Char Cloth is used as an aid to start a fire easily. It is typically made from cotton cloth by burning it in a tin can, with the absence of oxygen. The lack of oxygen keeps the cotton from combusting, which turns it into char cloth. Char cloth will combust with a "cool" spark from flint and steel, eliminating the need for a modern ferro rod or other modern tool.

 

In this video, I show you how to make char cloth over a campfire but you can easily make it at home, in your back yard, before you head out into the backcountry.