Fire-by-friction has been my go-to method for lighting campfires for several years now. It may not always be easy depending on the weather conditions, but if I can’t get it done the ancient way I just go without a fire. My stubbornness on the issue actually saved my bacon during my time in Belize. The weather was wet and my fire went out just as I came down with a bad case of the dengue fever. I was weak and hurting and in a severe need of a fire. I was slow and meticulous and thus managed to get a robust amber on my first try.
In both variations of this demonstration, I am using willow. In most parts of the world, this will be your go-to material.
I am also sharpening my spindles to a point in both cases. I have not seen any other videos using this method so far, but trust me it really makes your life easier. Wood ash is used as an abrasive. Your spindle will “bite” sooner and you get to do away with the annoying chirping that can occur in a bow drill situation which is just wasting energy.
On my first try, I pre-burn the hole and carve the notch afterward. The second time around, I create the notch first by chopping. It’s useful if you have a dull blade or if you are concerned that your knife might slip and you might cut yourself. Making your coal this way takes more of a steady hand as you must keep an eye on how things are going. This method generates enough heat from just the first few strokes that under some conditions you may not even need to fill the notch with dust!
There are also two handhold variations. The first one is seasoned wood with green leaves for “lubrication”. Works just fine. However, you can also use green hardwood as I did on my second try. That way, you won’t need a lubricant at all.
23 июл 2020
