There’s a few things a fire needs to get started: oxygen, heat, and fuel.
Fuel consists of tinder, kindling, and firewood (for a clean fire).
So what’s the difference between tinder and kindling? Tinder is highly combustible material that is used to start a fire, but it burns very quickly and doesn’t sustain well. Kindling is the material used to sustain the fire until it’s built up enough to burn your firewood.
But if tinder lights really easily and firewood is what you need to burn a sustainable fire, why not just use a bunch of tinder instead of kindling?
And how do you even tell the difference between tinder and kindling?
What Is Tinder?
As mentioned above, tinder is any highly combustible material that is used to start a fire.
Tinder burns really easily.
But that also means that tinder will not sustain a fire for a very long time.
You use tinder to easily light the first step of your fire, and then add your kindling to get it lit as well.
Typically, tinder is either small shavings or shreds of dried out wood.
But there are many things, both natural and man-made, that can be used for tinder.
What Can Be Used For Tinder?
Generally speaking, tinder is really anything combustible that is up to a few inches long and no thicker than a pencil.
Here’s the full list of the best materials for tinder that I put together, but in general, a great tinder is small, dry, and easily lights.
This could consist of natural materials such as:
- Dry, dead grass
- Dead leaves
- Wood shavings
- Various tree bark
- Pine needles
And there are plenty of man-made materials (often found in your pack already) that make great tinder, including:
- Cotton balls
- Twine
- Char cloth
- Magnesium shavings
Dry Tinder Is Very Important
Since tinder is the first step in lighting a fire, it will need to be as close to dry as possible (unless using tinder such as fatwood or birch bark).
As you move further up in the size of the fuel you add to the fire, you’ll be able to throw in less dry material.
Finding dry tinder is easier than you think, even in harsh conditions.
You can find dry tinder in places such as:
- The dry sides of trees – if the wind is blowing rain in one direction, the opposite side of the tree is likely dry enough to harvest tinder.
- Whittling branches – while the outside of a tree branch may be damp, whittling down to the core should yield dry material.
- In dead trees – often you can find dry leaves or dead branches that are protected under a canopy of larger trees.
For more ways, check out my complete guide to finding dry tinder.
How Much Tinder Should You Collect?
This really comes down to skill level and the material you are using for tinder.
A general rule of thumb I always follow is: always collect much more than you need.
If I think it will only take a handful of dead grass based on how dry my kindling is, then I collect two or three handfuls just to be sure.
I’d rather collect a little more tinder just to be safe than to have to go out and get it later because it wasn’t enough to light in the first place.
What Is Kindling?
If tinder is the highly combustible material that doesn’t sustain a flame for very long, then kindling is the next step up from that.
Kindling is the material that is still pretty combustible, but it needs a little extra oomph to get it lit.
Once it’s lit, it lasts longer than tinder does and is used to bridge the gap between tinder and your larger firewood.
What Can Be Used For Kindling?
Kindling is a little more lenient with what you can use in that it’s not what needs to be first lit, so it doesn’t have to be as combustible.
However, you still want to gather kindling that holds a flame for as long as possible so that your firewood can catch fire.
Kindling is really any type of wood that is as long as 2 feet and as wide as your thumb or skinnier.
I’d snap pieces that are longer than 2 feet to make sure you concentrate the heat.
It will help your firewood catch easier than if the flames from your kindling are all spread out.
When it comes to kindling, pretty much any type of wood will yield the same result, as long as it’s thin (thumb-size) enough for the tinder to burn it easily.
However, the best kind of kindling is dry kindling.
Having to use tinder to dry out your kindling means you’ll need a ton of tinder, and hopefully you have a reliable fire making method in case the tinder dies out.
How Much Kindling Should You Collect?
Kindling is what you will use to get your firewood lit.
With that in mind, I would gather as much kindling as possible.
Unless you know your firewood is completely dry, you’ll probably need more than you think.
The good part about kindling is it will burn for a little while, so it’s not like it’s a waste to gather extra.
For a general idea, grab as much kindling as would fit in your arms to start, and know where some extra is just in case.
What Is The Difference Between Kindling And Tinder?
Now that we know what each of these items are, let’s talk about the difference between kindling and tinder.
It really comes down to two things: size and combustibility.
