Best tool to make fire

Well I'll be different too. I love my char cloth. It's waterproof, windproof, lights with a mere spark, and gets HOT. I usually use jute cord with it too.

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I perfer the firesteel.

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-Thou may'st break, but shalt not bend me.

-Idleness brings want
To work today is to eat tomorrow
It is best to prepare for the days of necessity

-Till shade is gone, till water is gone, into the Shadow with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath, to spit in Sightblinder's eye on the Last Day.

[quote="Larry1t"][quote="Cliff N"]

	Larry1t wrote:
	Doing this mental exercise causes one to have to rethink what goes in the pockets, and what goes in the packs

Always good to have options.
I prefer to carry my gear in a waist pack,most of the time this one:

The fire kit is in the side pouch next to the Mini Mag.

Room for overnight gear,it ain't comin' off unless I want it to,& I just can't stand having a bunch of stuff in my pockets Mad

Probably weighs in at around 6# with water.

Back on topic...for those of you who have made charcloth,gimme some tips!!!
Cliff

	Cliff N wrote:
	Back on topic...for those of you who have made charcloth,gimme some tips!!! Cliff

Well there's tips on the charcloth thread, but I'll recap here.

Here's how I do it, and it works fine for me.

Get a quart paint can, and put about 5 nail holes in the top. Make sure the holes are open enough so the lid doesn't blow off. Wink

Then put you denim squares in the can and pound the lid on. I made a nice hot wood fire. Let the coals build up, and put the can in on its side. Put some coals over the top too. You'll see the holes puff out a lot of smoke. Once the smoke stops coming out of the holes it's time to take it out of the fire. I used grill tongs to take it out, but I melted the plastic handles. Confused

Then you'll want a hole dug in the dirt before you get this far, but put the can in the hole, and bury it until it cools. After it's cooled unbury it, and take out your char cloth. It will be pure black.

Other tips to make sure it's perfect:
Take the can out after it stops smoking, but don't wait too long. If you pull it out too soon the cloth will be brown and not cooked all the way. If you pull it out way too late it'll start being consumed and start turning to ash.

You must bury the can until it's cooled, because the cloth is actually ignited inside, and will be consumed into ash unless buried. Burying it smothers the flames. If you open the can when it's not fully cooled even after being buried you'll see some of it is ignited.

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I somehow missed the charcloth thread Embarassed

Thanks for the info & the recap.
Cliff

Cliff is that an LED converted Mag lite, or is it a normal one?

Looks like the LED light I got my dad.

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	Cliff N wrote:
	I somehow missed the charcloth thread Thanks for the info & the recap. Cliff

Charred cloth Very Happy

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Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. - Prov. 27:17

	Fonly wrote:
	Cliff is that an LED converted Mag lite, or is it a normal one?

That one has the 3 LED conversion.
I like the one that Mag makes as an LED from the factory better than the conversion.
It's more expensive,but well worth the extra cost.
Cliff

I think I got my dad a 3 watt. It's super bright. I'd say over 100 lumens for sure. Cool

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Cliff N wrote:

	Fonly wrote:
	Cliff is that an LED converted Mag lite, or is it a normal one?

That one has the 3 LED conversion.
I like the one that Mag makes as an LED from the factory better than the conversion.
It's more expensive,but well worth the extra cost.
Cliff

In terms of what the original was like, how much brighter is the led converted light.

Fonly wrote:

Cliff N wrote:

	Fonly wrote:
	Cliff is that an LED converted Mag lite, or is it a normal one?

That one has the 3 LED conversion.
I like the one that Mag makes as an LED from the factory better than the conversion.
It's more expensive,but well worth the extra cost.
Cliff

In terms of what the original was like, how much brighter is the led converted light.

The LEDs are brighter & WILL NOT eat your batteries as fast as the incandesent bulbs. Won't ever burn out either. Very much better!!!
They throw a whiter light than the incandesents too.
The downside to these is that when the batteries decide to die,they go FAST!!! Not much warning. They seem not to get dim,but rather just quit.

In terms of the 2 LED models.
They're both nearly the same as far as brightness goes.
The difference is that the single LED factory model has a more pronounced beam towards the center. Seems to throw the beam a little further.
Side by side:

Factory single LED:

3 LED conversion:

These were taken about 12 inches from the target which is an 8.5 x 11 inch paper.

I use them both,but prefer the more focused beam of the single LED.
BUT....it's 5 bucks vs 25 bucks , so you decide.
Cliff

The cool thing about the LED one that you buy is that you can unscrew the top peice, and it's like a candle. It'll light up the whole room. Cool

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I have read and reread the post on char cloth , Ive made my own for several years noticed though you claim yours is waterproof ? yet in your instructions I see nothing noteing how you make it waterproof. Not dissin here but the only way I know of to make char cloth waterproof is to have it in an airtight container and once out of this container it certainly is not waterproof as per my experience .
My favorite fire method is flint n steel, I use a fire piston, a steel, and fresnal, and a bow and drill and fire plow occasionaly also useing char and chaga cotton balls and my favorite tinder is ceder

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Give me my pack a bag of rice and my knife I'll handle the rest

sh4d0wm4573ri7 wrote:

I have read and reread the post on char cloth , Ive made my own for several years noticed though you claim yours is waterproof ? yet in your instructions I see nothing noteing how you make it waterproof. Not dissin here but the only way I know of to make char cloth waterproof is to have it in an airtight container and once out of this container it certainly is not waterproof as per my experience .
My favorite fire method is flint n steel, I use a fire piston, a steel, and fresnal, and a bow and drill and fire plow occasionaly also useing char and chaga cotton balls and my favorite tinder is ceder

You don't have to make it waterproof. Due to its properties it's naturally waterproof. It's like the stain resistant pants how it sheds the water. I also said it wont light if it's soaking wet. Once you damp it off with a paper towel of something it'll light. Hope that clears it up for you. Smile

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Mystik is right. Cotton cloth will soak up water into the fibers and they swell. But in charcloth the fibers will not soak up water...the water just sits in between them.(kind of like how a screen or sieve will retain a little of water that is run through it. The water doesn't soak into the materials, it just hangs with it.)

This means that once you pat it dry, there is no more water in between the fibers, and you can light it as if there was never any water there. Charcloth and water don't mix kind of like oil and water don't mix.

See? Smile

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Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. - Prov. 27:17

Thx i learned sumthin new is what this is all about appreciate the clarification im never gonna stop learning its why im here

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Give me my pack a bag of rice and my knife I'll handle the rest

My "most reliable" and my standby fire starter is firesteel. once i got the hang of it it is really simple to use, even with tinder that is damp (birch bark). as for my "favorite" fire starter... that would have to be the firebow simply because I feel like I am doing something... I can only get smoke with a hand drill but that woulda been my "favorite", even tho both are not my top standby pick in a pinch.. truth be told they would probably be a last resort.

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Never explain. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway.

	sh4d0wm4573ri7 wrote:
	Thx i learned sumthin new is what this is all about appreciate the clarification im never gonna stop learning its why im here

> Knowledge is Power < Cool

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A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing