Dave , you rock man. I got back to the outdoors because watching your videos reminded me how fun it was. So much so I am now involved with the Berkshire Mountain Search and Rescue team. Still in training but my preparedness is because of your videos, can't thank you enough.
Excellent video! Last summer I was at fort Ticonderoga and I watched a reenactor trying to get a piece of charcloth going with flint and steel. He had a really hard time but eventually got it lit. Later I suggested in an email that they use the muskets as you demonstrate. I was told that it would have been considered 'a misuse of military property.'
Dave Canterbury is the man; glad to be able to find you on youtube! All of your advice goes well in the great smoky mtns of NC; find myself using a lot of different techniques you've shown.
Dave I just tried doing this with your newer canteen cook set; putting the cup over the canteen like you do here with your water bottle. Worked like a charm, they all came out perfectly first try. Woot!
great stuff buddy! Just as a hint: if you shake the container where the cloth is in during the char process a bit, the cloth will char through and through at the first time! nod needing then for a second run. But I had to agree with you, that the char cloth is working even when its not chared completly! take care Mike
I made char cloth a while back out of denim. It has a really solid not crumbly quality to it that I think works great. Way more sturdy than tshirt material. And catches fire just as easy as tshirt stuff.
Oil lamp wick, mason or clothes line rope with the cotton filler all work great. But then again this vid simulating a situation when already on trail. Hudson Bay tinder box. Love that thing.
Love the video's, even when I already know what the subject matter is, I still watch and enjoy, can learn new methods to old tricks and such from them.
Hay Dave, Hope this note finds you well and happy, great video! I have the HBC tobacco tin and the magnifying glass (Burning glass) works great. Here in the sunny south it is my favorite method, flint & steel for backup! Regards and best to all, Pink
Hi, Thanks for your message. I think you are right. I have hammered the burrs around the hole and now it is just a tiny slit. Also, I took it off the fire after about 18 minutes and I got the results I wanted. I now have fire starting capability hanging around my neck. My family think I am mad because we live just outside London and there is a negligible chance that I will ever need it. Still they humour me because I was having fun! My next project is to make a knife. Regards, Steve
it got cold enough here in florida tonight to get the fire pit going so i took the chance to make some char-cloth. i had an old pair of pajama pants that had some holes so i cut them up and i have an old 6 inch round cookie tin that i use for making char-cloth. in my fire kit i have flint/steel, fire piston, mag bar and ferrocerium rod, fresnel len, water proof matches and a bag of char-cloth. i figure it cant hurt to have a few different ways to make fire.
I purchased one of those brass Hudson Bay Tobacco Tins from Daves store. It not only replaces the Altoid tin (with more room) as my fire kit, the magnifying glass works great, it can double as an emergency signal mirror, and the darn thing is manly looking. I'll be buying another one soon for my Grandsons pack. FYI... I bought my Grandson the Trade Knife (Tiger handle). Talk about bullet proof.I wouldn't hesitate using a baton and cut down a tree. The Trade Knife is the bomb.
Dave I enjoy your videos and products. I was wondering what were your conclusions on the yurt, and maybe this year could you take a hog or similar sized critter with the sling bow then process it? Thanks!
@equusignis "effect," while the usage is uncommon, is both a verb and a noun. To effect something is simply to bring it about, or make it happen. I would agree that he uses it far more often than most but it doesn't make it wrong.
Just spent and hour creating some ash - I think the hole was too big and I left it in the fire to long. I smell of smoke, have to wash all my clothes and my wife says I must shower before I go to bed. Maybe cotton wool and Vaseline? No, I will try again tomorrow... practice makes perfect. Thanks for the videos. I am learning a lot.
Instead of char cloth, would it make sense to make small clumps of charcoal out of wood, if you have something like a ferro rod to get it lit next time and wanted something that would burn longer to get a fire going?
I use a small airtight tin with a lid like a paint can (spice tin) with a small hole in the lid that can be sealed with a round toothpick, when the smoke stops coming out of the hole it is done take it out of the fire and plug the hole with the toothpick. I have packed it very full (but not packed) and never had any partly done char cloth it is always all black (when it is very full it takes longer). Any tight sealing tin will do just put a less than toothpick diameter hole in the lid.
the pin hole in the altoids tin only allows the smoke to bellow out since the inside of the tin will be pressurized with hot air and smoke, not letting any oxygenated air into the tin. this is why you plug the hole when the smoke stops to reduce the chance of oxygenated air to get in and light the char up.
