Methods of making fire can be divided into two groups: modern and primitive.

Figure 1. Making fire using a magnifying glass

Modern methods of making fire

Modern methods include those in which modern devices or devices are used for production.

Matches

The matches in your survival kit should be waterproof. Store them along with the grater in an airtight container.

Lens (magnifying glass)

This method of starting a fire (see Figure 1) can only be used on a clear, sunny day. A converging (convex) lens can be removed from binoculars, a camera, an optical sight, or a magnifying glass can be used. Point and focus the lens so that the sun's rays are concentrated on the tinder and hold until it begins to smolder. Blow lightly on the tinder to light it up and place it in the base, then add kindling.

Ferrocerium rod

Place the tinder on a dry, flat sheet, leaving part of the sheet free. Place the end of the rod on a free part of the sheet. Run the knife along the rod to create sparks that will hit the tinder and ignite it. When the tinder begins to smolder, fan it to create a flame.

Battery

Connect the wires to the battery terminals. Place the ends of the wires on the tinder and press them together to create a spark that will cause the tinder to smolder.

Powder

If your equipment includes firearms and ammunition, you can use them to make fire. Remove the bullet from the case and use the gunpowder as tinder. Be extremely careful when removing the bullet from the cartridge.

Primitive ways of making fire

Primitive methods of making fire include those used by our distant ancestors.

Flint and crosshair

Direct spark generation is one of the most simple way and reliable methods, these include making fire using flint and wood. Hit the flint or other hard rock with sharp edges with a piece of carbon steel (stainless steel does not produce a good spark). This requires a free wrist and some practice. When a spark hits the tinder, fan it; the smoldering will begin to spread throughout the tinder and then it will ignite.

To make a fire by friction (see Figure 2), a piece of hard wood is rubbed against a soft wood base. Cut a straight groove in the base and press back and forth along it with the blunt end of a hardwood stick. During movement, small fibers break out of the soft wood, which begin to smolder from the heat generated by friction.

Figure 2. Making fire by friction

Do not pick up pieces of wood lying on the ground. They may feel dry, but do not provide enough friction.

Onion

The method of producing fire using a bow (see Figure 3) also refers to the method of producing fire by friction; it is quite simple, but requires more preparation. In order to get fire using a bow you will need:

• Holder. It is a piece of hard wood, stone or bone that fits well in the hand and has a notch on one side. Used to hold the rod upright and apply pressure to it.
• Kernel. A straight stick made of dry hard wood, approximately 2 centimeters in diameter and about 25 centimeters long. Its upper end should be rounded and the lower end blunt (to ensure strong friction).
• Base. Size at your discretion, dies 10 centimeters wide and 2.5 centimeters thick are quite enough. At one end of the die, cut a recess with a diameter of 2 centimeters, and on the bottom side, opposite the recess, make a V-shaped cutout.
• Onion. The bow consists of a green flexible branch (the type of tree is not important) about 2.5 centimeters in diameter and a bowstring (any lace or thin rope). Pull the string onto the bow tightly, without the slightest slack.

Figure 3. Making fire using a bow

To make fire, first build a fire. Then place the tinder under the V-shaped cutout in the base. Step on the base with your foot. Make a loop on the string and place it over the rod, then place the blunt end of the rod into the recess cut into the base. Take the holder in your hand and place it with its indentation on the upper rounded end of the rod. Press the holder so that the rod is pressed tightly against the base and move the beam back and forth. The rod will rotate. At first, work smoothly and do not press too hard on the handle so that the rod “breaks in”, after which you need to speed up the movements. The resulting black smoldering sawdust spills through the cutout onto the tinder and sets it on fire.

Note: Primitive methods of making fire require a lot of effort and a lot of practice.

A cone of splinters and wood chips intended for kindling is formed around a pile of tinder. If the weather is windy, the kindling is leaned against the log on the leeward side. The tinder is set on fire. Once the kindling is started, larger sticks are added to the fire. Another method is possible: a bunch of dry thin twigs is lit and placed under a cone of kindling.

Matches

Matches are the easiest way to get fire. Regular matches should be stored in an airtight container, packaged in such a way that they do not rattle, rub, or ignite. To make matches last longer, they can be split lengthwise into two halves. To light a split match without breaking it, press the sulfur head against the spark strip with your finger.

