For the first time in my life, I finally (FINALLY!) got a fire going with a firesteel and natural tinder.

I watched a YouTube video a few days ago using birch bark. I tried that night, with no success. Today, despite morning rains, I tried again. Didn't expect much.

Then...bam! A tiny, one inch flame burst forth! Lasted about 3 seconds. I started over, scraping and scraping til I had a nice bundle of shavings. I even peeled the piece after I finished scraping. Scraped like crazy...and bam! again! Hurrying, I placed the partially peeled bark over the flame, and it took off. I carefully added the other few birch bark pieces nearby, and despite being damp, then went up like crazy.

I tell you, I was dancing around the yard, a la Tom Hanks. phenomenal feeling!

Does this make me a real outdoorsman now?

Might actually spend some more money in a few more firsteels now...

Congrats!!! I got my first one going a few years back using cattail fluff, in February, in new england. it was COLD. But, I got a fire going fairly quick. I had backup of course; mainly petroluem cotton balls. Now, if only I can do a bowdrill again!!!
Congrats though, its a great feeling!!!

LOL, yup.
So now you understand about fine tinder.

Nice going MDinana!

You should look around the woods in your area, especially on birch trees for some Tinder Fungus. It is very easy to light with a fire steel, so easy that I use it when I am teaching kids because I know it will work.

An excellent website on Tinder Fungus is Wildwood Survival , it is also an terrific survival site with lots of useful information, especially about fire.

Mike

Great, congratulations. Firesteel requires a lot of experimenting before you get to know its benefits and also limits. I reccomend buying one piece just for training and experimenting. Like you have seen 95 % of the success is the tinder. This can´t be stressed enough. I have learnt it the hard way too.
I have seen a lot of complaints from people on the Internet about ferrocerium being too difficult to start fire with and that you would be better off using a lighter but they miss one part of the equation - the tinder and how to prepare it.
One should also keep in mind that with firesteel you trade easy-of-use for reliability.

I would say once you know and have/carry the right tinder it´s really the most reliable way to start a fire.

One tip (maybe you know this already): try to rip/mill the birch bark into the smallest pieces possible. This applies to almost any tinder. Generally the fibrous stuff works best. Birch bark is great because it burns even wet.

I found out that birch burns when wet! And while I do carry man-made tinder, I prefer trying on natural (since synthetic will eventually wear out). And so far, the firesteel IS my play with piece. The sparklites I have I've been less than pleased on natural tinder.

I'm suprised cattail worked. I've tried for ages with that stuff. Also hair, leaves, grasses... and like I said, man-made stuff. It's no challenge when you toss PG into your dryer lint though! I'll keep an eye out for the moss; tried some last time I was on a hike, but it might have been too wet.

I think I'll do it again tomorrow and make sure it wasn't a fluke.

Good Work!!--but this is why i see these and others like them as a last ditch method when everything else is lost or wet.

Its just like using a match - many people new to starting fires will have a difficult time even with this. But once you learn, you are all set.

Great stuff! Also, +1 on the following (+3 actually!):



IMHO, if you rely on your firesteel as the primary method of starting a fire you need to carry proper tinder in a waterproof container at all times as well. The tinder can be prepared at home (charred cloth, cotton ball, maya dust...) or gathered in the bush and kept aside.

There are plenty of options for natural tinder in the bush but it has to be absolutely dry. Chances are, you won't be able to find good, dry tinder when you really need it so make a habit to gather it beforehand (Les Stroud also makes that point often). Birch bark works well but it's best to use the inner, not the outer layer. It has to be scraped very carefully with a sharp knife so you produce a lot of almost microscopic shavings. Anything bigger than that is kindling, not tinder. Once you produce an open flame though plain birch bark will ignite very easily, burning longer and hotter than paper even if wet.

Aside from cotton lint another useful emergency tinder that catches a spark easily is hemp rope. it has to be absolutely dry, though. Separate the fibers, pound them with a rock and arrange into a fluffy mass. BTW, while paper is generally difficult to ignite with a ferro rod, small, torn bits of dry newspaper might actually work. Whatever you try, stay away from the wind and damp.

Cattail fluff worked likely because it was completely, utterly dry. I tried it with dead grass too, and that didnt catch (in retrospect, I didnt work it enough, making it nice & fluffy). So, I grabbed cattail fluff from a frozen pond, and had instant success. I only tried it once though...now, I want to go give it another shot, as I am wondering if it was a fluke myself!!!