Coal extenders can be extremely helpful in building your fire and helping it keep going. This article will give you all the details! Find out where you can get some coal extenders.

Coal extender is virtually any material that is fine textured and flammable enough to add directly to a coal or ember in order to make it larger and keep it going longer. You can add it to an existing ember, or place it where an ember will go.

Here are just a few of the coal extenders that I like to use in my friction fire, flint and steel, and optical fire making kits.

Dust From Friction Fire Attempts 
That’s right. If your dust didn’t light from a bow drill or other friction fire attempt – save it! Add that dust to a coal that did ignite and it will get bigger!

Fine Bark Fibers
Cedar bark powder is one of my favorites, as it tends to smolder for a long time. However, any bark that makes suitable tinder should make fibrous dust for coal extender. I often pound my bark tinder with a rock to fluff it up, and this process naturally creates fine dust. Scoop it up and use it for your extender.

Punky Wood
If a rotten piece of wood can be crumbled into fine dust with your bare hands then it’s a candidate for coal extender. Punk (as this decayed wood is sometimes called) can be ground into a coarse powder and added to any coal.

There are so many materials that can be used as coal extenders for your fire. Keep them in mind next time you plan a camping trip or be sure to include them when your prep for SHTF. They might save your life one day!

For more information on coal extenders, be sure to check out Outdoor Life.

Featured Image via Outdoor Life / Tim MacWelch