Tinder Fungus is a short bushcraft field guide explaining how to identify, harvest, prepare, and use tinder fungus as a natural fire-starting material. The document focuses on a fungus that grows primarily on living birch trees and describes its appearance, structure, and usefulness for carrying embers and starting fires. Numerous photographs show examples of tinder fungus growing on trees, cross-sections of harvested specimens, microscopic structure, and prepared material ready for use.
The guide explains that tinder fungus appears as a blackened, bark-like growth on the exterior of a tree, while the useful material lies beneath the outer crust as a reddish-brown fibrous interior. According to the document, this interior material ignites easily, smolders for long periods, and can be used both as tinder and as a means of transporting a live coal between campfires. The photographs on pages 1 and 2 clearly show the black exterior and the distinctive reddish-brown interior that is harvested for use.
Several pages discuss where tinder fungus grows and how it develops. The author notes that it is commonly found on birch trees but can also occur on species such as hop hornbeam (ironwood). Observations suggest that tinder fungus often develops at injury sites where sap flow provides nutrients for growth. A large specimen shown on page 3 demonstrates how substantial the fungus can become under favorable conditions.
The final section discusses preparation and storage. The author notes that drying methods affect performance and reports that slowly air-drying the fungus produces better results than rapid drying in an oven. Comparisons are also made between true tinder fungus and false tinder fungus, with comments on their appearance, aroma, and burning characteristics. Overall, the guide serves as a practical introduction to one of the classic natural tinder materials used in traditional firecraft and primitive survival skills.
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