Fire Starting: No Matches, No Lighter - The American Frontier

[@frankieb9444]

Remember that practice makes perfect, Dan makes it look easy. Don't let an emergency be your first time trying out primitive fire starting (and/or carry modern primaries).

[@ragnkja]

Always learn how to use your equipment _before_ you find yourself in an emergency.

[@ShinKyuubi]

Good rule for being in the woods if you don't know how long you'll be there is to have about 3 different ways to start a fire you know you can use at a moments notice if you need a fire..my dad told me that, may not get along with him much but as much as he loved camping I'd take his word on that.

[@lovemesomeslippers]

ShinKyuubi can you suggest 3 ways?

[@frankieb9444]

I carry a lighter and in my pack I have storm proof matches, a flint striker and some dry fire.

[@ShinKyuubi]

I have flint and steel, weatherproof matches in a waterproof case with a striker on it, a good modern lighter for super quick emergencies would not be remiss, a good fire steel ferro rod is also a good option. You can start a fire with a fire piston as well and it's a very small piece of kit, a magnifying lens for a good classic on a sunny day, you can do the same with a soda can that has a very polished bottom, or a rounded bottle like one of those Pom-Wonderful bottles you can fill with water and use it like a magnifying lens but those three rely on the sun. Don't forget the bow drill either, same for the hand drill version, you can turn the bow drill into a pump drill if you have the right stuff. One of my personal faves outside of flint and steel is a spark wheel. It's basically the flint wheel from a Zippo minus the rest of the lighter, you can fluff up an standard dry cotton ball and it will catch fire with a spark wheel without anything added to it. You can change the flint in the spark wheel with any Zippo flint refill. The kit I bought was similar to the one used by the British air force. Comes in a plastic container and has the spark wheel, a small allen key for changing the flint, an extra flint, and some fire cotton..stuff is supposed to be good for if the weather ain't so good, you just fluff it up and hit it with the sparks and it's good to go.

[@margolane3361]

This channel is more informative than anything on cable. And without the obnoxious editing lol.

[@gorillaau]

Margaret Thexton ... Or background music that drown out the commentary.

[@gunsmokesue82]

I feel like this show is teaching me about how humans lived then and letting me walk in their shoes

[@bunnyfreakz]

Also without 10 minutes ads.

[@MMAGamblingTips]

Margaret Thexton Of Ancient Aliens

[@chrisscutt4197]

Thank you for the class.

[@madgardener5820]

I love to watch John listening to others. He doesn't interrupt and his interest is genuine. Oh to be like John

[@memnoch9418]

Oh for ten toes

[@dennism5565]

agree. He is a very dignified and classy guy.

[@Gottaculat]

Something to note that beginners may not know, wool is naturally fire retardant. I once made the mistake of mixing dryer lint from some wool blankets with the dryer lint from cotton clothes, and my lint wouldn't ignite. Having a wool blanket can also be great, not just because it's fire retardant, but wool also retains its insulation properties when completely drenched. A soaked wool blanket can act as a heat shield if you ever find yourself in a forest fire. Just don't try to use it as fuel for your fire!

[@angus96elliot]

cant image youd come out the other side of the fire looking to flash.

[@ExpandDong420]

​@@angus96elliot you might be a little steamy but at least you'd be alive

[@TruePower97]

Obviously

[@casedistorted]

I swear I thought you said wood is naturally fire retardant haha

[@trishoconnor2169]

I find that charred bark makes good tinder. When I was healthy enough to cut my own firewood, I would strip off the bark (which seemed to speed drying), build a small stick fire in my charcoal grill, and when the fire was burning low, stack strips of bark on the coals. When the bark started smoking, I'd put on the grill lid. The fire would smolder as long as it had air. After it went out and cooled, I'd open it up, and the bark would be turns to thin bits of charcoal that would ignite at a touch of a spark or flame. Great to keep some of it in a ziplock bag when going camping.

[@trishoconnor2169]

@Jeremy I'm sorry KZbin didn't send me a notification of your reply. I don't know if you'll see this answer, given that it is so late. When I have made charred bark, I have generally just left the covered grill overnight, so that the grill and the charcoal is completely cool to handle. I'm afraid I don't know what the minimum amount of time would be. Probably at least a couple of hours.

[@GNUBRAIN]

tampons in cardboard tubes are ideal......

[@evanf1443]

My family personally tends to leave the bark on the split wood. We do this so that when we stack it we do so with the part that has bark on it facing upwards to help keep the elements off the wood and keep it dry

[@trishoconnor2169]

@@evanf1443 If you do that, just make sure that if you transport it anywhere, such as to camp in the next county, you find out if there are any regulations against bringing in wood from outside with the bark still on it. Many places have such rules to slow the spread of tree parasites like emerald ash borer. I forgot to mention that those rules are the other reason I have been in the habit of stripping the bark from my wood.

