An Incredible Alternative to Char Cloth - Fire Starter 

You can ignite fine steel wool with a dead AAA, AA or 9v battery. Just touch the wool to the negative and positive posts ...

+A Tapir Named Jeff How do you make char cloth without the fire in the first place?

+Troy Gibson make some before you leave, and make some more every time you make a fire. (preferably not char cloth, but some other natural material that you can replenish). that way you have the ability to make fire continuously.

+Troy Gibson With flint and steel, magnifying glass or bow drill. All of which require you to have a tinder bundle to blow the ember into. Then you make the char cloth which lights MUCH easier with f&s than trying to light the entire tinder bundle with the few sparks you get.

Troy Gibson you can start a fire without char cloth or steel wool... it just makes it easier. Sooo let’s say you will be there a while, you can work a little harder the first time and use that to make it easier for the next few times.

Troy Gibson that is either an attempt to insult the man, or troll him. if you can't toss in char cloth in your fire kit something is wrong with you. and even if you lost everything there is at the very least a pump drill, which can be a lot easier to make than a bow drill set, not to mention use. there are some good videos on how people make these in jungles. but ideally, you will have some fire kit on you. what's so hard about charging some toilet paper and putting it in a small zip lock? you don't need cotton. toilet paper works almost as good, I'd say it won't smolder as long, but catches cold sparks just as well. and I'm referring to 800 degree sparks from traditional Flint and steel, not the 3000 degree sparks from ferro. tried and tested personally. it don't take much to start that first fire. just gather tinder as you go, and each fire you make, resupply that charred material. the difference between carrying steel wool or char cloth initially is irrelivent. you can have either just as easy, and both have hardly any weight. one is just renewable, and can be lit by colder sparks from Flint, and be used in fire pistons. so it comes down to your application of the fire starter, and method of lighting it.

Thanks Jason. Take care of yourself. - Luke

+John L Bales Yeah, I turned to look out the window when the birds started up! LOL

Hey there Tom, actually it will ignite with flint and steel and as a matter of a fact I've gotten it to ignite with a piece of steel and quartz rock. Give it a shot amigo. ;) - Luke

TheOutdoorGearReview You should do a demo Luke! Although I can ignite charred material with quartz and steel I have never had any luck getting steel wool to ignite with Quartz or flint. Whats the secret? :) Looking forward to a demo!

@@TheOutdoorGearReview Have fun making more in the woods, not an alternative definitely.

That sounds great Larry. Remember that the key to all things is Practice. Cheers. my friend. - Luke

Thanks Zachary! Remember my friend, different strokes for different folks. haha Literally. Cheers! - Luke

Heh. Well done, sir!

I also use char wood. I leave the wood in my container and direct the sparks into it by striking down with the flint on the steel. I don't remove the ember. I let it spread in the container then just put the tinder against the embers and blow it into flame. First thing I do when I have a good fire is make more char wood to replace what I've used.

Awesome Jacko. Be well my friend. - Luke

Dryer lint is definitely amazing. Take care my friend and be well. - Luke

Awesome Benny! Take care my friend. - Luke

Well said Lt. Survival. - Luke

Cheers brother! Thanks for watching/commenting. - Luke

That sounds great Michael. - Luke

It works so incredibly well! Take care brother. - Luke

+Charles Collier Sure thing my friend. Take care. - Luke

Sure thing Luis. - Luke

Thanks brother. Take care. - Luke

No doubt Cara. Take care of yourself and be well. - Luke

Haha I know what you mean brother. I told my wife to collect some for me and a week later I have like 3 lbs of it! Cheers Wayne. - Luke

Heck yeah my friend. This day and age we all need to have both. Be well and take care. - Luke

Cotton balls and Vaseline works incredibly well! Cheers. - Luke

Thanks Opal. Cheers. - Luke

Showgirl7able1963....did you ever get your flint and steel to work?

@@donbrink1954 I did! It took some practice but here's what I do. I have a cast iron kettle put some tissue just a squirt of lighter fluid and a teeny steel wool. Hit the flint with the U shaped steel and the spark falls in the kettle and catches. I toss it right into the fireplace with hardwood tissue and newspaper. COZY FIRE!🔥 I can toss the whole kettle in and fetch it with the clamps that grab wood. That's only if the flame catches quickly in the kettle. Safer that way sometimes.

Rock on Liam. It works so incredibly well. - Luke

That is true Steve. Be well brother. - Luke

Hmm, now that is an interesting idea. I will give that a shot my friend. - Luke

Good to know

roxy martin :)

+Steve Stoddard I use my 9v battery to fire up my girlfriend's vibrator. Lights her up real good.

Sure thing my friend. Take care of yourself. - Luke