No char flint and steel

[Mike_H]

Innards of a gourd

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YlioTqwA1A

[Mohawk13]

Very good information. His steel was throwing some great sparks.

[Mike_H]

Very good information. His steel was throwing some great sparks.

hehe that's me in the video.  And not the best striker I got, but it works.

[Buffalogobbler]

Good info Mike, Thanks!
I grow gourds myself and I always start my fires with flint and steel.Never thought to use the gourd innards in place of char clouth.

Kevin

[Mike_H]

No problem, Kevin.  A thread on no char flint and steel over at paleoplanet got me thinking and I experimented.

[Mallorn]

Thanks for sharing Mike!  I just tried flint and steel myself recently, and it is nice to hear of alternatives to char cloth. It isn't hard to make but it is more effort than using all of that stuff you scrape out of gourds for sure.

[Mike_H]

Yeah, char cloth is pretty annoying, especially when you have to make quite a few fires.  My preference is actually charred punk wood.  Easy to get and easy to char.  I just stick it in the fire, blow it out and toss it in my tin and snuff it out.  Works well.