[@evanf1443]

@@trishoconnor2169 good to know, thanks. Though we pretty much exclusively split it for my grandmother. She uses a wood burning stove in the winter

[@benjamingrist6539]

I always thought it was the steel breaking off pieces of flint, not the other way around. Ya learn something new everyday, I suppose.

[@ShinKyuubi]

Yeah I looked that up myself...turns out that the iron in steel is able to auto ignite in contact with the air at room temp, the reason it don't just go off in your hand normally is that oxidization causes a small protective layer to build up over it so that when you use the flint it scrapes away that protective layer along with little slivers of the metal and that's what's really going on. I didn't think about the flintlock trick though, it makes all the sense in the world though.

[@alexpaww]

ShinKyuubi the property is called "pyrophoric" btw :)

[@ShinKyuubi]

Ah thank you, it slipped my mind at the time and I didn't wanna screw it up.

[@grindstone4910]

Yep, ancient humans used iron-ore rocks before metal working became a thing. That's where we get the "smash two rocks together to make fire" meme.

[@JamesRPatrick]

Ferrocerium rods get consumed when shaved with a knife, and they are sometimes mistaken for flint.

[@GuntherRommel]

Man he throws sparks like a boss. WOW. That's amazingly effective technique. John, I do have to say, Dan is a GREAT guest host. I don't know if I like him best or Michael Dragoo or Michael Twitty or.. or.. You should be on the History network.

[@rickrussell]

Actually I think he's better OFF the History Channel. They'd have him doing alien autopsies or something.

[@kenjett2434]

Rick Russell good point that is a heavily scripted network.

[@lawrencescales9864]

Bryan Schmidt ivy is the best guest host 😅

[@Jwend392]

I'd say he's more PBS than History channel.

[@TheOtherBill]

What History chan USED to be like before they went so commercial. Now it's all about the money.

[@tvheadd]

Looks like what this fire is missing is a little nutmeg. Mmmm-mmm! Now that is a tasty fire!

[@beardedhistoryguy1863]

@John Doe so it can taste good

[@beardedhistoryguy1863]

@John Doe it's a joke

[@SAVikingSA]

Townsends: We put nutmeg in the fire Steve1989MRE, walking by randomly: Nice

[@AlexG-xl1cc]

Lets get this nutmeg onto a tray

[@elizabethbennet4791]

lol doesnt numeg come form india though? i bet the colonials and british were importing it?

[@orale_]

Townsend always looking like he just enjoyed a nice shave lol

[@Killuminati1blood]

they used to shave with fire

[@remyllebeau77]

@@Killuminati1blood Savoring the flavors and aromas of burnt facial hair in the 1800 century.

[@Adventurekm]

I shave with flint rock so does he.

[@dmsmhic]

@@Killuminati1blood and just a little nutmeg?

[@VoxNerdula]

There is nothing like a shorn scrotum

[@martialme84]

05:30 My respect to the cameraperson right there. Great work, good angle on something that´s not really easy to showcase.

[@RealLuckless]

A good lesson to learn before you really need to use a flint and steel: Watch your fingers around the flint, and watch how you're wearing down the edge of the flint. They are a great way to give yourself a nasty little scrape. Not a huge deal in the modern age if you're close to civilization, but it is a far less than ideal kind of thing to have happen if you're far out in the back country and expecting to be there for awhile.

[@ShinKyuubi]

Yeah...that right there is something that's not really mentioned when you see a flint and steel vid..I guess most leave it out as a 'common sense' you should already know this kinda thing. I've come close too it myself at home just practicing getting sparks in the backyard due to not holding the steel right.

[@RealLuckless]

Yep, totally a "common sense" thing that is easy to forget to talk about. So easy to over look just how sharp a flint can get, and it is easy to let yourself get overly confident in using. Kind of like managing to slice your finger while working in a kitchen. Accidents happen when someone gets careless, and anyone is more likely to get careless about something if they've never really thought about the risks of it.

[@ShinKyuubi]

The stress of doing it in a survival situation probably wouldn't help either, you're nervous and scared so the adrenaline is already making you shake a bit, add to that if it's cold and you're desperate to get that fire going you're going to be shaking worse and the more time it takes the more frustrated and upset you're gonna get..next thing you know you have a nasty cut in a really bad situation and that will just make things worse. When using this method if it's gonna be in your kit that is SERIOUS situation to take into account and when you should use one of your two backups that don't require such fine control. Never have just ONE fire starting method if you like going camping or hiking. If you only have the one and something goes wrong you are in a lot of trouble.

[@beth12svist]

Pretty good point - I don't expect myself to do this anytime soon; but when they said flint, I went "wait, that's what they used for weapons in prehistory." I think I only ever saw/handled actual flint once; but it's definitely a bit like handling a ceramic knife.

[@sarahgraves7107]

"Nasty little scrape" ??? A sharp flint will cut you to the bone! Sharper than a steel blade!

