Natural tinder

If you’re going to start a fire from scratch, you’ll need some light material to catch that first spark. Fire expert Dustin James, of bushcrafttools.com, gives us his top six natural tinders:

• Cramp ball – Look for these on dead ash trees. They are great used with a firesteel or fire piston, and you can cook over them, too.
• Birch bark – Peel off thin strips and place in a bundle. Ignite with a firesteel.
• Amadou (horse hoof fungus) – Found on beech and birch trees. Use the leathery insides with a firesteel for best results.
• Punk wood – Dry, rotten wood that falls apart when handled. Works well in a fire piston.
• Cattail (bulrush) – Often found by wetlands. Fluff up the heads and use to take a spark, or add to a bow drill ember.
• Pine resin – Smear onto something dry and fibrous, and ignite with a firesteel.