14d • AFTER-ACTION REPORTS
Feb. Skills Challenge: Natural Tinder
Working on this challenge involved two resource walks and a solid trip to my dry storage. On the first snowshoe walk I identified and harvested grass, flower tops, and birch bark. I also found a pine tree that has great potential for Fatwood. I had cedar bark in dry storage from a harvesting last summer and milkweed pods from last fall. I processed down two piles of cedar bark and kindled one with a ferro rod and one with flint & steel. Actually the charred punkwood was sparked with a piece of flint and my 1095 steel Migizi Bushcraft & Survival Knife. I specifically mention this because until recently, this is a skill that has alluded me. I also harvested two pieces of Fatwood from my dry storage, procured from a job site last fall. You can see on one of the pieces where I tested it in the field. I processed down the punk wood around the Fatwood, which would have been much easier with a hatchet but the Fatwood carved feathers very nicely, I was able to scrape some power with the spine of my knife and this easily lit with the ferro rod (and striker). I was under the impression that milkweed pod fluff was flash tinder but this was not the case. It smoldered just like charred material (and stink) but I was able to blow the fluff into a flame against the actual pod. I used that to start Saturdays fire.
My second snowshoe hike was out at the family homestead where I knew there were cattail tops. I found tops of various degrees of degeneration and harvested several of each. I have not kindled this patch of grass and flower tops yet and still need to investigate the uses of the cattail. I will add to this in the comments. Darned wedding next weekend that is going to compromise my availability. Not a relative but close enough that there are expectations.
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Feb. Skills Challenge: Natural Tinder
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