[@yasminroberts9841]

I feel like i can listen to him all day...i am really enjoying thos series

[@PersonaRandomNumbers]

Wow, I remember starting a fire with flint and steel being a lot harder than that! Dan makes everything look easy, it's crazy.

[@cabbagecabbage5047]

Makes me appreciate my $1 lighter more

[@swampdog]

Definitely I carry two with duct tape rolled around them

[@drowssapma]

@@burtonhollabaugh3767 Many reasons to have fire rods, or anything that can be an alternative to those cheap lighters that break.

[@isobelanderson6432]

Is it flint and steel technology or futuristic piezo crystal?

[@Freakingbean]

Crack lighters 3 for $1 breh. (Seriously though for survival get a quality Bic lighter.)

[@Freakingbean]

Also isn't it cool that all lighters come with a free spark maker.

[@cavtroopermunoz]

I would ask you to do a video of Dan wresting a bear, but I don't like to see animals getting hurt.

[@benw9949]

Depends: Did the bear like to rassle?

[@LBrobie]

LOL!

[@VentiVonOsterreich]

I'd enjoy watching a bear getting mauled by a man

[@knightatthecrossroads222]

@Pangur Ban Are tou sure you can skin grizz?

[@1337fraggzb00N]

A bear messed with him once. ONCE.

[@fast03vette4me]

This mindful gentleman Dan gave one of the finest presentations EVER!

[@Tsiri09]

People need to relearn these skills. If I don't have birch or cedar, I find tree bark and pound it with a rock to make fibers. Next, I'll collect "fluffy" plant materials- dandelion puffs, milkweed puffs and so on- it's great for starting fires.

[@rawpony03]

Although it isn't period correct, dryer lint works.

[@chrisdelzell8467]

@@rawpony03 Severely underrated comment. Who doesn't walk around with pocket lint? I can make tinder from any one of 30 different plants, sure, but I'm much more likely to have pockets than any of them.

[@lemonade2473]

What about cotton balls?

[@windrider65]

Fat wood works great also. I always carry a few pieces in my day pack.

[@1pcfred]

That wouldn't work here. We don't have any rocks!

[@SaltmantheCloser]

The jerks who disliked this video are just jealous of Dan's hat.

[@ccswelding1599]

how can you NOT be jealous of that hat??

[@martialme84]

Hell, *I* am jealous of Dan´s hat!!

[@garlandremingtoniii1338]

TheOfficialSub Some are saying they are jealous of your hatchet. 2 said they are gonna wait a bit then catch you with your back turned then sink your hatchet right in between your ears.

[@paulbrule5897]

I left a like but honestly I am jealous of both their hats

[@lisad2701]

Nope, they're jealous because Dan is sooo cute!

[@lesahanners5057]

Yet another fine video, they just seem to get better and better. Thanks so much for sharing. Right now in Hawaii if we want to start a fire, we simply put a stick into a lava fissure. LOL All joking aside, I think we are up to 37 structures that have been consumed, and who knows how many vehicles. Thank God there has been no loss of life. The Island is about the size of Connecticut, so the entire Island is not in extreme danger, as much as the media would like you to think otherwise, so we are not all bolting for the airport. I am 13 miles from the opening fissures and aside from the somewhat annoying earthquakes, and the occasional vog, wouldn't know it was even going on if it wasn't constantly in the news. Of course much like your wonderful woodcraft, living in Hawaii on the Big Island, means you always need to be prepared. If it isn't the mountain, then it's the hurricanes or something else. I shall soon bid farewell to this place on the 25th of May, to go live among the volcano's of Washington state, where I hope they behave themselves better. You might think about showing people next how to put your fire out safely when you leave camp. This was so very enjoyable. Mahalo

[@edieboudreau9637]

Interesting.

[@FrikInCasualMode]

Hmmm, i don't know. Hawaiian volcanoes ooze sluggish streams of lava. You can avoid that stuff fairly easy. Mainland volcanoes on the other hand... they tend to be more... energetic. Like Mount St. Helen's energetic. And it's in Washington state...

[@tallcedars2310]

I enjoy Townsend's video's as well, always interesting content and comments. Very interesting about the geophysical activity, good to hear from a citizen instead of the media that over-hypes any natural event. Have a great move!

[@itsokaytobeclownpilled5937]

I live near Mt St Helen’s. We don’t get lava fissures here.

[@hardgay7537]

To be fair, if I were near an erupting volcano, I'd be thinking about myself primarily, too. Having just googled it, yeah, I wouldn't want to be in Hawaii right now any more than I wanted to be at home when Hurricane Irma came and f****d up my neighborhood.

[@pamelabratton2501]

That was so inspirational, I just made a playing card tin full of char-cloth in my wood stove! Thank you for the fun video!

[@TheSaneHatter]

Ahhh... good ol' charcloth. SO overlooked in most modern fire-starting tutorials, but a staple of outdoorsmanship for centuries. Yet, it would seem to be accessible and available still: I'm told you can make charcloth out of blue-jean fabric!