To light a damp match, strike it diagonally rather than along the spark strip. If your hair is dry and not very oily, then rub a damp match on it. Static electricity will dry out the match. Every time you light a match, light the candle. You can light a lot of things with it, while saving matches. Even a small candle will last a long time if used carefully.

Getting fire with a lens

Sunlight focused by the lens can ignite the tinder. Use a magnifying glass, camera lens, binoculars or telescope. Focus the sun's rays into one tiny bright point. Keep it in one place, covering it from the wind. When the tinder begins to smolder, fan the fire slightly.

Gunpowder from a cartridge

Remove the bullet from the case, pour the gunpowder onto the tinder and use the flint. You can do it differently: leave half the gunpowder in the cartridge case and plug it with a piece of cloth. Load the weapon with the cartridge prepared in this way and shoot it into the ground. The smoldering tissue will be ejected from the barrel. Put it on tinder.

Flint

This is a stone that is found almost everywhere. If you hit it with a metal object (a), hot sparks are struck from the flint.

Using a piece of hacksaw blade included in your survival kit, you can create quite a large shower of sparks.

Accumulator battery

Connect two pieces of wire to the battery terminals. If there is no wire, use metal tools. When using a car battery, first remove it from the car.

Slowly bring the bare ends of the wires together over the tinder. Before they connect, a spark will fly between them. For this purpose, a piece of cloth soaked in gasoline is best used as tinder.

Fire Bow

When a hardwood rod rotates in a recess made in a softwood base, the frictional force produces highly flammable wood dust and heat. Both the spindle and the base must be dry. Make a small indentation near the edge of the base. From below, under the recess, cut out a cavity for the tinder. Give the rod that will have to be rotated a cylindrical shape. Make a bow from a flexible branch and a rawhide strap, twine or shoelace.

Use a notched stone or a piece of wood with a groove cut into it to press down on top of the rod as it rotates. Wrap the bow string around the shaft once. Place the bow in the recess of the base, and lightly press it on top with a stone or piece of wood prepared for this purpose. Move the bow back and forth to give the shaft a rotating motion. When the rod begins to go deeper into the soft wooden base, increase the rotation speed. When the rod penetrates the cavity, increase the pressure on it and speed up the movements of the bow even more. Try to keep the shaft upright while working the bow evenly. You can stand on a wooden base with one foot. Continue working the bow until the hot tip of the bow hits the tinder. Blow lightly on it to ignite the fire.

Rotating the rod by hand

This is a simplified version of the method of making fire described above. Cut a V-shaped notch into the hardwood base. Make a small indentation next to the notch. Use a piece of hollow softwood stick as the rotating rod. Roll the rod between your palms, pressing it into the indentation. When the tip of the rod becomes red hot from friction, bring it to the tinder and fan the fire. To increase friction, pour a pinch of sand into the cavity of the rod.

"Fire Plow"

Cut a straight groove in the softwood base, using a hardwood dowel to move quickly back and forth across the groove. This creates tinder, which then ignites.

Using chemicals

The following compositions ignite when rubbed with stones or under the end of a wooden rod, with the help of which fire is produced by friction. When mixing them, care should be taken to avoid contact with metal and store in a dry place.

Potassium chlorate and sugar in a ratio of 3:1.

Potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate crystals) and sugar in a ratio of 9:1.

Sodium chlorate and sugar in a ratio of 3:1.

Potassium chloride is included in some tablets used to treat throat diseases. Potassium permanganate is included in your emergency kit. Sodium chloride is a herbicide.

Use extreme caution when working with chemicals. Sodium chlorate is flammable on impact - do not shake or spill it - the spilled chemical will ignite if stepped on!

Modern methods of starting a fire. Experiments carried out in laboratory conditions

Stick on stick

In a dry room, a set of “drills” and “planks” was assembled from wood species found on our territory (birch, aspen, pine, spruce). The “drill” was clamped into a drill with an adjustable number of revolutions. The result of the experiment was the conclusion that 90% of success is with properly prepared, dry tinder. The issue of preserving tinder in this condition is equal in complexity to preserving a box of matches in the same condition. After which the experiments were stopped.

Record for making fire by friction ~ 45 sec. But this requires special wood.

