Have a spark, don't have fire!

[Arthur Herrmann]

I have managed to produce sparks. I do not know what to use to get my flame. Though it may fall under the category of survival, not primitive, I have tried chared cloth.

The cloth catches the spark. I blow on the spark. The spark grows into ember. Then nothing else. Whats wrong?

However, I did have great success with cotton balls and dryer lint, but what do you use in nature? p.s. I live in PA, so birch is out of the question

[huntertrapper]

i live in PA theres birch here sir... but good thin dry grass works good, but i keep a can of dryer lint and in my small kit os lint too.

[Arthur Herrmann]

Really? I live in southwest PA and the only ones I've seen are in peoples yards.

What specific kind are they and can I use them?

I heard of using birch bark fluff

[Kegan]

I live in SW PA too- and we only have af ewin our yard my parents won't let me touch. So... dry grass and aspen inner bark. Make them into a nest, into which you place the ember charcloth. Blow on this until the tinder bumndle lights. My brotehr has gotten it going using leaves also.

[Justin Snyder]

If you will rub the dry grass between your hands it will help break it into smaller pieces and start better.  Much like making kindling from larger pieces of wood. Justin

[ricktrojanowski]

Try inner cedar bark if you can find some.  I think it is the best tinder available.  Get a pretty big bundle using some dry grass. Then save your best stuff  ie. Cedar bark, cattail down, really well pulverized birch bark, or some dry rotted wood also pulverized and put that in the center of your bundle. Catch that then fold and give it some air.  Don't put your face to close to it or the moisture from your breath will slow down the ignition.  If you can find some tinder fungus or cracked cap polypore, make a small pile of that in the nest and you will really get it going fast.

[gene roberts]

I don't think that you mentioned any kindling stuff.That is what I would suggest,put the ember on the kindling and blow until it is engulfed in flames

[Hillbilly]

The char cloth won't flame by itself, it just catches and holds the spark. You have to have it in the middle of a bundle of flammable tinder/kindling.

[leapingbare]

I think they named most but i got some more ideas, Any of your cordage plants , dogban, yucca, mellow, nettles, ext... strip the fibers like ya ganna make cordage but just ball it up and make a nest outa it.

[stickbender]

     Like Ricktrojanowski, said, if you have cedar up there, get the inner bark, and rub it briskly between the palms of your hands, and it will pulverize, and fluff up.  It is really great stuff.  Down here in Fla. we have a and also cypress which also works really well.  And the other stuff that Rickrrojanowski mentioned work well also.  Just get your ember and put it in a lightly made " birds nest " out of your tender, and very gently blow on it till if flames up, or very gently fold the birds nest over and around the ember, and blow gently until it starts burning.  Some people just gently fold the tender over the ember, and hold it gently in their hand, with plenty of space for air, and swing their hand back and forth.  Keep trying different methods. 

                                                                                     Stick Bender