I sure like the looks of that new stainless Pathfinder cup Dave is using! What is the capacity? It looks bigger than the Vargo titanium cup (which holds 750 ml.) In one of the videos Dave said the cup will have butterfly handles. I hope they are located near the top of the cup rather than near the center. It will make the cup balance better when full and will better clear a windscreen when used with an alcohol stove.
Do you think you should of used the bottle side first when you put it in the fire...maybe the cup top needed to let the smoke out better. (put that side on the outside of the fire) I don't get the oxygen thing, because yo poke a hole in the top of an Altoids tin. I set it on top of the fire, suspending it and i could tell when the smoke goes out. Then boom it is done. That smoke is key to the cloth cook time.
Dave were in the heck did you get that tobacco can.I sure would like to have one of those.I smoke a pipe and when I do not have a lighter handy i always have a magnifying glass in my pocket. i use that to light my cigars and ciggs
If you want a super easy way to make char cloth at home, just double or triple wrap some old cloth in tinfoil, flatten it out real good, and throw it on the bbq when cooking a steak. Always works for me, when steak is done, turn off the bbq, by the time your done eating, you have charcloth.
Another wonderful video I like to chat oil lamp wicks from wal-Mary six pack is cheap and it doesn't seem to crumble away like chared cotton t-shirt although it all burns well, and thanks for the new phrase too "rip snortin"fire!!! I live it keep em comin Dave your better than satellite brother god bless!!!
Is it possible to use cotton material that's too thin? I stripped up an old undershirt (Archie Bunker type) and charred it. Would not take a spark...what's up DAVE
would burlap fabric work to make char cloth. the burlap i use in my bee smoker looks like the char cloth in the video when i pull it out and start the smoker for the next use.
@wildernessoutfitters if you are just trying to get your char cloth lit wouldnt the fire piston have enough of an ember. if i can get it figured out i will send a video of me lighting one and when i get another one built i will send it to you so you can look at it and tell me what you think
never tried it, but I can't see why not. but it's best to use punky wood in very small piece to get a thorough char, the punky wood is less dense and easier to char then solid wood.
i need help... i made some char cloth in an altoids tin on my backyard gas grill. i wasn't sure if it would work, but when i took the tin off the grill, the cloth was black. i used an old 100% cotton t-shirt that i cut into patches about 3"x3". the pieces look perfect, but they aren't taking a spark. when it does take a spark, i can see it crawl for a few mm before dying out. i'm not sure what went wrong, but it's not igniting like i always see in demos. any idea what went wrong? thanks.
question: wouldn't it take less time to just buy a lighter or book of matches and be easier to carry with you and start a fire with? It just seems like a whole lot of extra work to start a fire with char cloth and anything like flint and steel
OK Dave, i have something cool you should try. Look up Chared punk wood on YT. Its made the same exact way as making char cloth but your using a renuable resource found in dead trees. Woodsmen used to use chared punk wood back in the 18th century, in my opinion its better than cutting your rags or clothes up in a survival situation. Hope you see this, thanks.
if you needed to, you could use a cartridge gun to make fire too, you just remove the load, powder and all from the cartridge case, put your charcloth in the case or barrel and fire, then remove the burning charcloth and use it like normal. maybe this would be a good future demonstration for your viewers?
oh, and since your container (tinfoil) is the exact same size as the charcloth, there is no residual oxygen like that in a canteen container. I find this make the charcloth burn alot brighter, and come out just a bit thicker and stronger.
Looking forward to the vid on making a steel from a file, as I have an old one I've been using to test rock hardness. I've viewed the one you did a few years ago. Hope you bring a hammer and anvil this time.
Hello Mr. Canterbury, I had no idea you were in the Dual Survival show. That is awesome. I was wondering, what setting you were in that gave you the most fear? I've only seen two shows so far, but the one where you're bogged down in the Brazilian forest seems terrifying (caiman, piranhas, etc.). Take care.
For curiositys sake, may attempt making char cloth using a glass bottle. Poke a hole in the cap, set it close to the fire, then film it. I wonder what it would look like?
I have made char cloth out of toilet paper.Makes great char cloth. It just burns to fast It take a spark real fast. so you have to have your bird nest right on top of it
Y'know I was wondering: Why do people always think of FIRING the gun to get a fire going? If you poured the powder out & struck a flint/ferro rod into it, that would light it & not blow apart the tinder bundle. It IS fun to fire guns, but it seems like it would defeat the purpose in this case (or just be less convenient).
