![]() Another tree to look out for when it comes to fire lighting is the pine tree, especially the thick and flammable resin that forms on the outside. ![]() Look for thin, peeling layers of outer bark on the main trunk and gather a few strips of the driest bits you can find. Most tree bark is useless as it’s normally too thick, but there are some out there that work wonders for lighting fires, particularly birchbark. It’s very easy to use and lights easily, but you can’t really handle it without getting sticky flammable liquid on your hands. Its essentially just some kind of flammable chemical that’s been turned into a paste and burns for a long time. This stuff comes in anything from a hair gel-like substance to a thick spreadable paste. They light extremely easily but there is one downside to them, and that’s the strong petrol like smell they give off after the pack has been opened. They work just as well as the slightly more natural ones, but it just comes down to how much you mind burning a block of chemicals in the middle of the woods. They normally come in two forms, which are the solid blocks and the shaving strips wrapped into a small roll, both of which are known to have lots of little pieces flake off when you’re handling them, so be careful you don’t drop flammable materials somewhere you shouldn’t. Similar to the lighting paper but much bulkier, often coming in bags that can be awkward to squash into a backpack. These are made from compressed wood shavings that have been mixed with an igniting chemical. A small piece is all it takes to start a fire and its flat design allows it to fit into almost any survival kit or pocket. This is just a small piece of card that’s soaked in chemicals that allows it to ignite instantly and burn slowly. ![]() (Usnea, also known as Old mans beard lichen, one of the best lichens for starting a fire) Lighting paper This type of fungi becomes very dry when it’s in the later stages of life, and can be folded over and used in the same way as a handful of dried grass. One of the best for lighting fires, and one of the most recognizable is called Usnea, more commonly known as “old man’s beard lichen”. The answer is to use something known as a feather stick, a shaved piece of wood that collects all the dry, curled up shavings at the end which can be easily ignited from a spark.Ĭertain types of this plant can be found throughout woodland for the whole year, but theres only a fee types that are useful. (It may not look like much but char cloth is one of the easiest to ignite tinders out there, and costs nothing more than an old sheet)ĭried grass, reeds and fine sticks can be lit easily enough if they are bone dry, but after it’s been raining they are a waste of time. The cloth should be baked until it looks charred, with that classic semi-burnt appearance, but because its so sensitive to moisture, it has to be kept in a closed container so it can’t get wet. Char cloth is nothing more than chopped up pieces of cloth that has been baked to remove all the moisture, which makes it very easy to make yourself from an old bedsheet or t-shirt. This is one of the best options if you’re using a flint and fire steel because they catch easily from the smallest spark. There are so many types of tinder and firelighters available, but which ones are worth it and are there better options than burning chemicals in the woods? Here are a few of the most effective and easy to make fire starters. Starting a fire is usually quite easy, until you really need one of course.
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