Overview of Bow and Drill Parts
and Tinder Collection

Top Row: Catail head, fibrous plants, wood chips, Pine sap Mid Row: Handhold, spindle, baseboard Bottom Row: Bow with rope

The Tinder
Tinder is generally abundant all year around--while raining, snowing, or 40 degrees below freezing. In general, gather your tinder on a South facing slope and not in the bottom of a valley. These areas will produce drier tinder (i.e., area with sun exposure & less heavy dews). Gather two types of tinder. 1) dead, fluffy plant material and 2) dead, fibrous plant material. The fluffy stuff is found on plants after they go to seed--available year-round. You do not need to know names of plants, just look for the seed pods and seed heads of plants (it is up to you to know and avoid the poisonous ones to touch or breath fumes from--Poison-ivy is one to avoid). A few plants that I have used include the Catail head, Milkweed, Bullrush, and Goldenrod--there is good material everywhere. The fibrous material is even easier to find or craft. Look for a plant that is dead and brittle. You can use dry leaves, bark, and wood chips too. Just make sure it is dry! Material on or near the ground is assumed wet, unless the sun has had a chance to dry it well.One last point: the fluffy tinder holds the coal, the fibrous tinder ignites. Use 1/3 fluff to 2/3 fibre and your tinder will ignite.

This tinder bundle is mixed with the proper ratio of fluff and fibre. Note that it is compacted well too. Make sure your hands are dry when you compact this material and do not place it on the ground--it is like a sponge for moisture.