Tinder is smaller, ranging from just mere shavings up to twigs no thicker than a pencil.
Kindling is a step up, ranging from pencil thickness to about thumb thickness.
Tinder is much easier to light, and unless you have a ton of lighter fluid handy, you’ll want it to be as dry as possible.
Kindling will take slightly longer to get lit, but will hold a flame much better.
And you’ll still want super dry kindling, but even if it’s not bone dry you should be fine with enough tinder.
Why Not Just Skip The Kindling Then?
Knowing the difference, you might be tempted to just skip kindling and go straight from tinder to firewood.
Afterall, you can just use more tiny twigs to build a small fire until your firewood lights.
And that’s true.
But the EASIEST way to get a fire going (lighter fluid and other accelerants being excluded) is to go up the spectrum from smallest to largest, including the medium-sized kindling.
Small pieces of wood light fastest, so start there.
Then feed the fire with slightly larger pieces until you get up to your firewood.
You can skip kindling, it’s just easier to use it.
And who is going to even notice or care that you skipped kindling in the first place?
How To Turn Kindling Into Tinder
Thought I’d just throw this quick one in here.
If you have kindling, you have tinder.
Just grab one of your larger sticks and start whittling away.
The center of those sticks (as long as the wood isn’t freshly cut) will have some really dry pieces that you can shave down into tinder.
Easy as that!
What To Do Once You’ve Gathered Your Tinder & Kindling
So, you’ve gathered all your materials and are curious about how to use them.
As I mentioned before, just go up the spectrum.
Start by getting your tinder lit (if you don’t have a lighter or matches, check out these alternatives ways to light a fire).
From there, add some pencil-sized twigs if you have any.
Then add slightly larger sticks.
Then repeat until you’ve started to add your larger firewood.
The process itself is super simple, but I’d still recommend practicing at home in case you need to start a fire out in the wilderness.
Related Questions
How do I find dry tinder? You can find dry tinder in places such as:
- The dry sides of trees – if the wind is blowing rain in one direction, the opposite side of the tree is likely dry enough to harvest tinder.
- Whittling branches – while the outside of a tree branch may be damp, whittling down to the core should yield dry material.
- In dead trees – often you can find dry leaves or dead branches that are protected under a canopy of larger trees.
For more ways, check out my complete guide to finding dry tinder.
Do all my materials need to be dry to get a fire going? Not always, but it does help. Your tinder will definitely need to be dry unless you are using material that doesn’t need to be. As long as you have enough material that’s dry to get a small fire going, you should be able to dry everything else out as it burns.
What if my tinder isn’t lighting? Is there anything else I can use? There are plenty of things you can use that are likely already in your backpack. Check out this guide. At the bottom you’ll see man-made tinder ideas. You can also learn how to dry out tinder if it’s wet here.
How big should kindling be? A rule of thumb is kindling should be no thicker than thumb width and no longer than about two feet. This, of course, is just a rule of thumb. No one will frown upon you using different sized wood to burn a fire!
How do you make a fire last longer? Fire lasts the longest when it has the right amount of heat, the right amount of oxygen, and fuel that is pure enough. This is called complete combustion. I wrote an entire guide on how to make a fire that burns in complete combustion (they’re also smokeless) to help you build fires that last longer and require less fuel. Alternatively, you can continue to add more wood, and larger pieces of wood will burn longer than smaller pieces.
How do you make a fire stay lit? To keep a fire lit, continue to add fuel. If your fire looks like it’s dying it, try to add some extra kindling or a larger piece of firewood to get things burning again.
How to start a fire without kindling? To start a fire without kindling, you’ll need a lot of tinder or an accelerant (such as lighter fluid). Simply light the tinder like normal, but use your firewood as a backdrop so the flames start to burn it. Then continue to add your tinder until the firewood catches on fire. Alternatively, douse the firewood with an accelerant like lighter fluid and it will start burning in no time!
Are pine needles good fire starter? Yes, pine needles are great fire starters. They contain a little bit of resin (the same that’s in fatwood) that burns really well. They also don’t have a ton of surface area so don’t get very damp and can dry out really easily, making them great tinder.
Is hair a good fire starter? No, hair isn’t a good fire starter. It burns extremely fast and doesn’t provide enough heat to be worth trying. You are better off finding a better material for tinder.