Charcloth

[LehighBrad]

I suppose this would qualify as an accoutrement.....charcloth. I'd like to know what type of material would make the best charcloth?? I've tried making some in an old soup can with a tiny nail hole poked in the lid using cut up pieces of old cotton socks. It looked like it turned out o.k. but in NO way could I get it to catch a spark. Then I tried cut up pieces of an old cotton t-shirt....same result. Both times the charred material seemed like it was too thick to become charred properly. A friend told me about trying cut up pieces of thin cotton bed sheeting. He said the resulting charred material ends up much like thin brittle and highly flammable lantern mantel material. I've used HIS charcloth before and was able to make fire in an instant.....several times. Anybody have any thoughts about this??

[mike e]

We had a burn pile out back and my father in law put an old canvas drop cloth on it that was folded up to where it did not burn well. What didn't burn was charred and made good char cloth. I also made some with some old denim blue jeans. I think the thicker material worked good but I have not tried anything thinner than the canvas.

[Beaverman]

I've had great success with old 100% cotton flannel shirts

[smylee grouch]

I like to use the same material(100% cotton flannel) that I buy at fabric stores for cleaning patches. Same process as you tried but dont get it packed into can too tight, do smaller batches at a time.    Smylee

[bob in the woods]

Pure 100 % cotton or linen works well as charcloth...BUT , very important- some clothing pieces are treated with fire retardant .  I've had excellent results from old jeans.

[Trkdriver99]

Could be that the socks and t's were not 100% cotton. I have used cotton gaze like the little pads women use to clean make up off their faces and cotton string and they both work real good.  Must be pure cotton or linen to work right.

Ronnie

[mark esterly]

I USE OLD BLUE JEANS.  MAKE SURE THEY ARE 100% COTTON.  DON'T TAKE IT OFF THE FIRE 'TIL IT STOPS SMOKING. I SUSPECT YOUR CHAR ISN'T DONE COOKING. ALTOID TINS WORK WELL. I FOLD UP THE DENIM AND FILL THE TIN PRETTY TIGHT. IF YOUR CHAR CLOTH IS BROWNISH INSTEAD OF BLACK IT AIN'T DONE.

[Canute Rex]

A friend of mine swears by worn out waffle-weave cotton thermal underwear. He says the waffle weave catches the spark like magic. I just use pure cotton muslin.

The main thing is to cook the stuff till the smoke stops coming out. I use a tight fitting steel tin and poke a little hole in the top. When the smoke starts coming out I light it, and then cook it till the flame goes out.

[ChipK]

cotton cleaning patches.  The 2 inch GI ones have alwasy worked super for me.  I use an old shoe polish can with the pivot release lever on it.

[The Original Griz]

Blue Jeans... maybe use a smaller container, I found I get better results with smaller bunches, when I used a larger pile it didn't seem to work as good and got the results you are getting now.

[Larry Pletcher]

I use flannel from an old shirt.  When I taught  fourth grade I used three metal bandaid boxes.  (Maybe 10 pieces in a box was about right. Put the pieces in loose or you end up with brown spots in the char.)  I'd alternate the boxes on a camp stove.  A flame would show from the hinge holes; when the flame went out, I'd count to five and take the box off the fire with a pliers. Then the another box would go on the stove.  I would make 200 of so. That would be enough to have all the fourth grade classes a chance to make a fire.

I wait to open the box until I can pick it up in my hands, but already you know why.

Regards,
Pletch

[LehighBrad]

Thanks fellas.....I think I'm packing too much material into too big of a soup can. I'll try a smaller can and put less pieces of material into it. 

[Tim Crosby]

 Ok, so what did they use 200 yeas ago or so?

  Tim C.

[bob in the woods]

Pieces of charred wood from my last fire work for me , as well as the charred cloth. Charred punky poplar was pretty good. Pine wasn't that good at all, which was a bit surprising to me.

[Chuck Burrows]

Ok, so what did they use 200 yeas ago or so?

  Tim C.

