char cloth

[Brokennock]

How do yall carry your char cloth from breaking all up when out camping or hunting or just out and about?

A small metal tin,, but, I've stopped using char cloth, partly due to how fragile it is, especially once it takes a spark. I vastly prefer charred punk wood, more durable and gives more heat for a longer period of time.

You could also try charging heavier/tougher cloth.

 

[BillyC]

I’ve been making char cloth from old 100% cotton towels, they seem pretty tough and I haven’t had any issues with them falling apart. Going to have to do some research on the charred punk wood.

 

[TDM]

I too prefer charred punk wood now. I find it it gets a fire going quicker and is just as easy, if not easier to light.

 

[Mr. Flintlock]

How do yall carry your char cloth from breaking all up when out camping or hunting or just out and about?

I keep my fire starting kit in a round tin. I put the char in the bottom covered with piece of leather cut to the same diameter as the inside of the tin. Flint and steel some hemp on top close the lid.

 

[Brokennock]

I too prefer charred punk wood now. I find it it gets a fire going quicker and is just as easy, if not easier to light.

Might or might not be easier to light,,, but the charred punk is definitely harder to put out,,, lol

 

[TDM]

Might or might not be easier to light,,, but the charred punk is definitely harder to put out,,, lol

That is a fact! And it will fool you when you think it’s out.

 

[sj_anderson62]

A sucrets container. Worked well enough for the last 20 years. Flint and steel are in a separate one.

 

[Arrow139]

How do yall carry your char cloth from breaking all up when out camping or hunting or just out and about?

Less fragile char cloth can be made by simply not burning it to smithereens when making your own. Cloth charred but not completely carbonized will still hold a spark. Experiment with your particular cloth to find the best balance.

 

[beardedhorse]

Ted Cash tobacco container with the burning lens. Protect char on bottom with pad of leather. Protect glass from getting scratched from the flint and fire steel with another similar shaped pad on top of everything. I sell "Championship Char" cloth wrapped in brown paper sack or newspaper placed inside "specially marked packages" made from recycled raisin boxes. Unfortunately lunch bucket sized raisin boxes decreased in size and doesn't fit original glue on labels.
Gone to charred punk wood and Jerusalem artichoke (sun choke) pith or uncharred Inonotus obliquous (true tinder fungus) in antique metal tin with tight fitting lid. Can pick out big piece of charred punk to light or throw sparks into the entire tin and pick out glowing punk. Extinguish by closing cover. The tinder fungus has to be put out with some water or will completely burn itself out.
Put waxed paper wrapped char in my gage d'amour ( beaded brain tanned pipe holder in shape of a heart. Some jute padded char in the bowl of the pipe and the detachable reed pipe stem works as a blowpipe. Since I don't smoke I fill the bag with tinder instead of tobacco. Beaded strike-a-light bag tied to belt or bow case and arrow quiver contains flint, fire steel, tinder and char wrapped into waxed brown paper sack sheeting. The waxed paper good insurance lighting fires in rain or snow. Shredded dogbane fibers used instead of paper for more primitive set up.
A smaller tin for char with no burning lens goes in possible bags and each shooting bag. The flint and steel is the lock on my rifle or fowler. Sheets of birch bark sandwich charcloth which is not overly cooked as to be fragile. Birch bark burns especially hot as tinder. The jute that ties the sandwich can be teased to make a tinder nest. I find little or no difference between the effectiveness of charred linen versus 100 per cent cotton.

 

[Mike in FL]

Remember Fire n Five? A kit that came with tin, flint, and steel striker. Make your own charcloth and it all fits in the tin. About the size of a tuna CA , little bigger. My most memorable hunt was a buck taken with lo glow and wooden arrow I made then taking g out a piece of tenderloin from spine, making fire with the kit, eating in the October VA woods.

 

[rp77469]

Small metal tin.
And the material you use makes a big difference as to the cloth's... fragility. I guess that's a word, lol.

I've used Monk's Cloth from Jo-Ann Fabrics since the late 80s. Chars well, holds up better and hard to put out. I keep mine in the brass Cash burning glass tobacco box along with my striker and a nice flake of red jasper my Dad gave me. I keep enough char in there that nothing rattles. I suppose you could cook the bejabbers out of it and make it brittle, but I never have. I've made tons of it. Take it out of the fire just as the smoke quits and plug the hole. Make sure it is all cotton (wallyworld can slip you an undocumented surprise I found). Jo-Ann has always had the right stuff. Use their half off coupons.

 

[BackDraft]

I use a small tin box. I’ve drilled a hole through the lid and bottom so it can be lined up to vent when I use it to make char, and turn it to keep air and moisture out. Besides char and jute, I also carry a short length of flat oil lamp wick that I’ve burnt the end of. Works very well, and is easy to pull out of the birds nest to extinguish.

 

[Mike in FL]

Remember Fire n Five? A kit that came with tin, flint, and steel striker. Make your own charcloth and it all fits in the tin. About the size of a tuna CA , little bigger. My most memorable hunt was a buck taken with lo glow and wooden arrow I made then taking g out a piece of tenderloin from spine, making fire with the kit, eating in the October VA woods.

I mean tuna can

 

[Mike in FL]

I also meant longbow, not glow. I gotta lay off the wine before supper.

 

[BillyC]

I “antiqued” my tins today and made some char punk

 

[pacanis]

I've used Monk's Cloth from Jo-Ann Fabrics since the late 80s. Chars well, holds up better and hard to put out. I keep mine in the brass Cash burning glass tobacco box along with my striker and a nice flake of red jasper my Dad gave me. I keep enough char in there that nothing rattles. I suppose you could cook the bejabbers out of it and make it brittle, but I never have. I've made tons of it. Take it out of the fire just as the smoke quits and plug the hole. Make sure it is all cotton (wallyworld can slip you an undocumented surprise I found). Jo-Ann has always had the right stuff. Use their half off coupons.

View attachment 232931

I use denim.

 

[Mike in FL]

I “antiqued” my tins today and made some char punk

NICE!

 

[LANEY REECE]

I've used Monk's Cloth from Jo-Ann Fabrics since the late 80s. Chars well, holds up better and hard to put out. I keep mine in the brass Cash burning glass tobacco box along with my striker and a nice flake of red jasper my Dad gave me. I keep enough char in there that nothing rattles. I suppose you could cook the bejabbers out of it and make it brittle, but I never have. I've made tons of it. Take it out of the fire just as the smoke quits and plug the hole. Make sure it is all cotton (wallyworld can slip you an undocumented surprise I found). Jo-Ann has always had the right stuff. Use their half off coupons.

View attachment 232931

That is what i use also.

 

[appalichian hunter]

I use a small tin box. I’ve drilled a hole through the lid and bottom so it can be lined up to vent when I use it to make char, and turn it to keep air and moisture out. Besides c

I use a small tin box. I’ve drilled a hole through the lid and bottom so it can be lined up to vent when I use it to make char, and turn it to keep air and moisture out. Besides char and jute, I also carry a short length of flat oil lamp wick that I’ve burnt the end of. Works very well, and is easy to pull out of the birds nest to extinguish.

View attachment 232933

har and jute, I also carry a short length of flat oil lamp wick that I’ve burnt the end of. Works very well, and is easy to pull out of the birds nest to extingui

Neat ideal on the holes in the tin.

 

[BackDraft]

Here’s an interesting type of fire cloth from Dan @ Coalcracker bushcraft: