Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Cave Men only "Oooga Booga" => Topic started by: ricktrojanowski on September 21, 2007, 07:53:50 pm
-
This is probably somthing that the experienced fire starters already are very proficient at but as a beginner I was having quite a bit of trouble getting my tinder ignited. After some research and quite a bit of trial and error I started using this combo that works pretty consistantly. I take a piece of birchbark about 6" by 6" flat. Pile on a handfull of dead grass then criss cross a bunch of really fine and thin pieces of birch bark. Then in the center a nice patch of dry rotted and super fine wood. I place the coal on the rotted wood and fold the big piece of bark like a taco and blow through it. Also I take a piece of really fine birch bark with the other hand and place it in the hottest spot of the nearly ignited bundle. Hopefully this can help some beginners out. Anybody else willing to share thier favorite bunde material?
-
I pull some bark off a juniper tree, rough it up to break it into finer fibers. then I form a bowl shape with it. Sometimes I put a little in between my palms and rub my hands together to get it super fine, and drop that in the bowl. Then just drop a coal in on top of it and close the bowl a little.
-
Rotted wood seems more for carrying coals than lighting them. Try putting just the grass around the coal, or some "fluff", the wind catching hairs on seeds of such plants as thistle and cattail. Helps if you put it all together (hairs, grass, and inner bark) in a nice big bundle with twigs on the outside.
-
rick like justin said cedar bark is the best. its good you are doing it with local material. you should continue to experiment with different materials. theres a lot of stuff that works as an extender and as tinder. cattail down is one of the best extenders there is . dried up tree mushrooms are great as well as the pollen inside puffballs.. for tinder grass , leaves , pine needles milkweed down, thistle down, phragmites heads. inner barks from basswood, blacklocust, tulip, and so on. like you already know birch is highly flammable once you have ignition itll burn even in the pouring rain because of the wintergreen oils. keep trying . once you get it in your head you'll just see things that work. walking in the woods has become a trip to the store. i earmark plants, trees , everything. was camping in new yourk when somebody cut themselves pretty bad. the catalog in my head opened and i ran to grab plantain and yarrow. one to stop the bleeding the other to heal. i just remembered seeing the stuff so was able to put it together before the first aid kit came out. keep playing brother
-
A week ago wednesday we were having a pipe ceremony in the Wabonoe and I decided to start the fire with my flint. Struck spark on skatogin (sp). My first flint spark fire. Used birch bark shreaded, with pine needles, and grass. Blew on the ember on the skatogin and boy did it make a hot coal. Took awhile to get all the other items all together and to get it lit. Things kept falling here and there. Finaly got it all together and got a fire going, and man was I proud of my self. It was a great feeling.
-
Way to go makete ;D
-
Yepher, Cedar bark, we have cedar here in Fla. also, but you can use Cypress bark, and just like Cedar, peel the inside off, and rub it vigorously between your hands, and you have a very nice tender bundle. But you found something that works for you, and that is the fun part.
Stick Bender
-
Very unique ways....Thanks