Thread: Char Cloth for fire Starting

I keep a few basics in what limited space I have in the landy for those 'just in case' times when camping or travelling- water, bog roll, basic tools, a sturdy knife, and more recently a ferro-rod fire steel and striker.
I was not comfortable keeping other items perpetually in the vehicle- mainly due to having potentially flammable things in the vehicle (matches, bic lighters, a zippo, etc), but also due to the propensity for them to stop working if I really need them.

The real problem is that starting a fire with a fire steel is a bit of an art- you can't just ignite tinder with a few sparks from the ferro rod. So I went about making a bit of a fire kit / tinder box setup. I've read the zombie survival guide, I know this kind of prep is not in vain

Being a young chap, I'd never heard of char cloth before. It is essentially cotton cloth which readily holds a spark, and can then be used as an intermediate material to ignite the tinder you find in your environment. Best news is it can be made at home for under a dollar with stuff you most likely already have! The process is essentially just burning cotton cloth in an oxygen deprived environment. In laymans terms, this is as easy as putting strips of an old T-shirt in an old baked beans can and cooking it in the BBQ for a halfer

There is plenty of youtube videos, and instructables out there, so I'll spare the full write up, but basic steps are:

1) Get a can from the pantry. Consume its contents.
2) Find an old 100% cotton T-shirt, or even better, old pair of jeans (blokes, we need to realize that jeans don't last forever)
3) Cut into strips / squares which will fit in the can
4) Roll / stack material in can
5) Seal can with lid (if possible) or wrap tightly in multiple layers of foil to create a tight seal
6) Put a small hole in the can lid or foil for ventilation
7) cook in the BBQ (ideally under the hood) or on top of a gas burner until smoke appears. The smoke is caused by the breakdown of the material as it is converted to char. Once smoke ceases, it's almost done.
8) Cover / seal the hole in the can, and let cool.
9) Package in zip lock bags for use in your fire starting kit.

Using char cloth is as easy as throwing some sparks at it, creating a hot ember, and blowing it to life with some fine, dry tinder.

While this is not necessarily something everyone will need, its a tip for the bushcraft arsenal you keep in your head. Smokers will likely always have a lighter at hand, but we all know their days are numbered

Might also be a tip for those of us who like things more traditional. I somewhat fall into that category, sometimes the hard / old fashioned way is more rewarding (I also own a flint and steel. Yes, a rock and a bit of metal). My next purchase might even be a fire piston. One can never have enough ways to start a fire.

The apparatus (Sponsored by Jack Daniels):


The finished product (Just a fraction of what I made):


Feel the burn:

There are some good tips here, keep them up!

Flyinglandrover,
The char cloth is soft and flexible, but is easily torn into a small square by following the weave of the fabric. I used old jeans, actual results may vary depending on the material used.
If you pinch a ball of it between your fingers and roll it, it turns to dust. Hope this helps.