02-06-2004, 22:29
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#1
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 4,510
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Natural tinder sources
Here are some that are pretty prevalent in the northern US: - Bark from a white birch
- The dead branches from a fir or hemlock tree
- Pitchy knots from a dead, rotting evergreen tree
- Rodent and bird nests
Anyone want to add more fire starting/sustaining tips?
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Razor is offline
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02-06-2004, 22:40
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#2
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,780
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Unnatural sources:
Pocket lint (or cotton dryer lint, if packing in advance).
Steel wool.
Smokeless powder.
Magnesium chips.
Powdered Thermite (requires initiator).
Had some unintentional success starting fires with Star Clusters, Parachute Flares, Trip Flares, White (HC) smoke grenades, cannister CS Grenades, Flashbangs, Arty, Boobytrap, and Hand Grenade Simulators, etc.
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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02-06-2004, 23:44
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#3
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Area Commander
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 1,691
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Re: Natural tinder sources
Quote:
Originally posted by Razor
Anyone want to add more fire starting/sustaining tips?
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Dry Pine needles
Dead fall oak or aspen
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Smokin Joe is offline
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02-07-2004, 11:40
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#4
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 20,929
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Old dry bird’s nests can provide very useful tinder.
The Team Sergeant
Truth be told, I always carried a little “Bic” lighter in my field kit.
It’s tough enough starting a fire when you’re cold; it’s down right next to impossible to do when you’re wet and cold.
Now I know there’s a slush point that butane may not work, but if you carry a small Bic lighter in your pocket (close to the body) it will not reach that point while you’re still alive.
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Team Sergeant is offline
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02-08-2004, 17:08
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#5
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Area Commander
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: MD
Posts: 1,012
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I volunteer at a 17th century living history museum. One of the skills we teach our guests is how to make cordage from local plant fibers. The 17th c. militia re-enactors who come through tell us that, though they prefer not to, they have unwound the cordage to use as tinder. Do you carry any type of natural fiber rope that you could sacrifice if necessary?
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lrd is offline
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02-08-2004, 18:57
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#6
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,780
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Quote:
Originally posted by lrd
I volunteer at a 17th century living history museum. One of the skills we teach our guests is how to make cordage from local plant fibers. The 17th c. militia re-enactors who come through tell us that, though they prefer not to, they have unwound the cordage to use as tinder. Do you carry any type of natural fiber rope that you could sacrifice if necessary?
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lrd:
If you are working with, or looking for hemp, you are on the wrong site.
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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02-08-2004, 19:01
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#7
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Area Commander
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: MD
Posts: 1,012
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Quote:
Originally posted by The Reaper
lrd:
If you are working with, or looking for hemp, you are on the wrong site.
TR
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If I was working with, or looking for hemp, I'd have gotten in trouble a long time before now. lol
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lrd is offline
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02-08-2004, 19:08
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#8
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 20,929
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Quote:
Originally posted by lrd
I volunteer at a 17th century living history museum. One of the skills we teach our guests is how to make cordage from local plant fibers. The 17th c. militia re-enactors who come through tell us that, though they prefer not to, they have unwound the cordage to use as tinder. Do you carry any type of natural fiber rope that you could sacrifice if necessary?
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Negative, the only ropes I know of that we use are constructed of nylon and we all know what that smells like when burning.
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Team Sergeant is offline
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02-08-2004, 19:25
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#9
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Bloomfield, Indiana
Posts: 287
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LRD,
Jamestown? Used to work at Fennimore House in Cooperstown NY doing 18 Century Native Interpretation.
There is a fungus that grows in the North East on Birch Trees that is a great tinder. Its black, looks burnt, but isnt and is called amazingly enough, a Tinder Fungus. You can use it in large(Pencil eraser) sized chunks to transfer fire from place to place, or if powdered for catching sparks from Flint and Steel or Fire Bow.
I like to use powdered fungus inside a "Birds Nest" of shreadded ceader bark. After catching a spark and getting the inital flame, add some birch bark, then small wood. In my 18th Century kit I carry enough small twigs, bark and fungus (wrapped in an oilskin) to start a fire. I prefer Sassafras for the twigs, and they can be used as something to chew on if need be.
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Psywar1-0 is offline
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02-08-2004, 19:50
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#10
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Area Commander
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: MD
Posts: 1,012
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Quote:
Originally posted by Psywar1-0
LRD,
Jamestown? Used to work at Fennimore House in Cooperstown NY doing 18 Century Native Interpretation.
There is a fungus that grows in the North East on Birch Trees that is a great tinder. Its black, looks burnt, but isnt and is called amazingly enough, a Tinder Fungus. You can use it in large(Pencil eraser) sized chunks to transfer fire from place to place, or if powdered for catching sparks from Flint and Steel or Fire Bow.
I like to use powdered fungus inside a "Birds Nest" of shreadded ceader bark. After catching a spark and getting the inital flame, add some birch bark, then small wood. In my 18th Century kit I carry enough small twigs, bark and fungus (wrapped in an oilskin) to start a fire. I prefer Sassafras for the twigs, and they can be used as something to chew on if need be.
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Historic St. Mary's City, Maryland. Home of the largest 17th c. militia muster on the east coast. If you're ever in Southern Maryland in October you should try to come by. We even had a piper year before last. His own guys shot him right off the bat. I liked him.
Most of the tours we have during the year are 4th-6th graders. We try to teach them a little bit of what the Chesapeake Tidewater indians taught the first settlers. Making cordage is easy, once you know how, and you can make it out of all kinds of materials. You can never have too much string.
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lrd is offline
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02-08-2004, 20:04
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#11
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Bloomfield, Indiana
Posts: 287
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Interpretation has its ups and downs, The most rewarding thing I did was help in the construction of Birch and Elm bark Canoes. Screw Poncho rafts. Im going in style LOL
Speaking of string, Spruce roots are great, wet them, splt them in half and then use to bind. When they dry are very tight.
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"Wide Awake, Wide Awake"
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Psywar1-0 is offline
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02-25-2004, 20:12
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#12
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Asset
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: va.
Posts: 14
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I'm sure some of you know this already but here goes. The peanut butter oil from a MR.e (do not knead the package ) can be used . And the creamer (coffee) is also very flammable,just hold over a flame and pour.WOW!!!!!!!!!!! Watch dem finga's. Just think of the things we've ingested, make's you think.
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vampire03 is offline
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