Finding Natural Tinder

Natural Tinder Sources

There are endless numbers of commercially available tinder options that you can purchase to add to your pack or fire kits. While they have their merits, I firmly believe that everyone should learn to find natural tinder when you are out in the woods. There may come a day when the difference between life and death is a matter of some basic tinder and fire building skills. There is an almost infinite supply of tinder in the wild, even when it’s raining. I just wanted to go over a few. This is not a complete list, that would take forever to list. Different tinder is available in every area or climate of the world and it’s up to you to find what you have in your area. I am always looking for options no matter what I am doing or where I am at.

There are 3 basic things that all tinder has in common.

1. Dead – There are very few exceptions to this rule, although there are some. Most plant matter won’t ignite if it has the slightest bit of moisture left in it.

2. As dry as possible – There are also exceptions to this, but for the most part you will want the driest material possible.

3. Fluffy – It should be as light and fluffy as possible to catch a spark easier from a ferro rod or flint and steel.

Here are a few of my favorites when I am out and about:

Pine Trees – These are my go-to in almost any situation. Alive or dead, a pine tree has amazing fire building materials all over it. Dead needles from the lower branches will take flame quickly. The sap that leaks out of pines is extremely flammable and with the slightest bit of flame it will ignite and burn for a long time. My favorite pastime in the woods is to find pines that have been dead for a couple years and chop the knots out of it where each limb is attached. These knots are usually saturated with sap and a few small shavings will light right up with a ferro rod. I usually shave a little dust or fine shavings off and cut the rest into bigger and bigger pieces to sustain the fire once it is lit. I will be doing a more in-depth article on collecting fatwood from pines next.

Dry leaves – I have had a lot of luck crumbling dry leaves and igniting them with only a ferro rod. Leaves laying on the ground tend to be at least a little damp, so I am usually looking for limbs hanging in trees or brush that have dead and dried leaves left on them. If it’s raining, I look for leaves that are underneath large logs or rock overhangs to find the driest stuff I can. They are a little tougher to light with a ferro rod, the sparks tend to bounce of the surface. For that reason, I usually will mix grass and leaves together to help catch the sparks.

Inner bark – There are many trees that have a very dry inner bark that is great for tinder. Cedar and Tulip Poplar are abundant in my area and the outer bark can be stripped off and the smaller inner bark can be processed for tinder. Juniper, mulberry and even some oaks are also good trees to find some tinder. Nettle, Dogbane and Milkweed also have this inner bark that can be worked into a tinder bundle with excellent results. There are a lot of different plants and trees available, so just see what is in your area and practice. You will need to process the bark to make a suitable bundle. I usually work it back and forth in my hands or crush it with a rock to break up the stiffer pieces. The dust that is created during process is an excellent addition to the tinder bundle because it will usually be very dry and catches a spark with ease.

Outer Bark – There are several trees with outer bark that works well for tinder. Cedar and Birch are two of the most popular. The oils in the bark helps to extend the burn time of these. Outer bark that is fibrous is processed the same way the inner bark is done. Most outer bark however will be unusable if it is raining. The oil in Birch acts as a waterproofing agent so you may have a little more luck if you have it in your area.

Dead grass – Most everyone has access to some dead grass. I’m not talking about grass clippings, it is best if the grass died on its own. Clippings can retain moisture and nutrients that will fight against you trying to ignite them. Dead weed tops tend to be the best for me. We have a grass that grows wild here and it gets a fluffy top on it when it has reached its end for the year. When these are completely dried, they make an excellent tinder. A lot of seed pods from different plants also make a good tinder, but remove any seeds because they are not usually flammable.

Tinder Fungus – There are a few tinder funguses that work well for catching a spark and making a coal to put in your tinder bundle. Horse Hoof Fungus, Cracked Cap Polypore and Chaga are a few that come to mind. I will shave off a little pile and place it into my tinder bundle. A quick spark will take hold almost immediately and can be blown into flame.

Wood shavings – A lot of people practice making feather sticks, and this is one of my favorites. If you carve off the outer and inner bark of a dead branch, simply shave off some of the wood inside into a pile of curls. These will generally ignite and burn quick so be sure you have material to add to them. I will also hold my knife at a 90-degree angle to the stick and rub the blade which creates a much finer and more flammable shaving. I usually combine the smaller stuff with the larger to take a ferro rod spark and turn it into a flame.

Moss – I have come across dead dry moss or lichens more than a few times and there is also some good stuff that even alive will take a spark and ignite. Spanish moss, grandfathers beard to name a couple are that I have had good luck with.

Something to keep in mind:

Breathing any smoke is not good for you. There are a few plants or trees that can cause you serious problems if you breathe the smoke. Black locust smoke is toxic and can cause a very sever headache. Watch out for Poison Ivy as well. The older vines will have a fuzzy brown fiber that is all over them that looks like a great tinder. Handling it can cause you to break out in the dreaded rash. Burning any kind of poison whether it’s Ivy, Oak or Sumac is extremely dangerous. The smoke can carry the toxic oils into your lungs and cause life threatening problems. My uncle was burning brush one day that apparently had some poison oak in it and it almost killed him. He was hospitalized for 5 days before they could get him cleared up.

No matter where you live, there should be some sort of natural tinder all around you. All it takes is getting out and finding it to see what works best for you. Most tinder processing is relatively similar, crush it and create a “bird’s nest” of material that can catch the sparks from a ferro rod or that you could place a piece of charred material in and blow into flame. The finer you can get it, the better it will work. As with anything, practice is the key to success. Don’t just practice when the weather is beautiful either. I like to go out after a hard rain and see what is out there.