Keith
City-dweller
Bushfire close but safe now. Getting some good rain.
Posts: 990 
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Post by Keith on Feb 7, 2019 0:50:00 GMT -7
'Our party having separated, the important articles of tinder and matches were in the baggage of the division which had proceeded: and as the night was rainy and excessively dark, we were, for some time, under anxiety, lest we should have been deprived of the comfort and security of a fire. Fortunately, my powder-flask was in my saddlebags, and we succeeded in supplying the place of tinder, by moistening a piece of paper, and rubbing it with gunpowder. We placed our touch paper on an old cambric handkerchief, as the most readily combustible article in our stores. On this we scattered gunpowder pretty copiously, and our flint and steel soon enabled us to raise a flame, and collecting dry wood, we made a noble fire.
www.mocavo.com/Notes-on-a-Journey-in-America-From-the-Coast-of-Virginia-to-the-Territory-of-Illinois/976642/97 Keith.
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Post by straekat on Mar 2, 2019 12:07:12 GMT -7
I've tried this a few times, although with the cost of black powder not getting any less expensive, flint/steel/char still does the trick.
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Keith
City-dweller
Bushfire close but safe now. Getting some good rain.
Posts: 990
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Post by Keith on Mar 2, 2019 15:39:24 GMT -7
I absolutely agree, but it takes little gunpowder to accomplish this, & this method is only meant to be employed when or if you find yourself without any prepared tinder. I try to make sure that I always have dry plant or fungus tinder material with me, & carry some spare in an empty gunpowder bag in my knapsack. But sometimes in winter this can be used up pretty quickly. I am always on the lookout for more tinder along the trail, but it is not always to be found dry. Still I have never failed to make fire one way or another using flint, steel & tinderbox.
Keith.
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