APSI Survival Blog

When carving feathersticks for fire lighting, I have found that the best woods to use are similar to wood you would use for a bowdrill set. Like with a bow drill set, I have had good luck making feathersticks from cedar, willow and certain types of pine. I have been told that Sweet Chestnut, Sycamore and Ash also work very well for making feathersticks. Some bushcrafters have also claimed luck making feathersticks out of oak and maple, but in my experience, I tend to have better luck with softer wood. I would imagine that tulip poplar would work well for feathersticks; it certainly works well for bow drill sets, for making birds nests and for tinder. I have found that I am a little too far north for tulip poplar to grow, however, I swear I found a tulip poplar tree nearby a creek south of Whitehall, Michigan, which needless to say surprised me (maybe I’m wrong). So get out there, practice making feathersticks, and come see me sometime at Arcturus Primitive Skills Institute. Stay safe out there and I will see you in the wild.

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.

2023 was my first commercial year with APSI, and I must say, it exceeded my expectations. While I held a few classes in 2022, 2023 is when I went “live.” If 2023 is the beginning, I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I held several classes throughout the spring, summer and fall of 2023 and met great people. I heard many good stories around the campfire and really enjoyed instructing these fine people who visited APSI. I met Ronda and Shonda, two retired sisters who were still actively hiking and seeking out adventures throughout the United States. I appreciated their feedback at the end of the course (they said my skills were on point and that they learned a lot, but were not the biggest fans of my cooking). I met a fire fighter from Detroit who had very interesting stories, and a boy I nicknamed “Macguyver” because I was more than impressed by his knowledge of knot tying. In the fall I had the honor of doing a class for a large group of U.S. Veterans. 2023 was a success greater than I anticipated, which makes me excited for the 2024 season. I have posted the training dates for 2024 and I look forward to seeing you next year! Remember, “train as if your life depended on it, because someday it will.” See you in the wild. -Art