[@Rob88]

Nick Hentschel here are simplified instructions for char cloth. Place cotton based fabric squares loosley in a tin (think altoids can or round metal shoe polish can). Punch a small hole in center of lid with a nail or ice pick to allow gas to escape.Close tin then place on some still hot coals pulled to edge of fire, not too hot or flaming. Leave just until smoke stops exiting hole in tin. Carefully remove tin from heat and leave closed until cool to the touch. Once cool char cloth should be complete and ready to catch a spark.

[@grindstone4910]

I've made functional char cloth out of old Levi's and Haines t-shirts in an Altoids tin on the backyard BBQ. As long as it's 100% cotton, it'll work.

[@TheSaneHatter]

Grindstone That’s exactly what I’d heard of people doing.

[@TheSaneHatter]

busi magen Sawdust is another story: I’ve heard of people packing and using that, too.

[@smeghead666]

You can also make it out of a pair o boxer shorts if you have a course to teach in the morning...

[@michaelyates4236]

I spent a number of years as an USAF Survival Instructor. This was one of many fire starting techniques I taught my students. As I read the comments below some of you hit the nail on the head, practice, practice, practice! Nice informative video Townsends!

[@SeaCatFl]

Great Video When I was much smaller I watched Jeremiah Johnson and watched as he created a fire using Flint and Steel. That got me intrigued and soon after my Father bought me a Flint and Steel Kit. I have been hooked ever since. I have used everything from Fire Bows to Fire Steels as well as Matches and Lighters but the Flint and steel is my go to under any and all conditions. Ed

[@geralyntrejo8452]

Ed Cook Love Jeremiah Johnson!

[@parks51998]

Just caught up with this episode, great instruction. Had my doubts about this "bushcrafter" but he is a true woodsman. I learned how to char cloth at a lewis and clark festival in the 80s. The flintlock trick is really a timesaver. Thanks Jon and Dan.

[@DanCooper404]

This is literally what Dan does for a living. He's currently earning 7,000 new KZbin subscribers per day.

[@littlebitlaneslaughter1886]

Love when two of my favorite channels collaborate!

[@mkivy]

What we have today! So so taking life for advantage. Thank u gentlemen...I live in the coastal communities of SC...love the mountains of Appalachia...

[@flibbertygibbet]

I bought my first fire kit with flint and steel from Jas Townsends at Pennsic years ago. It's great. I love being able to make a fire without matches.

[@badad0166]

Solid Content on surprisingly recent history. This truly illustrates how scary far we have come in such little time.

[@mikewalrus4763]

Even more scary is the fact that one day we may have to go back to that way of living!

[@The177Hunter]

Bought one of your flint and steel kits waay back in 2010. Still have the original piece of flint and steel striker. Need to use it more often :/

[@danielhathaway8042]

This is a subject I enjoy teaching. Over the years I’ve learned of about 12 ways to light a fire with out matches or lighters. My favorite ready made char material is Cotten upholstery batting ( it basically a Cotten rope you can get at a fabric store). The two methods I teach are friction and flint and steel. Living in the Pacific Northwest keeping and getting dry tinder in the wet winters we have is difficult so after staring a fire I usually place tinder near the fire to dry. I also keep Cedar bark around as a nest material as it breaks down well and will burn when it’s damp. Though I know of many methods I’ve only mastered a few my traveling kit has what I need to use three flint, in our area we like chert, friction, and a burning glass ( something great to have along to get a closer look at something small. A method that intrigued me was in a Buckskining Book (don’t remember which volume). They described melting a icicle into a burning lens. Living on the Souther Oregon Coast we don’t get cold enough weather for the ice, so I haven’t tried it yet.

[@chasengrieshop]

Reminds me of when I made my own fire starter kit! It has home made charcloth, with some lighter knot pine wood (I live in NW Florida so we have a lot of slash pines), and pulled sisal rope jute and my Townsends flint. A friend of mine forged me a Striker though.

[@markchase5323]

Dan has an excellent teaching style working in the details of the process of flint and steel ignition, placing it in the historical context. He gained another sub today.

[@cosmodeus1720]

Was hoping this video would cover fire making outside of flint and steel. I did learn something though. I didn't know you needed a charred piece of cloth to make a fire with flint and steel. Thanks for the great video Townsends!

[@OakKnobFarm]

Char cloth is great to have in your emergency kit with matches, etc. It works surprisingly well. You can usually get it to smolder even with a spark from a dead butane lighter. Dryer lint works great too (you can pull lint from your socks, and many times the corners of the pockets in your pants or a flannel shirt) - but obviously these are modern survival materials, not historic. My preferred fire starter is a Swedish fire steel. It's on my keychain and goes with me every time I leave the house. You never know....

[@rickrussell]

You can light other things, they just have to be very flammable, very small/thin and very dry.

[@censusgary]

You don’t need a charred piece of cloth specifically; you need tinder. Tinder is any kind of fibrous material that ignites easily from sparks. Wood shavings, dry grass, punk wood (dry rotted wood) and cotton lint are just a few examples. You can almost always make some tinder from available materials.