Linen is mentioned in the period documentation, as is certain types of fungi, charred wood of various types, and scrap cloth sometimes with a bit of powder rubbed into the cloth.

One of the best "modern" cloths to use is monks cloth

[Chris Treichel]

look for old dry rotted timber in the woods that feel a bit spongy to the touch.  If you put that in your tin and charr it like cotton or linnen it works really well.

[Kermit]

My char is made in a little tea can that looks like a little paint can. Very tight lid. There's a nail hole in the lid. I toss it into a campfire or the fireplace when it's down to a nice bed of coals. When the "smoke" starts to come out the hole, I make sure it gets lighted. When the flame is gone, I fish it out and leave it til the next day before opening. It's sound advice not to pack the can too tightly with cloth.

[draken]

Just about any dry, punky softwood makes great char.   So does the various shelf fungus.

[Lucky R A]

   Tinder fungus, also called Bear $#*& fungus, usually grows on the sides of yellow birch trees, where they have been injured.  It catches a spark very well and will hold it  for hours.  Do a Google search for tinder fungus and you will get lots of information...Natural and Organic.....

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

I made mine out of the cotton rag material that you can get at the woodworking store. I have to use it in small pieces, it holds a spark so well it's hard to stop the burn.

[bdixon]

I like to use the altoids can with no holes poked in it, the seal and the hinges provide enough oxy to enter without combusting the contents.  I use muslin or like material about the same weight that you would make a pair of pants or heavy work shirt out of.  100% cotton, no fire retardant.  I pack it kind of tight and it shrinks up a good bit when it is done.  I put it in the fire and walk away, take it out when I get around to it and let it cool.  It takes a spark pretty quick.  Actually if you have a good steel and flint and hold it properly you would be challenged NOT to light it.

[Roger Fisher]

I like to use the altoids can with no holes poked in it, the seal and the hinges provide enough oxy to enter without combusting the contents.  I use muslin or like material about the same weight that you would make a pair of pants or heavy work shirt out of.  100% cotton, no fire retardant.  I pack it kind of tight and it shrinks up a good bit when it is done.  I put it in the fire and walk away, take it out when I get around to it and let it cool.  It takes a spark pretty quick.  Actually if you have a good steel and flint and hold it properly you would be challenged NOT to light it.

He's right abt the clothing often has flame retardent applied....Your spinning your wheels if you try to use that.... Some of the foregoing answers pertain to 'holding' the spark/glow.  For the speed matches in getting fire the cotton charcloth on angel hair flax works sweet.l

[cmac]

I use 100% cotton or linen, charred in my fire kit tin that has about an 1/8" hole in the side. The hole in the tin goes through the lid and base. This way you can spin the lid and seal it, and I always have a char tin with me. Thick patches work well but thin is the key to having a fast fire: learned this from a guy that has 3-5 second fire starts and sometimes the stopwatch operator isn't fast enough. Linen was his choice material also

[J.D.]

I came to this thread a little late, but I will reiterate what was said about fast fires resulting from thin fabric. However, if you need a fire to get warm or dry out, char made from thicker material works much better.

I prefer worn blue jeans torn into long strips, roughly 2" wide. Loosely roll the strip and place it in a container with a close fitting lid, with the requisite hole in the side of the lid/container.

Throw the container on hot coals raked from the fire. Roll it around and turn it on end periodically, until smoke is no longer emitted from the hole. Pull the container out of the coals and let it cool to the touch. Tear the char into whatever length you might need to ignite your tinder bundle.

If you are rendezvousing, smaller squares of char work ok. In the woods, in bad weather, larger pieces of char nearly insure a fire when you need it...provided you are properly prepared.

[B.Habermehl]

At our laborday rondy the other year I made some char cloth from some scrap canvas. Cooked up beautifly. Tested it out couldnt get a glow out of it with a butane lighter! Apparently the canvas was treated with a fire retardent. Glad I tested it out before I issued it out for a fire making contest! We issue charcloth and tinder when we have a timed fire makeing contest to eliminate any questions of hairspray treated makins etc.  BJH