CHAR CLOTH MATERIAL

Over time, I have tried numerous different materials when experimenting with char cloth. Some of the materials I have used include: punk wood, cattail leaves, pampas grass, cut up t-shirts, cut up bandannas, rolled up cotton balls, dried mullein leaves and a variety of dead plant material. What I have learned with char cloth is that it needs to be 100% natural plant fiber to work best. I have found that the thicker the material, the better it will hold a spark. I have seen some bushcrafters use cut up long underwear. While I have found that this does work, I find it to be too brittle and that it crumbles too easily. My current favorite material to use is from cut up jeans. One hundred percent cotton jeans. Even more effective than just cutting up 1 inch squares of jeans to char, try cutting along the length of the seam. Cut a section about 3 inches long and 2 inches wide. Roll it up lengthwise, put it in your tin and char it. This will give you the best char cloth with the most effective ember I have seen. A similar technique involves coiling the fabric like a rope and charring it. You want to make sure you are using the right material. I learned this lesson the hard way in 2015 at Self Reliance Outfitters ran by Dave Canterbury. I had purchased one of his metal water bottles. I had also purchased a (cheap) bandanna at an outlet mall prior to my arrival at his school. When I cut up the bandanna and tried to char it in the water bottle, I melted the material inside the container, ruining my nice water bottle. This bandanna was not cotton. Make sure you are using natural plant fibers such as cotton. If you are looking for a natural alternative to char cloth, consider using Milkweed pod ovum, as it will take a spark. Another natural alternative is tinder fungus, also known as chaga. This fungus can be found growing on birch trees. At Arcturus Primitive Skills Institute, you will learn to make char cloth using different materials. You will also learn how to use your char cloth to make a primitive fire. See you in the wild.