Dave , you rock man. I got back to the outdoors because watching your videos reminded me how fun it was. So much so I am now involved with the Berkshire Mountain Search and Rescue team. Still in training but my preparedness is because of your videos, can't thank you enough.
Excellent video! Last summer I was at fort Ticonderoga and I watched a reenactor trying to get a piece of charcloth going with flint and steel. He had a really hard time but eventually got it lit. Later I suggested in an email that they use the muskets as you demonstrate. I was told that it would have been considered 'a misuse of military property.'
Dave Canterbury is the man; glad to be able to find you on youtube! All of your advice goes well in the great smoky mtns of NC; find myself using a lot of different techniques you've shown.
4:02 a "rip snorting fire" is a great way to describe it.
another informative vid Dave. At home I make char cloth using a single burner butane stove, and it seems to produce perfect char cloth every time.
Dave I just tried doing this with your newer canteen cook set; putting the cup over the canteen like you do here with your water bottle.
Worked like a charm, they all came out perfectly first try. Woot!
great stuff buddy!
Just as a hint: if you shake the container where the cloth is in during the char process a bit, the cloth will char through and through at the first time! nod needing then for a second run. But I had to agree with you, that the char cloth is working even when its not chared completly!
take care
Mike
Thank for your help. Made some char cloth this weekend. Works great. Can't wait to teach the scouts in my son's troop.
Yours,
Doug
I made char cloth a while back out of denim. It has a really solid not crumbly quality to it that I think works great. Way more sturdy than tshirt material. And catches fire just as easy as tshirt stuff.
Great Video Dave! What a great resource! Your experience and teaching is without peer!
Oil lamp wick, mason or clothes line rope with the cotton filler all work great. But then again this vid simulating a situation when already on trail. Hudson Bay tinder box. Love that thing.
Love the video's, even when I already know what the subject matter is, I still watch and enjoy, can learn new methods to old tricks and such from them.
Hay Dave, Hope this note finds you well and happy, great video! I have the HBC tobacco tin and the magnifying glass (Burning glass) works great. Here in the sunny south it is my favorite method, flint & steel for backup!
Regards and best to all,
Pink
Hi, Thanks for your message. I think you are right. I have hammered the burrs around the hole and now it is just a tiny slit. Also, I took it off the fire after about 18 minutes and I got the results I wanted. I now have fire starting capability hanging around my neck. My family think I am mad because we live just outside London and there is a negligible chance that I will ever need it. Still they humour me because I was having fun! My next project is to make a knife. Regards, Steve
Excellent, detailed video! Learn something new with every one and have been able to apply much of it. Thank you!!
it got cold enough here in florida tonight to get the fire pit going so i took the chance to make some char-cloth. i had an old pair of pajama pants that had some holes so i cut them up and i have an old 6 inch round cookie tin that i use for making char-cloth. in my fire kit i have flint/steel, fire piston, mag bar and ferrocerium rod, fresnel len, water proof matches and a bag of char-cloth. i figure it cant hurt to have a few different ways to make fire.
I saw you and Cody making this on Dual Survival :) Thanks for posting it here.
Very cool ways to ignite char cloth! Thanks for showing!
Dave , the best tinder is a frito lay ! Those thing will burn forever no matter how old they are .
I purchased one of those brass Hudson Bay Tobacco Tins from Daves store. It not only replaces the Altoid tin (with more room) as my fire kit, the magnifying glass works great, it can double as an emergency signal mirror, and the darn thing is manly looking. I'll be buying another one soon for my Grandsons pack. FYI... I bought my Grandson the Trade Knife (Tiger handle). Talk about bullet proof.I wouldn't hesitate using a baton and cut down a tree. The Trade Knife is the bomb.
Dave I enjoy your videos and products. I was wondering what were your conclusions on the yurt, and maybe this year could you take a hog or similar sized critter with the sling bow then process it? Thanks!
Excellent Video Dave.
I only Noticed one mia item for igniting char cloth
a fire piston.
@equusignis "effect," while the usage is uncommon, is both a verb and a noun. To effect something is simply to bring it about, or make it happen. I would agree that he uses it far more often than most but it doesn't make it wrong.
Just spent and hour creating some ash - I think the hole was too big and I left it in the fire to long. I smell of smoke, have to wash all my clothes and my wife says I must shower before I go to bed. Maybe cotton wool and Vaseline? No, I will try again tomorrow... practice makes perfect. Thanks for the videos. I am learning a lot.