[@cosmodeus1720]

Hobbes By that logic, there's not point to this video either.

[@garethbaus5471]

anything that is not charred is incredibly difficult to light with flint and steel. but ferro rods are a whole different ball game.

[@censusgary]

Lots of people in the 18th and 19th centuries carried fire boxes, also known as tinder boxes, or fire pouches. Such a box or pouch would usually contain a piece of flint, a piece of steel, and some tinder matierial. It was used not only to make campfires, but for tasks like lighting a tobacco pipe or an oil lamp. Sometimes you hear someone saying a certain situation or area of the world is a “tinder box”- meaning it is apt to ignite into a conflagration (i.e., violence or war). The person saying it may not even know where the expression comes from. You don’t need a special piece of steel to strike against flint. You can use a knife blade, a frying pan, a gun barrel, or any other object made of steel or iron. Of course, there are many other ways to start fires that don’t involve flint and steel. I hope Townsend’s will get to those in future episodes.

[@grindstone4910]

You are correct, but they are probably more focused on what was documented as being used for the period they focus on. Bow and hand drills weren't super common among the colonial settlers. Maybe they'd touch on that in a segment about indigenous peoples?

[@tallcedars2310]

Would like to see how they lit a pipe using F&S!

[@Spetsnaz0o1]

The same way they did in this video, just drop the charred material into the pipe. Job done

[@tallcedars2310]

Thanks RM, I'm not a smoker. So they would be adding bits of natural tinder to their tobacco, or does tobacco naturally take a spark? Thought they might get a stick on fire to light the pipe. Would still like to see it done tho.

[@garethbaus5471]

hardened steel produces more sparks then soft steel and stainless steel produces almost no sparks not all objects would work, so if the knife is stainless or differentially hardened then it might not be as effective. I am currently working on a differentially hardened knife(for aesthetic reasons) with about 1/8" of the spine left hard specifically for flint and steel

[@moseshorowitz4345]

When I was a kid they taught this in Boy Scouts. Hope they still do! As for the char tin, you can use an Altoids tin and it works great. Leather scraps also make for good char.

[@pleasenomore100]

Probably the most simple and best video i've seen about starting a fire.

[@chaosdream21]

he can start a fire with a rock and he uses the word "pithy" in normal conversation

[@mizzoupatriot8814]

I can and my Pop's and I say pithy when referring to over ripened watermelon lol.

[@kenjett2434]

Dan is quite skilled and extremely knowledgeable. I can see why he teaches this stuff and a excellent addition to Townsend's lineup of guests. I never get tired of this stuff and i firmly believe someday technology will be useless and we will need these skills.

[@leemcgann6470]

That’s good! Always keep the “next fire” mentality

[@JT-2012]

Great information. Igniting the Char cloth with the gun was handy. Thanks.

[@wickandde]

Imagine being lost in the woods with Dan though, I certainly wouldn't complain 🔥😂

[@davidfitzsimmons2451]

Here in the mountains of Pennsylvania I was taught an 'old mountain man' trick by someone. When looking for kindling that is just a step up above the dried grass, look for hemlock and similar pine trees. Hemlock has a fun little thing going for it where the bottom branches die off and dry while on the tree. The needles above keep it dry even in the rain, and you can run your hand along the branch pulling off a great number of small thing twigs that burn great. A great little tip especially when dealing with wet conditions, amazingly useful in the winter Let me also point out that the poison hemlock plant and the hemlock tree are completely different and not related at all.

[@Shipx7]

Hahaha, "What if we don't have a flint and steel?", answer: use a 17th century musket with a flint lock trigger!

[@whoodunit1789]

🤦 cause I do have one of those in my back pocket.

[@dmsmhic]

I thought he was holding that dude hostage for a minute there haha! "Just explain the char cloth technique and nobody has to get hurt ..."

[@jwenting]

which of course is made of flint and steel (and wood, so you have something to burn as well).

[@mongorians22]

I supposed you could use your bootlaces to make a fire bow, or even make cordage out of cedar bark and do the same. Failing that, you can use quartz in place of flint.

[@ThisIsSolution]

Flint lock trigger..... but you don't have flint!!!

[@captainfragger6295]

I want to thank you. For actually showing the way they really lit fires. Way back in the day. . Most people just use char cloth and we are expected to believe that's what they used. Char cloth was not used until. The late 1800s. Cloth cost money It was a big business. And no one wasted their cloth. Until it was completely worn out. Most people only have the clothes on their backs. Only the well-off people in cities Would even have extra cloth. Most of the people used Punk wood or various mushroom type plants depending on where they were at. It's almost a joke watching some of these guys get together. And light char cloth like they are really accomplishing something. . The thing is if you have your punk wood charred, right... it lights just as good if not better than the char cloth And if you keep it in a can. You just put the lid on and it goes out by itself. I personally use. A metal tobacco can which is the perfect size. And it lasts a long time. Unlike char cloth Which can be ruined. And used up quickly.

