bought my 2cnd piece of kit 2day yayy

[swkieran]

got a firesteel works wonders,what else would i need to go with it,maybe a tinder box with some tinder material any ideas

[paul standley]

Get a little tin like a small tobacco tin or the famous "Altoids" mints tin ( I bought two today actually in "Poundland" in UK for £1 each. I'll eat the mints and got myself 2 great tins with folding lids...!)

If you don't mind using man-made materials then a few cotton pads (make-up remover pads) or cotton balls wiped over with petrolium jelly (Vaseline) light very easily with a fire-steel. Other good tinder that takes a spark is natural Jute cord/string. See it it in gardening stores, cheap and works well when you 'rough it up' with your knife.

Good luck, Paul

[Celt_Ginger]

Dry grass works well as does Birch Bark. If you shave up a very fine feather stick that's good and dry you can light it with your firesteel as well

[Mouldsy]

Get a little tin like a small tobacco tin or the famous "Altoids" mints tin ( I bought two today actually in "Poundland" in UK for £1 each. I'll eat the mints and got myself 2 great tins with folding lids...!)

If you don't mind using man-made materials then a few cotton pads (make-up remover pads) or cotton balls wiped over with petrolium jelly (Vaseline) light very easily with a fire-steel. Other good tinder that takes a spark is natural Jute cord/string. See it it in gardening stores, cheap and works well when you 'rough it up' with your knife.

Good luck, Paul

Have to agree cotton wool with a bit of petroleum jelly work's a treat, Ashley has put a video on the site for what tinder's work well with the firesteel, check it out there is some good info on it.

[resnikov]

If you have an Horse Hoof Fungus near you, you could make some amadou. It takes a spark easy-ish and burns for a while but dosn't flame

[swkieran]

thank you all,theres some good ideas there,i tried it earlier with a dry cotton wool ball and it caught light,takes some practise thou

[troopermaz]

or another option is to make or buy some char cloth, just search for it on youtube as there are loads of tutorials on how to make it and its dead easy to do and lights real easy with a flint and steel

[jbrown14]

My last trip I tried carrying a small baggie with lint from the clothes dryer for tinder. Works like a charm, but burns very quickly. Must have a good bundle around it to catch.

My steel is an ESEE Knives Fire Kit (http://www.eseeknives.com/fire_kit.htm) (a gift for singing in a friend's wedding.)

[CanadianMike]

Make up pads work great if you keep them dry. I split in half and use my firesteel to spark on the fuzzy side (inside), almost instant flare up. At some point ill try those DIY cardboard and wax firesticks and petrojelly cotton. Looks like hand sanitizer gel is a popular and useful means to start a fire as well.

[Comptona]

I gather king alfreds cakes as often as i can when out walking, they seem to be about all year!! good to keep in your tin as they take a spark easy and burn slowley like charcoal..good what mother nature provides us with.

[swkieran]

thanks again guys some brilliant ideas comming foward helps a novice like me lol