How to Make Char Cloth – Anybody who wants to start a fire outdoors, whether you’re using primitive methods such as rubbing sticks to create friction, or using a survival lighter, or a waterproof match, you’ll need to have plenty of good tinder.
One of the best types of tinder is undoubtedly char cloth.
Char cloth, as the name suggests, is literally just organic cloth that’s been turned into charcoal.
Unlike most other types of prepared tinder, you can make ample supplies of char cloth with a very limited set of tools. As long as you have plenty of old cloth to spare you can follow these easy steps.
1. You’ll need to find a Fireproof Tin to make Char Cloth
An Altoid box is ideal! You may already have a few. Altoid boxes are a mainstay storage container for preppers and survivalists. They’re the ideal size and shape for holding emergency survival kits.
If you can’t find and Altoid tin and you haven’t any time to plan, then a soda can with some tin foil will do the job. Even an old school cookie tin should work.
Before people knew how to work tin and steel, people would wrap plant materials in a series of green leaves and then put them in a clay pot.
We’ll assume that you’re using a modern tin. First up, you’ll want to punch a small hole in the top so smoke can escape.
Depending on the size of the tin in question, you may need to make a hole in the bottom as well as the top. In either case, don’t make either hole any bigger than maybe ⅛”. Possibly even a little smaller.
2. Use Natural Plant-based Cloths
Put some cloth in the tin. The cloth needs to packed nice and loose. Don’t pack it too tightly or the cloth isn’t going to char evenly.
You’ll probably want to cut the cloth down to maybe 2″ x 2″ pieces.
Make sure the cloth you use is actual cotton, silk, or bamboo fabric. Basically, any type of cloth that’s completely natural.
Any synthetic cloth, such as polyester, isn’t going to catch fire. Bits of clothing that has been treated with fireproofing compound won’t work either. Neither will wool no matter how natural it is.
Cloth from thin material, like that used to make undershirts, tends to light up the fastest. They’ll ignite easier too. Terrycloth bath towels, old cotton shirts and canvas all make great char cloth. Genuine denim jeans will too, but it can take longer to ignite.
3. Heat the Tin
As soon as you have the cloth loosely positioned inside of the tin, you can put it on a heat source. This could be a portable camping stove or over a set of hot coals.
You’ll then need to wait until you see smoke coming out of the hole in lid of the tin. Once smoke can be seen, you need to flip the tin over so that the cloth chars evenly.
4. Remove the Tin from the Heat Source
Remove the tin from the fire or stove as soon as it has stopped smoking. If you don’t take it off within half a minute of not seeing smoke, then your char cloth could get exposed to oxygen and simply burn away.
If you’re making char cloth over a bed of hot coals, then you can probably just push the tin to a cooler section of your pit. Then let it rest for a moment.
In either case, you need to then plug the hole or bury the tin. This prevents air from rushing in and ruining your char cloth.
5. Open Up the Tin – Voila! You’ve just Learned How to Make Char Cloth!
Wait until after the tin has already cooled off before you open it up. If it’s still too hot to touch, then it’s simply too hot to open up. It may combust if you do.
Once it’s nice and cool, you can get out the char cloth. And put it with the rest of your tinder. Char cloths won’t make a flame but it will catch sparks and turn them into embers. Embers that you can use to ignite other pieces of tinder or kindling. This is especially useful for anyone who plans on starting a fire the old fashioned way. With a piece of steel and flint.
Chances are that you’ll find char cloth so useful you’ll want to make more of it time and time again. So you may want to set up a designated place to do so.
