THE NEXT FIRE
Once an initial fire has been built, it can be used to prepare materials which make starting another fire significantly easier and more reliable. Strips of cotton, chunks of rotted “punk” wood, twigs and strips of wood or bark can be superheated in a fire to produce what is called “char” material. This is done by filling a metal container such as a tin or camping cup with a lid to heat the material without providing it enough oxygen to achieve ignition, into the coals of a fire for an extended period of time. This causes the thermal decomposition of the material and leaves behind only matter with a very low flash point. The resulting char material will accept the slightest spark, and as such is very suitable for ignition methods such as flint and steel or Fresnel lens.