[@Hopeofmen]

Great video! I knew from Boy Scouts the triangle of fire, but I never knew about making a bird's nest.

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Very good information for re-enactors or those getting into a muzzle loading clubs. Those clubs are great family affairs. I moved away from the areas and no longer get the monthly camping weekends we use to do. Thanks for the memories and sharing with everyone.

[@JimmyJazz332]

This was fantastic. Great information and presented perfectly by Dan.

[@JohnSmith-td7hd]

Excellent information! I especially appreciated the explanation of the sparks. I've never heard it explained that it's airborne bits of hardened metal smoldering in the air!

[@PieterBreda]

Using a flint and steel is harder than it looks. Especially in a very wet country like the Netherlands.

[@markchase5323]

Hi Pieter, Being in WA State in the Pacific Northwest I agree with your comment. Here is another guy you might want to check out. The NW Primate channel UL: kzbin.info/door/zmTSIV94RNueSzZX20gmPQ. He's not real talkative. Good luck getting those fires going.

[@Bialy_1]

"Using a flint and steel is harder than it looks. " then maybe try using what he did "hardened steel". :P

[@oaksparoakspar3144]

The trick is to use one fire to build the next beyond just the charcloth. When you have one fire going, use it to dry abundant tinder and kindling as well. Dry fuel is light, and so long as you have a waterproof container for it and cover from the rain and wind, you can light a fire without trouble and without too much burden (more bulk than weight). A steel quart paint can or coffee can will be water tight and will hold an excessive fire kit. Also, when your fuel is wet you need more of it - since much of your heat is going to dry the fuel above it, meaning your stack will need to be a layer or two higher (more so if it is raining and you need the top layer of fuel to shed the rain like a roof on a burning cabin).

[@bobbyhempel1513]

Yes, practice makes perfect.

[@santiagocortez9554]

Orrrr here in humidity Philippines 😢😢😢😢😢

[@nicksancho5708]

This is great stuff for me as a dad to learn. My son is young but by time hes 5 ill be knowlegable and itll be so much fun! Cant wait to try all i can from your channel!

[@namename-mz1je]

It's just so nice to watch these videos, just by looking at the dude's face I can tell he is genuinely excited about what he is talking about.

[@ShinKyuubi]

I have my own flint and steel set myself, my dad loved camping and I'd like to get back into it myself so I have a few things to start fires with. Flint and steel, weatherproof matches and a modern lighter. From what I remember and understand a good rule of thumb when in the woods if you're camping is to have at least three different ways of starting a fire that you know how to use and CAN use that way if you lose one or something goes wrong you have a backup and a backup for the backup.

[@MaliciousMollusc]

THANK YOU for showing this! I know how to use modern firesteel but I didn't know how to use classic flint---I do now. Thanks for imparting this awesome knowledge!!

[@ShinKyuubi]

I've got my own flint and steel set so I can tell you it just takes a little practice on getting the technique right, do be careful of your knuckles though cause if you aren't careful you can cut your knuckles on the flint, another thing I learned is the shale that is usually around train tracks can be a good substitute for flint, the same for good quartz stones.

[@JamesRPatrick]

Good info regarding the punk wood. Lots of guides mention making char cloth but don't show you what to use if you run out of cloth or don't want to tear up your clothes.

[@breckdoesnotcompute6700]

That's was an awesome video! Could you do more frontier stuff like maybe cover the Lewis and Clark expedition?

[@mckenzie.latham91]

Always keep a lighter, pack of matches and a flint and steel stone in a satchel bag every time i leave the house or go for a walk in the woods, as well as a survival knife, never know when you might need to cut a splint (i’ve never had to but my mum fell and twisted her leg bad once while dog walking in the woods, the only reason she was able to make it back to her car/home is because it hadn't split her leg) or build a fire. This is a great channel.

[@Q-BinTom]

Love the collaborations with Dan. His channel is a great wealth of knowledge and just plane fun to watch

[@PipeSippingMason]

Brilliant video gentleman. Dan, you're a very clever and appreciated addition to this channel. Great content, simple, yet efficacious demonstrations. Thank you.

[@1959jimbob]

Excellent how to men. Keep up the good works!!!!

[@elsie9649]

I go back 3 years and learn something new. Thank you John.

[@joelucas7052]

Always love these outside vids, cant wait to drop into the store in Indiana :) passing thru on my way 2 Boston from Iowa

[@ShinKyuubi]

Oh you are lucky...I'd love to go to the physical store. Hope you find something good!

[@axolotlauto]

Remember traveling? Where in Iowa? I'm in Gilman

[@sharonallen6921]

What an awesome video. Thanks so much. Probably my biggest hindrance to camping outdoors - not being able to make a fire without modern conveniences to purify water, cook, clean/warm myself, warn away animals. I have the flint. I have a striker. And now I believe I can begin learning to make charcloth. I certainly am going to try. Who says you can't teach an old dog (I'm 61 today) new tricks! ~Sherrie

[@erinconner8099]

What a team...I love these episodes.