Mirrors

A parabolic mirror (about 50 cm in diameter) is taken from a large spotlight. This thing is not very breakable, although it is a little heavy for hiking. Lights dark paper in average sunshine. In bright sunshine, a wooden pencil flares up in five to ten seconds!

Making fire using a flashlight reflector

The light bulb is turned out, and a piece of tinder or even a cigarette is inserted in its place. You point the reflector at the sun, put the work under the focal point and wait for it to fade.

False flare

Looks like a plastic tube (length ~ 30cm, diameter ~ 4cm) The third is made like a handle, hollow inside. The rest is filled with thermite with dye (there are red, white and blue). You unscrew the cap, pull the cord and within a minute you have a stable (under any conditions, including the complete drowning of the flare) flame. The plastic itself burns very poorly, so the flame is strictly oriented (like exhaust from a pipe). It weighs a little. Doesn't get wet. Retains combustion even under water. Planned for use in three situations:

1. Emergency and guaranteed fire making. Had to use it once. For example: it has been pouring rain for the second day. Everything in the forest is damp. You collect a pile of brushwood and light it with a flare. Then you put a couple of resinous stumps on top. The fire flares up instantly.

2. A means of protection against wild animals.

3. Actually, what it is intended for is giving a signal in an emergency.

"Match" made of organic glass

Anyone who has lit a fire in foggy, windless weather, or from wood collected after rain, knows how difficult it is to ensure that even after the ignition of the “seed” from dry newspapers and thin twigs, the fire begins to burn steadily. In such cases, a “match” made of organic glass helps us.

Before the hike, do not be too lazy to cut a strip of 3-5 mm wide and about 20 cm long from a sheet of plexiglass 3-4 mm thick. Once lit, such a “match” will burn long enough for the “process to begin.” As a rule, one such “match” is enough for 2-3 “difficult” fires.

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Manual drilling method

A hand-made wooden flint consists of two parts that must be very dry: a long and thin rotating stick, which I will call a drill below, and a wider and flatter hearth chip. The drill needs to be inserted into a small recess in the fireplace and, holding it vertically, begin to quickly rotate with your palms. A recess is usually cut out next to the recess, where the wood dust produced by friction accumulates, in which the desired spark appears. Until recently, manual rotation was the most common method of making fire in the world. Today it has almost disappeared from human life, although some tribes in remote areas continue to use it.

This method of ignition was common in warm and dry regions. In colder and more humid areas, this method is unreliable, as the wood easily becomes damp, absorbing moisture, which prevents the fire from starting. In addition, the spark produced in this way is very small and in humid air can go out without having time to flare up.

North of the equator, an improved device for making fire appeared - the so-called bow drill, which became widespread among the indigenous tribes of North America. If you move even further north, you will find that many tribes there use the bow drill. On the other hand, there are surprising exceptions: the manual ignition method continued to be used in North America almost along the entire Pacific coast. It was used by the Tlingit Indian people who lived in the Sitka area of ​​Alaska, and by the Bilhula Indians of the Salish group who lived in the Bella Bella area of ​​British Columbia. Some fire starter kits found in these areas in the 19th century contained hearth boards that were completely burnt in the fire - this treatment of the wood not only protected the board from moisture, but also made it easier to light.

I think that hand drilling was used in these areas mainly in the summer, since winter conditions were clearly unsuitable for this. However, even at this time of year the task of making fire is quite feasible. Countless times have I started a fire with relative ease in the wet, cold British winter. Two of my colleagues were able to get the coveted spark even in the ice of the Arctic. But the reliability of this method directly depends on the natural conditions in which it is used. If you are not a master, then in damp and cold weather it is better to opt for a different method of making fire. Save your energy for something else where the chances of success will be higher, and if you are a beginner, be patient in advance.

While the method of making fire by hand drilling remains almost unchanged throughout the world, the materials used by different native tribes are very diverse. This led to many variations of the basic method. The bushmen of the African Kalahari Desert simply broke off a branch of a dried bush and immediately got down to business. Other tribes, on the contrary, prepared drills from living wood, clearing the branch of bark and straightening it during the drying process. Of course, such sticks take longer to dry, but the African sun allows you to use them on the same day. The result is excellent drills that last for a very long time and are a pleasure to use.

