Survival Fire Pods: Flint and Steel Fire without Char

Like what you see? Want more? Visit us at..

and as always....
Stay in the Woods,

Dan

[floydsmith]

I've been watching bushcraft videos for a couple years now. (Including many of yours!!) Congratulations!! You made a video showing something, that I am almost certain, nobody else has ever shown!! Great job!!

[jackvoss]

As a kid in kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades during WWII, I gathered large quantities of milkweed pods I took it to school and hung the bags on the fence. It was collected, processed, and made into life jackets.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying

[robvegart]

You show here a natural no char method. I have been watching this Father & Son team from out west, known as Wilderness Strong Channel where they've actually found several basic natural plant materials which take to flint & steel when processed properly. They used processed plants like Mugwort, Stinging nettle, Water leaf, Burdock, and about 1 dozen other common plants which readily take to sparks in a few strikes. It is revolutionary what they have done. This here is revolutionary. The more options you have and the better prepared you are the more you stand to succeed in a survival situation.

[AlarmBushcraft]

Been looking at survival videos for years and have never seen this idea before. Excellent tool for the tool box.

[eamoncrawford]

Milkweed is one of the most awesome "visual wind check" while hunting. The wind will carry the little fibers and allow you to see direction, speed, currents, up/down drafts, et cetera. Having a resealable baggie, plastic pill bottle or other water tight container of the full dried pods is very handy.

[normanc.]

Very cool idea. As a kid we played with milkweed all the time who knew it was so versatile. Good thing to know. Thanks Dan be safe

[MichaelLHoel]

Michael L. Hoel
Nice video, very informative. Milkweed is one of my very favorite bushcraft plants. It makes excellent cordage, rivaling nylon in strength, young shoots, flowers, and green pods are edible. The fluff from winter pods, like yours, also makes a great fire starter. Place a pinch of fluff at the base of a tinder bundle. Direct a flint spark or fire rod spark at it and it will burst into flame like gasoline. The flash is very quick, but if positioned with the right tinder it will ignite dry grass or cedar fluff instantly. Fluff from other winter weed sources, like golden rod flowers, will also work, but is more laborious to gather. I will add your technique to my bushcraft knowledge. Thanks.

[arctodussimus]

An excellent substitute for char.
Just goes to show that even an old hiveranno like me can learn something new.

In the black powder community, we will make ‘rub-cloth’. Take your cotton material (I like to take used gun cleaning patches) and get it wet. Then rub some black powder into it. When it dries, it’s better than char-cloth. No need to carry a metal tin or build a fire first. Even if it gets wet again, it will work after it dries out.
Best when you are blowing your bundle into flames, it smells like fireworks.
😎

[VondaInWonderland]

Dang, I've been watching these kind of videos for years, and I've never even gone camping ♥

[billclancy]

Very thinly shaved mullein stalk will take a spark from flint & steel as well. Like the milkweed ovum, it must be dry. You can get many fire starts from a fairly short length of stalk. I keep a chunk along with other tinders in my kit.

[larryeddings]

I learned something today. Thanks for sharing.

[bobnancymiller]

Wow. Thank you or this. I have used chaga to catch a spark, but wasn't aware of this material's capability . One more tool in the box !

[briansherrillruralliving]

Good tip!! Thanks for that! I know what milkweed is and it's fairly common around here

[J.A.Smith]

AWESOME LESSON! As someone with tons of experience and also do an open to public lean-to at mississinewa 1812 I've never heard of seen of this and am excited to go try!!! Tks

[johnwyman]

That's a damn good tool for the tool box!!! I never even thought about that milk weed being a fire tinder. Hell Yeah !!!! Gonna give it a shot !!!

[o]

Informative video and valuable to know should anyone ever find themselves in a survival situation. I haven't seen this demonstrated before and wonder if there are other substitutes for char? Thank you.

[boundsgreenboy]

Loving your stuff as always, thank you Dan. 👍🇬🇧❤️

[ladyofthemasque]

I have never seen milkweed here in Western Washington. I just checked, and it turns out we have zero native species. They only exist east of the Cascades (Eastern WA), so it was really interesting to learn about a plant I wasn't familiar with. Thank you for the clear visuals!

[mjhill]

Cool. Completely new to me. Never seen this before.

[jessierobbins]

I learn more from you than I do Bear Grills. Good job!