Fire lighting has been one of my favourite skill to learn in bushcrafting. To me fire lighting comes in to different forms, firstly being the no fuss fire or sure fire and for this I carry a lighter and some home-made tinder tabs (made from rolled up make-up removal pads wrapped in cotton to hold its shape and dipped into wax to waterproof them)
These tabs can be cut open to reveal some of the cotton material and the wax acts as a flame extender. If I want a fire without any fuss this is what I use to get it going. These tabs can be ignited by a lighter or a ferro rod and burn for about five minutes.
The second form of fire lighting is using traditional methods, when I have more time to relax and can take time to start a fire I enjoy using a flint and steel striker kit.
The kit contains the striker and flint along with a tin of char cloth and some coal extenders (birch polypore (Piptoporus betulinus) and cramp balls/King Alfred's Cake (Daldinia concentrica) When out in the woods I collect material to make a tinder bundle to ignite into flame. If the materials are damp I attempted to dry these by storing them in my pockets, hopefully by the time I will need them they will be dry. Failing the natural tinder bundle the kit also contains a small amount of jute twine to make a tinder bundle.
Fire by friction is another method of fire lighting that is practised but I rarely use this method to get a fire going. I find this a great skill to have so I attempt to get a flame by friction a few times a year. Currently my fire kit contains some cordage for the bow, however my aim is to successfully start a fire using some natural cordage made when in the woods.
I also carry a lens to allow fire by sunlight, rarely used but nice to have. the lens is stored in some rubber inner tube which give me another method of surefire with the lighter.
When out in the woods I always have a second lighter and a ferro rod on my personal.
Kit Contents
Pouch - Maxpedition M-2 Waistpack
Outside Pocket Contents
- Small tin (contents : Wax covered cotton tinder tabs)
- Lighter
Inner Pocket Contents
- Birch bark
- Lens
- Large tin (contents : flint and steel striker, charcloth in small tin, jute twine, slow match, birch polypore, crampballs)
- Small ferro rod
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