Instead of char cloth, would it make sense to make small clumps of charcoal out of wood, if you have something like a ferro rod to get it lit next time and wanted something that would burn longer to get a fire going?
Good video with good information as always. Keep up the good work Dave.
I use a small airtight tin with a lid like a paint can (spice tin) with a small hole in the lid that can be sealed with a round toothpick, when the smoke stops coming out of the hole it is done take it out of the fire and plug the hole with the toothpick. I have packed it very full (but not packed) and never had any partly done char cloth it is always all black (when it is very full it takes longer). Any tight sealing tin will do just put a less than toothpick diameter hole in the lid.
Dave, I miss you on that show, you were that show! you forgot more than that other guy ever knew. all the best***** Gary
the pin hole in the altoids tin only allows the smoke to bellow out since the inside of the tin will be pressurized with hot air and smoke, not letting any oxygenated air into the tin. this is why you plug the hole when the smoke stops to reduce the chance of oxygenated air to get in and light the char up.
I sure like the looks of that new stainless Pathfinder cup Dave is using! What is the capacity? It looks bigger than the Vargo titanium cup (which holds 750 ml.) In one of the videos Dave said the cup will have butterfly handles. I hope they are located near the top of the cup rather than near the center. It will make the cup balance better when full and will better clear a windscreen when used with an alcohol stove.
Do you think you should of used the bottle side first when you put it in the fire...maybe the cup top needed to let the smoke out better. (put that side on the outside of the fire) I don't get the oxygen thing, because yo poke a hole in the top of an Altoids tin. I set it on top of the fire, suspending it and i could tell when the smoke goes out. Then boom it is done. That smoke is key to the cloth cook time.
Like the new intro, and its less than 20sec = perfect!
Love the new design for your water and cup dave have to order and use in one of my videos. Regards Adrian
Dave were in the heck did you get that tobacco can.I sure would like to have one of those.I smoke a pipe and when I do not have a lighter handy i always have a magnifying glass in my pocket. i use that to light my cigars and ciggs
Dave kicks ass. I really like a lot of other survival guys stuff but Dave is my favorite by far. His videos get to the f#@^ing point too. Awesome.
If you want a super easy way to make char cloth at home, just double or triple wrap some old cloth in tinfoil, flatten it out real good, and throw it on the bbq when cooking a steak. Always works for me, when steak is done, turn off the bbq, by the time your done eating, you have charcloth.
Another wonderful video I like to chat oil lamp wicks from wal-Mary six pack is cheap and it doesn't seem to crumble away like chared cotton t-shirt although it all burns well, and thanks for the new phrase too "rip snortin"fire!!! I live it keep em comin Dave your better than satellite brother god bless!!!
Is it possible to use cotton material that's too thin? I stripped up an old undershirt (Archie Bunker type) and charred it. Would not take a spark...what's up DAVE
Tons of information here. Thanks Dave.
Another great video Dave Regards Adrian
That's Awsome ! Thanks Dave for the great videos...
never heard ''rip snortin'' before. I like it!
Great video. Dave do you sell a bow drill set on your web site.
i made char clith in my mini oven in my house and it worked great the fumes came out and no air went in.
Dave, have you done a review on your new habilis pathfinder trade knives? I would love to see one if you haven't
Will the SS bottle and cup work when trying to turn small pieces of wood into charcoal?
Great information!
Is that the smoothbore we looked at in Indy?
Could tin foil be used in a pinch (w/ steel bottle) instead of the steel cup to make char cloth?
I like that flintlock !!
would burlap fabric work to make char cloth.
the burlap i use in my bee smoker looks like the char cloth in the video when i pull it out and start the smoker for the next use.
Great video. Keep em coming.
Very cool Dave.. thanks for the great video =D
I use an altiods tin with a small whole in the top to make char cloth; works well but can't heat to much at a time
dave could the heat from the fresnel lens possibly melt the lens ???
