We had a bunch of tinder left over from our camping trip last weekend. We wanted to keep it so we could use it in a pinch if we need it, so we put together a little pocket tinder kit using an old Altoids-style tin. It contains:

-birch bark
-cedar bark
-pine wood chips
-cedar twigs
-pine pitch
-cotton balls

It should all work together to make a nice tinder bundle. That's the plan anyway. I closed it with some duct tape to help keep everything dry. The tin would make a great vessel for making char cloth but we haven't put in any source of ignition. A spark lite might fit... any other suggestions?

EDIT: I don't have an extra spark lite around but a book of matches fit in nicely. I threw in some strike anywhere matches as well.

Great idea, Izzy! Thanks!

Nice assortment of tinders! Lately I've been carrying a "fire bag" when out in the woods. It's about the size of a soda can and made of sil-nylon. It didn't come seam-sealed so I DIY sealed it with silicon; I can fill it with water and it doesn't drip thru the seams now. It has a drawstring closure so wouldn't want to immerse it but it's highly water resistant. I keep various fire making items in it. Of course, your tinder pack is much more compact and easier to carry!

good idea,it beats a tin of stuff you don't really need
i'm doing just about the same thing for the June canoe trip.on a "coal to Newcastle" theme i have a small zip lock of Birch bark.
it was some i picked up last summer off a beach on Lake Superior and had it just sitting around my den.
with a forest full of downed Birch it seems like you would not need to carry it in but being able to pull out a hunk of bark from the food pack and put a match to it beats bashing around a wet brushy forest to find some and i think it makes a better fire starter than something you could buy.

See, now I want something bigger... :-) KIDDING! sort of.

My son has also put together a little bundle of kindling that's got some fat wood and an assortment of branches. I'm on the hunt for some sort of bag for it and you sil-nylon bag sounds like a great solution. Thanks Phaedrus!

I've been caught twice where it was extremely difficult to find or process dry tinder so I'm a big believer in bringing some with you. Free from Mother Nature is my favourite kind!

I would go to http://firesteel.com/firesteel-miniature and buy a few of these. at $1 each they will light a lot of tinder. Add one to your kit, ot two. They are smaller than your strike anywhere matches. I keep one in my old matchsafe with my matches and it is just one more tiny insurance policy if I ever really need a fire in an emergency.

Great thought, Widget. thanks! we saw a nice little one at the army surplus store yesterday and may stop in to get one on our way to a hike this afternoon. I prefer a ferro rod but DS hasn't mastered it yet. Think I'll leave his kit as is with matches, (he manages much better with a bigger handled ferro rod like Bear's anyway) and add one of these to mine, at least until he's got the knack of it.

DW discovered that dry milkweed fluff will burst into easy flame from the sparks of a firesteel or similar.

Thanks for the reminder, Frozen. Milkweed is our Scout Troop's natural tinder of choice. DS and I haven't found any yet this spring but expect to when we hike the local marsh this weekend. We'll definitely be grabbing some!

A great kit there.

Has DS practiced with the paper matches, they can be a bit tricky ?

I gave my kids a packet each and asked them to light all the matches - as a practice.

Ditto the strike anywheres (and regular matches too). They do lose patience, but I tried to keep then going for as long as it was "fun".

I've had a few years to practice all sort of matches, but the kids actually don't get much of a chance. Having a whole box (or more if they like), gives lots of practice at different holds and techniques.

Remember that its not "good enough" to strike the match, encourage him to hold it for at least a few seconds. I've seen kids strike a match, then throw it or drop it. Obviously, you need to hold a match long enough to light the tinder.

Great tips, Widget. thanks!!

He likes strike anywhere matches and is getting better at it. His patience is coming along too. (You're right about the rushing.) Paper matches are still new to him but he's having more success with them than the ferro rod though.

I love the idea of some good fun repetitious practice. :-)

The tinder is a great idea, Jac. But a bit bulky for my preferences. I'd suggest some of my tinder cubes. They're small, easy to make and burn for a long time. A great project for DW and you to spend time. If you'd like to know how to make them PM me. I' abit protective of the process lol. good move adding an ignition source

vacuum sealing works well also.

I made my fire kit in one of those old plastic sucrets containers. minin bic, liot's of matches both book and stick, a lot of tinder cubes, bitrhday candles, cotton, poor mans sparklite, ferro bar amd magnifying glass. Sealed with 3M electrical tape and haven't had to open it in the 4 years since.

Wait until DW discovers cattail fluff! LOL!

Mix in a dab of petroleum jelly (vaseline) with the cotton balls and they will easily catch fire from spark or flame, and burn for several minutes. Doubles as use for chapped lips etc too