I sacrificed my kids clothes and a can of tuna to make some high quality fire starter! Here’s how to make a great batch of Char-Cloth to add to your emergency kit.
WARNING: This project should not be attempted without adult supervision and adequate training. Misuse, or careless use, of fire and flammable materials may result in serious injury, property damage, and/or death. Use of this video content is at your own risk.
Char cloth is a fabric, like 100% cotton, that has been converted into a slow-burning fuel that can ignite at very low temperatures.
The process of cooking the fabric, without burning it, is called pyrolysys. During pyrolysys, gasses such as hydrogen and methane are released from the fabric, and can be ignited and burned.
The process of making char cloth is very similar to making wood gas, and the gas released can be captured and burned as fuel.
Char cloth can be ignited by a single spark, that can in turn be used to ignite a tinder bundle to start a fire. Sometimes it’s difficult to ignite tinder directly, and char cloth provides a means that makes the process extremely simple.