@xb100 it's not yet on the website, he said it's coming soon
@wildernessoutfitters if you are just trying to get your char cloth lit wouldnt the fire piston have enough of an ember. if i can get it figured out i will send a video of me lighting one and when i get another one built i will send it to you so you can look at it and tell me what you think
Anyone know a ballpark amount of time the bottle should stay on the fire? Would I have a negative result if I left it on the fire too long?
never tried it, but I can't see why not. but it's best to use punky wood in very small piece to get a thorough char, the punky wood is less dense and easier to char then solid wood.
i need help... i made some char cloth in an altoids tin on my backyard gas grill. i wasn't sure if it would work, but when i took the tin off the grill, the cloth was black. i used an old 100% cotton t-shirt that i cut into patches about 3"x3". the pieces look perfect, but they aren't taking a spark. when it does take a spark, i can see it crawl for a few mm before dying out. i'm not sure what went wrong, but it's not igniting like i always see in demos. any idea what went wrong? thanks.
question: wouldn't it take less time to just buy a lighter or book of matches and be easier to carry with you and start a fire with? It just seems like a whole lot of extra work to start a fire with char cloth and anything like flint and steel
I char my cloth over a small butane camping stove. Works fine.
I have made a lot of char cloth and I find that jeans work the best. The weave isn't as tight as a t-shirt or underwear.
Excellent Demo! Thanks! This was most helpful!
Good information, as always, thanks Dave.
Excellent video!
Brilliant as ever..
Can it be possible to ignite char cloth by striking it between two rocks?
OK Dave, i have something cool you should try. Look up Chared punk wood on YT. Its made the same exact way as making char cloth but your using a renuable resource found in dead trees. Woodsmen used to use chared punk wood back in the 18th century, in my opinion its better than cutting your rags or clothes up in a survival situation. Hope you see this, thanks.
Dave, what actually constitutes a "rip snorting fire"? LOL just kidding brother! Another great video thanks for everything you do for US!!!
if you needed to, you could use a cartridge gun to make fire too, you just remove the load, powder and all from the cartridge case, put your charcloth in the case or barrel and fire, then remove the burning charcloth and use it like normal. maybe this would be a good future demonstration for your viewers?
sooo you can make char cloth type material out of say. wood shavings?
oh, and since your container (tinfoil) is the exact same size as the charcloth, there is no residual oxygen like that in a canteen container. I find this make the charcloth burn alot brighter, and come out just a bit thicker and stronger.
in a pinch i think it would.. i would personally make it 2 or 3 ply so you dont burn any holes into the foil
Thanks for sharing your skills.
Great video! Well done.
Looking forward to the vid on making a steel from a file, as I have an old one I've been using to test rock hardness. I've viewed the one you did a few years ago. Hope you bring a hammer and anvil this time.
why did u put the mag lens in a zip? I though they were waterproof? or was it to protect the lens?
I would like to know where you found that big Ferrocerium rod? Never saw one that big.
Can you use char cloth as a water filter?
Can you use an altoids tin to make char cloth?
Great video, what the heck is the name of the song at the beginning, and who sings it?
I need to make some char cloth and store in my search and rescue bag.
@wildernessoutfitters Would you recommend the kabar usmc full size as a survival knife?
WOW!! I was impressed!!
Dave,
can you use a oil lantern wick?
Hello Mr. Canterbury,
I had no idea you were in the Dual Survival show. That is awesome. I was wondering, what setting you were in that gave you the most fear? I've only seen two shows so far, but the one where you're bogged down in the Brazilian forest seems terrifying (caiman, piranhas, etc.).
Take care.
Does the cloth or char material shrink at all when you do this?
For curiositys sake, may attempt making char cloth using a glass bottle. Poke a hole in the cap, set it close to the fire, then film it. I wonder what it would look like?
dave why are comments blocked on so many of your videos? nice method on the char cloth
How much char cloth do you keep in your fire kit? Iv made about 3- 2"x3" squares is this enough to keep in my altoid tin.
Great vid dave learned alot from your vids
i like the cog lands fire steel rods they are cheep and just as good as the light my fire
I have made char cloth out of toilet paper.Makes great char cloth. It just burns to fast
It take a spark real fast. so you have to have your bird nest right on top of it
Dave, you are boss.
MORE SURVIVAL CLINICS PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLANT MEDICINE ESPECIALLY. THEY ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!!
Which knife are you using in this video Dave...is that the new one at the Pathfinder School website?
great video even no i new this. learned from the best thanks
What part of the Walgreens would you go to to ask for the fresnel lens? I am not understanding why they would they give me something free?
Y'know I was wondering: Why do people always think of FIRING the gun to get a fire going? If you poured the powder out & struck a flint/ferro rod into it, that would light it & not blow apart the tinder bundle. It IS fun to fire guns, but it seems like it would defeat the purpose in this case (or just be less convenient).
Thanks for the video brother.