I generaly keep some matches, a zipo (aside from the one always in my pocket), a couple cards of spare flints, several Tobasco sauce botles from MREs filled with Zipo fluid, a couple disposable lighters and a fero rod in my BOB. I have started a couple fires by spinning a stick against another and can say to a certainty I dont want to be frezing and wet and relying on that meathod so make sure I have several options before resorting to that one.
Wow! Color me impressed....... I received some fire steels in my Christmas stocking and am looking for some "portable" tinder. This looks to be some good options. Where did you find monks cloth? How did you change it into char cloth? Got a line on more jute? Thanks, good to see you back at your forge! phishi
Thanks Phishi... I really enjoyed fooling around with this.. I was more playing with heat treating some new 1095 steel I got... Yup... best way to carry tinder IMHO.... PM me and I'll send you some... Monk's cloth should be available in fabric stores... I'll make some more char cloth tommorrow and take some pics as a tutorial for folks.... pretty easy... I've given away 3 more of these to my buddies who are just amazed at how easy and fast it is to do this the old way... Yup easier to carry a butane lighter... but there's just something "primal" about making fire this way that made all 3 of their eyes widen like kids in a candy store... fun stuff....
Yer Welcome!... try it... an old tshirt or anything cotton will work... do it outside though... pretty noxious stuff... see all those flames... those fumes are pretty flamable... I try to post pics so folks see that it's pretty darn easy and maybe they'll try it.... Well it was raining today but got some quick and dirty forging in today... made up a few more simple strikers... I kinda like simple sometimes... I'll add a couple more pics later... of the finished product... the strikers are all still in the quench oil.... gotta go clean up.... Hope you enjoy...
Here's the batch from fooling around today... simple... different sizes... good forging and heat treating practice...
