bark shavings and dry grass.

LOL!!

Or prop them up on a stick, using that little hole they have right under their tail.

If the stick is too big, duct-tape the bird so it doesn't split.

A kabob! I discourage the use of tape because it tastes awful and it may cause constipation (in addition to the bird's).

I've also noted that the larger the firesteel, the better the sparks. I went camping a couple of weeks ago, and tried a couple against each other. The difference was - striking (sorry). The thick and long ones are great for sparks!