Fatwood Hunt Failure

Recently I have been on the hunt for fatwood but after several failed attempt I messaged Mike from MCQBushcraft and ask for any advice, Mike kindly went out and filmed a video for his YouTube channel MCQBushcraft.

This weekend I went with his advise in my head down to a local woods and found a down tree. I was unable to ID the tree as I had gone out without my book.

The first two branches I cut had all the signs I had been looking for, so I went ahead of split the branch into quarter and used the back of my blade to scrap the wood into fine shavings. 

When attempting to you light the shavings it would not take and after several minutes of trying I attempted to use a lighter, failing with the lighter lead me to believe I did not have the fatwood that I had thought and rather the branch was damp due to the rain in the week. 

The hunt continues. 

Kit : Bushcraft Fire Kit

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