[@remylebeau8670]

Wonderful video as always. One thing I’d mention is for the last twenty or so years the fire triangle has been the fire tetrahedron. Heat, fuel, oxygen and a self sustaining chemical reaction....that is the reason behind needing tinder, to allow the chemical reaction. Thanks for the video as always. Would love to see more frontier videos along with the cooking videos.

[@johnnymayo8534]

Great series! Luv the outside historical videos!

[@jonathanrobertson3406]

Great video. I know I am late on the scene, but the way in which carbonated wool/cloth was recreated to be used later reminds me of the way in which bakers in previous times would take a small piece of leavened dough (which they kept in a small bag) to reintroduce into their next batch to keep the whole thing going, and then repeat ad infinitum. Great video as always Townsend.

[@beeble2003]

Been a while since I watched one of your videos. Great to see you’re still putting out the same high quality of material.

[@antidoteify]

Dan is such a gifted teacher, simple direction, practical, amd woth some seriousness that you can not not pay attention. thank you for sharing I learned a lot.

[@nicolemarly6202]

Hello fire daddy

[@mrdanforth3744]

Good ol' Nicole

[@hazzmati]

well I'll be damned even Townsends praised him

[@Marqan]

warms my heart to see Jon embracing the meme! and of course

[@ButterMuttSquash]

Oh wow, you finally got a like from daddy.

[@lovemesomeslippers]

Nicole Marly the Legendary Nicole

[@bobbiholliday5961]

I am so happy you have gotten dan as a featured person. He is a great resource. Keep it up guys! Amazing

[@candysantillo3325]

Fascinating Thank you ,fellas

[@truthinlovemama]

Just found your channel... I really like the culinary videos, but this is my favorite one so far. I spent two months at a wilderness camp ages ago. We used steel and quartz because quartz was plentiful in the mountains near Asheville. Altoid tins make great char cloth containers. Dead hemlock is a good flammable material for your birds’ nest. Thanks so much for including how to make char cloth! I couldn’t remember.

[@itsokaytobeclownpilled5937]

As usual, A++ excellent content. Thank you.

[@TommyTomTompkins]

Wya?

[@TheScoundrel70]

Really enjoying these collaboration videos. The period dress and such gives a very different feel to seeing Dan on Coalcracker.

[@robposton2439]

"What if youu don't have flint and steel?" "Then just use your flintlock tha everybody has in the woods, and use it's flint and steel." Haha

[@Destroy3612]

i always had assumed that the flint was the part that was scraped off and sparking. Great video !

[@MrKmoconne]

I've had the pleasure of making fire with flint and steel. Even if you are just lighting a campfire in your backyard, it's fun to do. I only wish Dan had talked a little more about having the right size of wood ready to feed that birdnest sized fire. Before the invention of matches, most homes in civilized world had a tinder box that they kept the flint and steel in. From China to Ireland, this was how people made fire since the invention of steel.

[@amberdavis6243]

Dakota?

[@frankfrank1168]

These two guys have amazing knowledge! Learned A LOT from them.

[@karmakameleon113]

I'm now officially prepared for the apocalypse, thanks to this channel.

[@11bravo4victor4]

Keep up all the good work. You're a great guy. America needs more people like you.

[@paulmckenzie5155]

Awesome video! Could you please do some quail and bear cooking?

[@mudrot9244]

Paul Mckenzie that would be very interesting to see

[@mrdanforth3744]

I want to see some ale and beer drinking.

[@VIDYMAE]

Yeaaaa Paul !!!

[@KairuHakubi]

aw maan don't eat bears, they're our pals. because we both eat meat :V herbivore meat! those are the rules.. usually. not in the ocean though

[@rosemcguinn5301]

Hang in there, Paul. We are all pulling for you.

[@Bashfuldoc]

Wonderful and informative! Fascinating to see how easy it is to make char cloth! I love your channel! Please never retire!!!

[@frankkristof8859]

Another great video..

[@klankfanclub3152]

How can ANYONE dislike Jon Townsend videos??? I love these videos! Educational and entertaining! Jon thanks for all you do!

[@saminthewoods]

Awesome bushcraft video!

[@saminthewoods]

Hobbes84 oh, and here i thought the audience here was polite and intelligent. Historical i agree, but bushcraft also. Notice how he teaches exactly how to strike the flint, and the correct questions asked. Not just "they used flint to start fire". That my friend, would strictly be historical. Guess that's 2 lessons you just learned from beta. Try to catch up

[@Tess1061]

that charred technique with the cloth + wood, etc, in the tin can --- genius. my god. so brilliant.

[@kan-zee]

1) When did Flint & Steel replace the bowdrill friction fire? 2) When did Matches replace the Flint & Steel? Great demo ...cheers.

