MAKING YOUR OWN CHARCLOTH TINDER FOR SURVIVAL FIRE-STARTING

[gordi]

So.. why burn your cloth first..? It seems to make little sense, as the cloth itself is a combustible material, and does seem quite dry as a whole, which apparently catches fire rather handily without need for pre-burning the cloth.. 

So.. why go through the trouble of burning the cloth prior to needing to burn it to start a fire.. 

Dumb question day..

Hi Grace! ***waves***

The cloth isn't actually burned, it's charred.
Charring removes all the moisture and leaves a VERY combustible material which will take a tiny spark (from your Fire Steel) and create a GLOWING EMBER with which you can then easily start a fire.

I can assure you that Cotton Cloth won't hold an ember (or catch on fire directly from a stray spark) very easily at all, without charring first.

The idea of this type of tinder isn't that it will "catch fire", it's that it will catch a Spark and create an Ember which will be hot enough (and last long enough) to make a fire from it.

Even dry paper won't catch a spark and create as good an ember as charcloth.

kindest regards,
G

Oh, I forgot to say that it is VERY LITTLE trouble to do! (Rip or cut the cloth into small squares and pop it in a tin!)
It takes seconds to prepare and 3-4 minutes to char, but remember - it COULD save your life one day.