Have Tinder Fungus Now What?

[Reb_Cav2]

Ok the long discussion about Char Cloth got me out and looking around the woods for some tinder fungus and I have now found some. The question is how do I use it? I have tried to catch a spark and did not have any success, so do I need to char it like I do cloth or is there a trick on how to use it? I lit it with a lighter to make sure it would hold a coal and it does when you remove the flame. SO I know it will work once I can get it to catch a spark.
Thank you all for your help
Respectfully
Reb_Cav

 

[Len Graves]

I have made the birch tree tinder catch a spark with out too much trouble, but not as easy as char cloth. You can powder it, or just rough up one side ( like with a rasp)it must be dry and and you must have a good spark. Once it does start it will light other tinders well, such as cedar bark or tow. I use the birch tinder to light my secondary tinder after I light the tinder from char. You might try partly charring it. I haven't tried this yet. Don't give up.

 

[Reb_Cav2]

Len Graves,
Thank you for the words of encouragement. I am hoping to make it work I loke the idea of using something more PC/HC but having never seen or heard of it before reading this thread I am in for me uncharted waters.
I do see what you are saying that it will work well for lighting other tinders once it catches a spark since I was able to light it with a lighter and then it held a coal for a long time and that makes me sure it will work if I can just get it to catch a spark from my Flint and steel. As for it being dry I have had it drying in the sun for a few days and it seems dry but maybe it needs a few more days of drying.
I will keep working on it and I will try roughing it up.
Thanks again for the help
Reb_Cav

 

[Birdman]

Reb it may depend on just what ya got hold of, if it one of the horseshoe fungi then yea ya may have to treat it some to get it to work, if it is the real deal tinder fungus(looks all black n lumpy on the outside n kind of orange colored on the inside)it should work right off the tree,(it is harder to use then char cloth) actually I've found it harder to use the older it gets, but thats just me of course. If ya know how to post a picture of exactly what ya got it might help some,--just some thoughts YMHS Birdman

 

[gizamo]

Let it sit in a nice dry place a year. Most use it for carrying a good ember. I take a ember and light the middle... From somebody elses fire.

Can carry it a hour or more, and lite my fire, later at my camp.

 

[rustylaidlaw]

I cut mine into 1/2 inch or so chunks then dry it in the attic. I like to flatten it first with the poll of my tomahawk, then it'll catch a spark pretty easy. Definitely need good hot sparks though.

 

[dearths]

First off it needs to be bone dry. Then there are at least a couple of ways to catch a spark. One that I have not tried is to scrape and make a powder similar to when one uses the magnesium sticks. Stike the sparks down into and it will catch to eventually turn into an ember. What I have always done is break off a piece about the size of two kernels of corn. I hold this on top of the flint, adjacent to the striking edge with the outer edge of my thumb. Strike down with the steel, sparks will skirt across the top of the flint and catch on the fungus. Once an emebr has started you can pretty much set it down and get your nest together as the ember will eventually encompass the whole piece. Char cloth is easier to catch, but for ease of workability I Love Tinder Fungus. Alas here in the High Desert we don't have an abundance of birch so I have to order mine, but I never run out.

 

[Reb_Cav2]

Birdman,
Not able to quickly get a picture uploaded but I think it is more like a horseshoe fungi and I guess I am going to have to learn how to make it work. Thank you for all the help and I will continue to look for the real deal here in the Pacific Northwest. I know I can catch a spark with Char Cloth but want to try more PC/HC stuff also so I can see if I can save my own life when I am out in the woods.
Thank you to everyone for the help with this and I hope to see more ideas and I will keep working on making what I have work. I do see that my Steel is getting a little weak and might need to replace it.
Respectfully
Reb_Cav2

 

[Birdman]

Reb while your on the learning curve with the fungus maybe try chared punkwood, works as well and more prevelent pretty much any where, if ya pick up a piece of rotten wood and its light as a feather n crumbly in your fingers ya found the right stuff, then char it just like ya do cloth, I usually take a small piece n crumble it up pretty fine)after charing it, put it on a piece of bark of leaf n strike my sparks into it to get an ember. it really holds the ember well and lasts much longet then char cloth. May want to give it a try, --just some thoughts YMHS Birdman

 

[Len Graves]

Birdman I am talking about the same stuff as you (onotis obliquis sic?). Some of the guys call it bear poop on a tree. I also have found that the older it gets the harder it is to catch a spark. I have also used the shelf fungus, but I char that first then it works well. Always more than one way to skin a cat. It's still neat to hear of other ways people do things.

