lighting birch bark with a fire stick

[Andy]

I can't do it. How do you prepare the bark first?

[Ed]

If you have got the thin papery bark that the tree sheds, then it should go up with a firesteel no problem as long as its dry. If you have a thick piece of bark cut from a tree, then you need to use a knife (or other tool) and fulff up some of the inner bark, just scrape it back and forth a few times till you have a good pile of tinder...... it should now take a spark.

:-)
Ed

[Tony]

Do a search for birch bark. There are a few threads on it as a tinder, some of the older ones may be the best to look through :biggthump

[ScottC]

If you have got the thin papery bark that the tree sheds, then it should go up with a firesteel no problem as long as its dry. If you have a thick piece of bark cut from a tree, then you need to use a knife (or other tool) and fulff up some of the inner bark, just scrape it back and forth a few times till you have a good pile of tinder...... it should now take a spark.

:-)
Ed


I find it better to scrap up some of the outer bark rather than the inner and use that instead. It will take a spark more easily ( and burn longer) usually on your first try if the pile is big enough. I like to get a golf ball size pile of scrapings.