Char cloth is a staple of traditional fire-starting kits, and YouTube has no shortage of videos showing how it’s made. We’ve rounded up the ten most-viewed videos on the topic, ranked by actual view count, so you can start with what the most people have found worth watching.
Across the list you’ll find a mix of quick, polished demonstrations from big DIY channels and longer, slower bushcraft deep-dives filmed outdoors. Some run under three minutes and get straight to it; others spend fifteen or twenty minutes on materials, technique, and how the finished cloth gets used with flint and steel. Pick based on how much time you have and how much depth you want.
1. DIY Emergency Fire Starter (Char Cloth)
TKOR · 3.8M views · 3:51 · 2012
The most-watched video on this topic by a wide margin, from TKOR (The King of Random). It's a fast, energetic 4-minute demonstration framed around making char cloth from household items for an emergency kit, and it suits anyone who wants a quick, entertaining answer rather than a lecture.
2. How to Make Char Cloth in Altoids Tin
CrazyRussianHacker · 858.8K views · 2:58 · 2015
CrazyRussianHacker's take is one of his classic short experiments: under three minutes, filmed in his trademark casual style, using an Altoids tin as the container. A good pick if you want the fastest possible walkthrough from a creator known for simple, direct demos.
3. Making a Fire Piston and Char Cloth
nativerobin · 493.7K views · 12:01 · 2011
At twelve minutes, this 2011 video from nativerobin covers two related projects in one sitting: building a fire piston and making char cloth to go with it. It's suited to viewers interested in the broader fire-making kit, not just the cloth itself.
4. Weekend Project: How to Make Char Cloth
Make: · 490.7K views · 3:16 · 2009
Make: magazine's 'Weekend Project' entry is a polished, studio-style instructional from 2009, and one of the oldest videos on this list. At just over three minutes it delivers a clean, magazine-quality demonstration built around a cheap old t-shirt, ideal for viewers who want a tidy overview.
5. How to make Char Cloth
OutdoorBaseCamp · 248K views · 7:45 · 2010
OutdoorBaseCamp's video runs nearly eight minutes and is filmed outdoors at a winter bushcraft shelter, covering both the making of the cloth and its use with a flint and steel kit, tinder bundle, and feather stick. It suits viewers who want to see the whole chain in a field setting rather than a bench demo.
6. Primitive Fire Starting Kit
Taras Kul · 228.4K views · 7:53 · 2018
From Taras Kul (of CrazyRussianHacker fame), this 2018 video builds a broader primitive fire-starting kit, with char cloth as one component. At around eight minutes, it's a middle-length option for viewers curious about how char cloth fits into a larger kit rather than a standalone tutorial.
7. How To Make Reactive Char Cloth And Charred Punk Wood
David West · 206K views · 15:28 · 2020
David West's video is one of the longer, more technical entries at over fifteen minutes, focused on producing highly reactive char cloth and charred punk wood for flint and steel. It's aimed at viewers who care about quality and performance of the finished material, not just the basic process.
8. How To Make And Use Char Cloth
Far North Bushcraft And Survival · 117.5K views · 15:18 · 2016
Far North Bushcraft And Survival features Lonnie demonstrating a method he says he's used for over 40 years, with extra tips woven through the dialogue. At fifteen minutes, this is a slower, experience-driven bushcraft video best suited to viewers who enjoy depth and fieldcraft context.
9. How To Make Char Cloth | Gray Bearded Green Beret
The Gray Bearded Green Beret · 66.5K views · 20:25 · 2021
The Gray Bearded Green Beret channel offers the longest video on the list at over twenty minutes, from a creator with a Special Forces background. Expect a methodical, instruction-heavy session that suits viewers who want a thorough, credibility-backed walkthrough rather than a quick clip.
10. HOW TO MAKE CHARCLOTH
BattlBox · 20.7K views · 2:11 · 2021
BattlBox's entry is the shortest video here at just over two minutes, a no-frills demonstration from a channel known for survival gear subscriptions. With the lowest view count on the list but also the tightest runtime, it's a solid pick if you want the concept in the least time possible.
Ranked by YouTube view count as of October 3, 2026. View counts move around, so the order here reflects the day this list was compiled. All videos belong to their respective creators – watching them here plays them directly from YouTube, so views and any ad revenue still go to the channel.
