How To Make Char Cloth: 4 Steps (With Pictures)

As an associate survival instructor for The Pathfinder School, one of the very first skills we teach students is how to make char cloth. It’s without a doubt one of my favorite skills to teach due to how valuable it is.

Whether you’re camping, going through survival training, or simply love being in nature, it pays to know simple survival skills. Among these, knowing how to make char cloth stands out as a fundamental technique.

Fire making is a critical survival skill, and char cloth plays a pivotal role in traditional flint and steel fire making, enhancing the reliability and effectiveness of igniting tinder.

Char cloth serves as a reliable fire-starting material, particularly in adverse conditions. In this guide, we’ll walk through the step-by-step process of creating char cloth, explore its significance, and discuss alternative methods for charring materials.

What Is Char Cloth?

Char cloth is a highly flammable material created by charring 100% cotton fabric, an organic material, in a controlled environment, such as a metal container in a fire (or by being buried under a bed of coals). Char cloth can be ignited with just a single spark from a weak source such as a flint and steel (which is the true benefit of charred material).

For the science nerds- it undergoes pyrolysis, the thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures in the absence of oxygen, transforming the cotton into a blackened, carbon-rich substance that readily catches fire from even the smallest spark, making it an essential tool for starting fires in various outdoor conditions.

How to Make Char Cloth: Step By Step

Here’s an easy step by step guide on how to make char cloth.

1. Gather 100% Cotton Material

The first step in making char cloth is selecting the right material. Opt for 100% cotton fabric, such as an old t-shirt, denim jeans, cotton balls, or specifically an old, white, cotton t-shirt. It’s crucial to use 100% cotton, whether it’s cotton balls, pieces of an old t-shirt, or denim, as cotton undergoes carbonization evenly when exposed to heat.

Cut the fabric into small squares or rectangles, as large as you want, because they will shrink quite significantly.

2. Place Cotton Material In Tin Can/ Metal Container

Next, take your cotton pieces and neatly arrange them inside a metal container, such as a small tin or metal tin. Popular choices include Altoids mint tins or an old metal canister, which work well for this purpose due to their tight-fitting lids that prevent oxygen from entering during the charring process.

At the Pathfinder School, we have students place materials inside a metal single walled water bottle with the nesting cup on top. This creates a small enough gap to not allow the material to burn but gasses can still escape.

It’s crucial to punch a small hole in the lid of the tin for ventilation, ensuring gases can escape and prevent pressure build-up. If you’re using an altoids can, the hinges in the can are enough to allow gasses to escape.

Fill the container with enough cotton pieces to ensure a sufficient supply of char cloth once the process is complete.

3. Place Container In Fire

Once the cotton is arranged inside the metal container, it’s time to initiate the charring process. Place the container on or near a heat source, such as a campfire, wood stove, kitchen range, or camping stove, ensuring it’s directly exposed to the heat.

Ensure that the lid is securely closed to maintain an oxygen-free environment inside the container. As the heat source warms the metal container, the cotton will undergo pyrolysis, transforming into char cloth.

4. Wait For Container To Cool Off And Pull From Fire

After placing the container in the fire, exercise patience as you wait for the charring process to complete. A key indicator that the char cloth is ready is when there is no more gas/flame coming out of the vent hole (this gas turns to flame).

Depending on the intensity of the heat and the thickness of the metal container, this may take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes.

Once there is no more smoke, carefully remove it from the fire using leather gloves or pliers. Allow the container to cool completely before opening the lid to retrieve your freshly made char cloth.

TIP: You CANNOT overdue char cloth, so it’s best to leave the material in as long as possible. If you open the can up to oxygen before the container is cooled down, the charred material will ignite and be wasted.

To keep your char cloth dry and protected, consider storing it in a tin can. This method not only keeps the char cloth safe from water but also provides added protection for the fragile material.

Why’s Char Cloth So Useful, And What’re Other Ways To Char Material?

Char cloth’s utility lies in its ability to ignite easily from the slightest spark, making it an invaluable resource for starting fires in various environments. Whether you’re facing damp conditions, strong winds, or limited tinder options, char cloth offers a reliable solution for igniting your fire quickly and efficiently.

To enhance its effectiveness, pairing char cloth with a tinder bundle—a bundle of fibrous materials like dried grasses, lichens, seed heads, and bark shavings—will significantly aid in growing a spark into a larger fire.

While char cloth remains a popular choice for fire starting, several alternative methods exist for charring materials. One common technique involves using charred punk wood or charred natural fibers, such as jute twine or dried cattail fluff.

These materials undergo a similar process of carbonization when exposed to heat, resulting in a substance that readily catches fire from a spark or ember.

Wonder what you can use to ignite the char cloth? Here’re a few options:

• Ferrocerium Rod

• Flint And Steel

• Spent Lighter

• Matches

• Magnifying Lens

Conclusion: Char Cloth For Beginners

In the realm of wilderness survival skills, knowing how to make char cloth stands as one of the most important skills in my belief. There’s a reason it’s taught in the Pathfinder School’s basic survival class.

I enjoy making char cloth and I’m sure you will too. If you have any questions please reach out!

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