Fire Starting Kit: the old way!

Here is what Lewis and Clark did.  I'm not old enough to have gone with them, I was just a little tike, so I didn't see this in person!

Get yourself a small metal box with a lid on it.  Something like an Altoids box.

1.  Cut pieces of an OLD 100% cotton "T" shirt that will just fit into the box.

2.  ****The next time you have a camp fire or BBQ going throw in the box.  When the fire has cooled down get the box out.  Inside you will have cotton charcoal.

3.  Get a small amount of tiny pieces of wood.  A good example would be the thin paper like wood found on the underside of some dried wood bark.  Add to this small twigs.  Very small.

4.  Here is the tough part.  Steel and flint.  What you need is high carbon steel.  I think steel files are but I'm not sure.  The flint ( also called Chirt ) can be had in most parts of the country just by looking on the ground for it.  Or you could go to a rock shop and get some.

5.  Put a sheet or 2 of the cotton charcoal on the ground, add a little of the thin wood, get close to your fire pit and strike the steel with the flint.  It would be a glancing blow going towards the fire material.  You should be able to get sparks this way.  The sparks are enough to set the cotton charcoal on fire which in turn would start the other wood.

**** The metal box you use should have a tight fitting lid.  Be sure to burn off all paint etc from the box before you first use it.  Add a tiny hole on each side of the box.  Whittle down a wooden match stick or other wood to tightly fit the holes.  When you are cooking the cloth watch the holes.  After gas comes out and burns there will be smoke.  As soon as the smoke stops get your can out of the fire and stick the hole plugs in right away.

See what is around your area that would be light weight and burn very easy to use as your first layer of wood on the charcoal. 

You can put your charcoal, steel & flint and starting material all together in a nice little box and pack it away.  This does work.  I have done it.  I learned this at a Lewis and Clark Park.

Terry

PS:  If someone know what common things are high carbon steel it would help.

You can cheat and buy the charcoal cloth and flint here:  http://www.flint-rocks.com/?gclid=CKOng5fKqZ4CFRshnAodtR5umg

Good information and something fun for kids to learn, as well as the big kids. But as for me...I'll stick to the Safe Lite Fire Starters   http://www.northlineexpress.com/category/fire-starters.asp

I'm with Terry....I like to use my small Weber grill...cook some dinner, then use the coals as a base for the fire. 

I start mine the old fashion way Duraflame, it has never let me down.

I like fat wood. All natural.