[@Dewydidit]

"Due to wood rotting there is no evidence of friction fire until approx 4000BC (see further below) and it seems many historians\archaeologists surmise that flint&pyrite predates friction fire though no one knows for sure. " www.sacredhearthfrictionfire.com/history-of-fire.html

[@kan-zee]

@@Dewydidit thank you for the research sharing...I will investigate this further

[@SonofSethoitae]

Modern style self-igniting matches weren't developed until the 19th century, and didn't become widespread until the development of red phosphorus friction matches in the mid to late 19th century.

[@keithrayeski3147]

been busy as a beaver and sadly, have missed a lot of videos BUT....it gives me a chance to BINGE on TOWNSEND TEACHINGS!!!

[@HarshmanHills]

Ferro rod and tinder is my personal favorite

[@rickrussell]

Apparently the material for ferro rods (ferrocerium) was invented in 1903.

[@nathanrahl1880]

I've used hand and bow drills, Flint and steel and ferro rods. But if you know your gonna be deep in the woods Bic lighters would be fully embraced by our ancestors. Use what you have access to.

[@grindstone4910]

Fun fact! The lighter was invented before the match!

[@JohanKylander]

With Chaga.

[@killslay]

I like ferro rods but fire piston are cool, because they never run out

[@hamsack981]

These two together are awesome. I like this series.

[@mikemathews9277]

What can you tell everyone about Rain Gear.

[@willybee3056]

Dan's the man... But then so is Mr Townsend... Thanks,, and keep up the good work.

[@OakKnobFarm]

Dan: What would you use as natural tinder if your char cloth got ruined? Would cattail fluff work to catch the spark and smolder? Great video!

[@stephaniereiser2454]

He showed charring punk wood. You can also use amado (sp?).

[@Rob88]

Oak Knob Farm if your belly button is like mine you've always got a bit of tinder close to hand. 😉

[@EvanNovosad]

Oak Knob Farm I’ve found that if you can find tall grass (I’m not exactly sure what it actually is) that has stuff at the top of the plant it works well. This is an incredibly bad description of the plant, but it is something that at least looks similar to wheat.

[@stevethecountrycook1227]

Here is Southern Ill. we call them "Bull Rushes" Resembles wheat on top, highy combustable, grows around water alot.

[@grindstone4910]

Fluffy, dry plants can be used, some will burn much faster than others, which you will need to account for. I've use fresh milkweed seed pod fluff to catch sparks in a flash fire. I had to do it in the bird's nest and light the dry grass and reeds, rather than place it in after lighting. The dried ovum of the milkweed pod can also be used as a natural 'char cloth' without the need to char it. There's also certain fungi, availability of which vary by region. In the Southern climate where I am there's no real tinder fungus or Birch trees, but plenty of dry grass and cedar. The bark of the cedar is very stringy and fluffy and has flammable oils. The whole tree will light right up in a wildfire.

[@glenmorrison8080]

I've been meaning to borrow Cresswell's journal from the library for a while, but I keep forgetting. Watching Townsend's videos is like a constant reminder to do so.

[@m0314700308891515]

*Important note!!!* at this time in history cloth and textiles would be extremely valuable and therefore the last thing you would use for this! A tin of char punkwood or similar would be placed on the ground and the flint would be struck against the (stationery) steel to rain sparks into the tin. *this gentleman is very skilled but I wanted to note the historically more accurate method*

[@akumagouki8668]

Yes sir but it's also important to note that all cloth and textiles breakdown over time and will get torn and ripped by accident and there will be small pieces too difficult to use functionality and those would be used for charcloth instead of being discarded. My armpits in my shirts rot out after a few years lol I could only imagine how long an ancients took to wear out lol then you have viable charcloth!

[@copperbear8310]

Akuma my shirts used to do the same thing, then I got married and my wife made me start washing them once a week when I take my bath. They don't rot out any more. ;-)

[@c3pfett]

At approx 9:15 he says exactly that.

[@Melissa.Garrett]

Akuma Gouki Very true, that’s why patchwork was also an important skill during many periods in history. They could cut out the worn places and use the good parts for new items.

[@timswann9351]

I just created my first flint and steel fire! Thank you for helping with the basics.

[@h.a.mstudios1183]

Love fire making videos

[@towerclimber7277]

This was one of the very few videos I knew all of the material already but I still enjoyed it just the same, plus I'm sure there's tons of people that don't know any of the ways it used to be done, great video guys.

[@towerclimber7277]

Or any of the modern ways besides a match/lighter

[@JustinY.]

Praise the -sun- flame!

[@rivaraptor4277]

I finally found you! The iblis trigger

[@Joseph-pk7wu]

HA! I knew you'd be here!

[@JustinY.]

I'm a ninja, I'm in many places.

[@Joseph-pk7wu]

Yeah, that makes sense.

[@imeralvarez5]

No manches...

[@maxschaefer7429]

I always love to settle down to a good pioneer Jason bateman video