 

[Reb_Cav2]

Birdman,
Thank you for the info on punk wood. I have found some but did not know what to do after I have picked it up and chared it. I will now try breaking it up in my hand before trying to catch a spark. I have considered myself pretty good at catching sparks and starting fires with my steel but since I have tried other than Char Cloth I am having a heck of a time making fire. I love seeing the looks on the scouts nad their parents when they see me start a fire as fast or faster than the guys using a match or lighter. Not always as fast but have made them work for the win. If you have any other ideas for the Chared Punk wood I would love to hear about it since I can find a ton of that here in the Oregon Rain Forests.
Thank you again
Respectfully
Reb_Cav2

 

[Birdman]

Reb of course it has to be VERY DRY lol. Something else I've done is break it up all nice n crumbly into the lid of the tin,once I had an ember going very carefully drop it into your tinder material and blow gently, one hint I tell guys is when ya start blowing , hold the tinder UP AND AWAY FROM YOUR FACE, that way when it catchs you don't get a face full of flames, also your not breathing the smoke while it gets hot enough to get a flame. Ya see so many blowing down on the stuff with their faces OVER the tinder n gagging n coughing from the smoke n then jumping back when the flame starts. By holding it up n blowing into it that way ya aleviate all that crud. -- I've also seen guys that had a real tight fitting lid on their char can actually just strike the sparks dirrectly into it, use their knife tip to fish out the ember n then seal the can back up, without air it all goes out n actually rechars a little bit. --just some thoughts YMHS Birdman ps:with good char n decent tinder I have gotten flames in under 4 or 5 seconds. fer an old dog I actually won a compatition one time hehehe. It'll all come together for ya, ya seem to have all the basics down pretty good from yer posts so now its experiment n practice until your comfortable in more then one way of doing things, next stop "fire drill LOL

 

[Reb_Cav2]

Birdman,
Funny you mention bow dril my 12 year old son wants to try that so I am going to have start practicing with it.
Thank you agian for all the help
Respectfully
Reb

 

[Birdman]

My Pleasure :thumbsup:

 

[Comrade Coffin]

Ok the long discussion about Char Cloth got me out and looking around the woods for some tinder fungus and I have now found some. The question is how do I use it? I have tried to catch a spark and did not have any success, so do I need to char it like I do cloth or is there a trick on how to use it? I lit it with a lighter to make sure it would hold a coal and it does when you remove the flame. SO I know it will work once I can get it to catch a spark.
Thank you all for your help
Respectfully
Reb_Cav

Good mornign Reb, this clip might be useful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaHNWaBmNJU

The main enphasis is on pre-historic fire-starting (hence the use of pyrite & flint), but it shows the use of two fungi quite nicely.

 

[Birdman]

excelent post Doc,it is amazing what you can find anymore on UTube if ya hunt around a while, even all much of the old survival techniques used in different ways like we do for our crazy hobby, nice
:thumbsup:

 

[BillinOregon]

Reb in Molalla, keep in mind with a bow drill the the fireboard and spindle have to be "compatible" wood varieties or all you will get is exercise.

Go to the firemaking forum here: http://www.paleoplanet.net/

 

[VTdeerhunter]

I agree with the technique birdman talked about...my tin is filled with char cloth, charred pitch pine and tinder fungus. When my fires ready to start, I open up the tin, then I direct my sparks into the tin....usually takes just one shower of sparks to get something to grab hold..pick out the ember and close the lid, if more than one spark took, closing the lid will extinguish it quickly....

Never had a problem getting the tinder fungus to light, right off the tree....the black ugly stuff works great...the other stuff will work, takes longer to catch an ember and I usually dry them for months in my ash bucket behind the wood stove...rough the surface up with your knife, seems to help

 

[dearths]

I heard before that cotton wood was one of the better woods to use. 'course I was in Salem and there are a plenty along the Willamette.

 

[nwtradegun]

if u send me ur address off line to [email protected] i ll send ya some of the real mccoy
from nothern onterio, canadee. got a bag aaround and on vaction now will be home in a week.