Jute is an inexpensive twine found at many stores. Look in either the hardware department or in the craft department. A fifty yard spool only cost me about $3.00 and will last an extremely long time. I usually have about 6 to 10 feet stored within my 10 essentials when backpacking or camping to be prepared for when I need to strike up a fire in an emergency. There are multiple methods out there of how to make Jute waterproof and different styles of lighting. For the purpose of this post I am going to just focus on the simple “shred it up and burn it up” method.

Step 1 - Cut off about 6 inches from the spool.

Step 2 - Unravel the piece of twine until all the fibers are loose.

Step 3 - Prepare all the loose fibers into a “nest” to capture your spark from your flint and steel.

Step 4 - Before lighting the “nest”, prepare your tinder, kindling, and fuel for your fire that you are hoping to start. Your “nest” will burn hot and fast! Having everything ready will help eliminate wasted time and effort in the case that your “nest” burns up too quick and you have to restart the whole process.

Step 5 - Strike and feed your little spark into your campfire.

Step 6 - Break out the Smores!

Remember, your flint and steal is not a toy. You can catch things on fire with a single spark. Be safe and always treat fire with respect.