Tinder and Kindling

From WildernessWiki.org

A few examples of tinder and firestarters. Clockwise from top: Magnesium Shavings, Wooden Matches, Magnesium Bar with inlaid Flint, Commercial Fire Starters, White Birch Bark

Tinder and Kindling are two "fire-starting essentials". Tinder is a small, easily combusted fuel source, intended to catch the flame of the fire source immediately, and hold it long enough for the kindling to catch. The kindling, in turn, holds the flame long enough to start the fuel. This process is commonly practiced by outdoorsmen when starting campfires.

Common types of Tinder

Some types of tinder are:

• White Birch bark. This is an extremely popular tinder, not only because it burns so well, but because it will ignite even when soaked. This is due to the fact that it is very high in combustible oils.
• Cedar bark. Although not as well-known as Birch bark, Cedar bark works wonderfully as tinder, because of it's high pitch content. In fact, a cedar tree can be a perfect campfire tree, due to it's uses for kindling (see below) as well. It should be crushed and twisted slighty, to aid in lighting.
• Dead leaves. Commonly experimented with by the novice, dead leaves will start a fire, but not nearly as well as other tinder sources available in the same locations.
• Paper. Newspaper is a favorite tinder for domestic use and car camping because of the simplicity of its use and its ample abundance.
• Fire Starters. Many commercial types are available, including magnesium shavings, fire paste, and maya dust. Most commercial tinders work quite well. As their availability may be limited, and they may be impractical to carry for extended periods, they are often ignored by outdoorsman.
• Lint. Dryer lint is occasionally saved, and used by itself or mixed with wax. It does work well, but can cause an unpleasant odor if there is a large amount of synthetic material or hair mixed in with it.
• Char cloth. Char cloth is a preprepared tinder which easily catches sparks and burns slowly without a flame.
• Cotton balls. Catch a spark very well, and can be mixed with vaseline for longer burn time.

Common types of Kindling

Kindling abounds in the wilderness, but some types work better than others. Here are a few:

• Cedar branches. Many cedar trees extend epicormic branches near the ground. These soon die, and leave dry, brittle kindling on the tree. These are popular because even in a rainstorm, they generally remain dry.
• Sticks and Twigs. While certainly plentiful, those that have been lying on the ground are often damp, while breaking too many from trees in a small area can decimate the supply, as well as cause an eyesore.