Tinder Bundles

The tinder bundle. Your primary aid in getting a fire going when using more natural methods. Think friction fire, flint & steel, etc. Such methods necessitate its use. Its appearance should be akin to a birds nest.

You can wrap up the bundle in many ways, but the main thing is to get the middle of your bundle packed full of fine and fibrous matter and then opt for progressively larger material on the outside. The centre basically acts as a coal extender or as a receiver for your spark, and serves to further build the heat and size of the coal that develops within it. Once enough heat generates here it’ll ignite the rest of your bundle. The tinder bundle is what you’ll use to get your fire going, so it needs to be able to stay alight long enough to ignite your kindling. Usually 10 seconds of constant flame exposure should be enough for your kindling to take off if it has been chosen correctly. I’ve heard of some well-constructed tinder bundles burning on their own for over 10 minutes. The bigger the bundle, the better. If it’s too small, your coal may burn a hole through the material or it may not burn long enough to get your primary fire going.

Start by gathering the driest, lightest, finest and most fibrous materials you can. In this instance I’ve used a mixture of Sheok needles and broken down Jarrah bark for the bulk of it, along with wool from the base of a Zamia Palm and the processed outer of a dead flower cone from a Banksia tree in the centre. When processing any material for this purpose, especially that which will sit in the centre, try to use circular motions with your hands as opposed to linear ones. Put something down underneath your working area to catch everything. In this image I’ve wrapped the bundle by gently folding the needles and bark in half, simply keeping it closed with my hands wrapped around the tail end of it. You can tie off the end with some green grass or other cordage if inclined. From this point you place your finest material in the centre and pack it down nicely. The most dust-like matter should go atop all else in the very middle and then it’s ready to go.