Hearth tablets are even more varied. Most often, simple wide and flat chips are used, but sometimes a thin stick with a diameter not exceeding the diameter of the drill is used. An unusual focal adaptation is used by the indigenous people of the West Indies, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. They tie two short sticks, about the thickness of a human finger, tightly together, lay them on top of dry tinder, and begin to “drill” at the junction of the two sticks. The hot wood dust formed as a result of friction falls through a thin crack onto the tinder placed below.

Hand Drilling Set from West Papua Province, Indonesia. Note the extremely shallow grooves

Hand drilling in action. West Papua Province, Indonesia

The recesses for wood dust that are cut into the hearth stick are no less varied. Some are deep and wide, others are smaller and narrower, and still others are no more than a shallow cut. In Gabon, on the west coast of Central Africa, some tribes did not use gouges at all, the natives simply drilled their hearth board, and the friction ignited the wood dust that collected around the drill. But only certain types of wood are suitable for this method, which greatly limits its use. The hearth chips found in these areas are made from a very light wood similar to the hibiscus used by the Polynesians.

How to make a hand drilling kit

Both parts of the device for manual drilling are equally important: if one of them is missing, it will not be possible to get a fire. However, a drill requires more attention to detail than a hearth. Making a fire will be possible if you use absolutely dry wood of a suitable size for the hearth board. But you will only succeed if you are extremely careful when choosing a drill stick. The natives, whether African or Polynesian, spend a lot of time searching for the ideal material for their manufacture, but at the same time they are always open to alternative options. If during a hunt or transition they come across a suitable branch, the natives will definitely cut it off and save it for the future. When you're just learning survival skills, it's a good habit to get into. It is important to know that some types of trees are better suited for this method of ignition, while others are almost impossible to make a good “flint”. Therefore, it is better for you to conduct your first experiments with the most suitable types of wood, then you can move on to others. But the most important thing to remember is the condition of the tree. Try to find a dried tree of some soft species. Find an area where the wood is completely dry, but has not yet begun to decompose and does not crumble in your hands; a piece of such wood is most suitable for a hearth board. You can check the quality of the wood by pressing on it with your thumbnail: if the nail does not go into the wood, and only a faint mark remains on the surface, you have found what you need. If no mark remains, it means that the tree died recently and is still too hard. To make a drill, it is better to take soft wood or plants with a loose core.

Suitable materials for making a hand drill

Alder, aspen, balsam fir, bamboo, baobab, buddleia, poplar, elderberry (pictured above), false golden yellow greevia, hibiscus, horse chestnut, ivy, lime, marula, mongongo, mullein, Norway maple, poplar, brachychiton, cattail, bush sage, dasylyrion, sycamore, teasel, white pine, willow and yucca.

Suitable materials for making hearth boards

Alder, aspen, balsam fir, baobab, cedar, clematis, elderberry, hibiscus, horse chestnut, ivy, juniper, lime, marula, mongongo, Norway maple, poplar, brachychiton, dasylirion, sycamore, white pine, willow and yucca.

How to make a Drill

A good fire drill should be level, smooth and, with a length of 50–70 cm, have a diameter of approximately 1 cm. I will tell you how to make an “ideal” and “composite” drill. The choice depends on the material available and how urgently the fire needs to be lit.

Ideal drill

To make a high-quality drill that can serve you for years, you need to cut an even and smooth branch, preferably from an elderberry, and if it is not nearby, then from another suitable plant. Unlike a dry branch, a live, freshly cut twig is easy to straighten, which is very important, because with a crooked drill you are more likely to rub blisters on your palms than to start a fire.

Cutting the stem for the drill

Select a stem with a thick woody layer

I. Look for a branch that is 12mm thick at the base and as straight as possible (for at least 60cm). Like many shrubs, elderberry has a soft core that is surrounded by a relatively thick layer of wood. For a drill, it is better to choose a branch with the thinnest core at the base, because it is with this end that we will make fire. In any case, at the base of any branch the core is thinner; closer to the top of the branch, the volume of the core increases, and the woody sheath becomes thinner. Having found a suitable branch, cut it as close to the main trunk as possible and, most importantly, try not to split it. A small hacksaw is great for this (you may have one in your camping knife), with which you will need to cut the branch first on one side, then on the other. If you only have a knife, make a few small cuts around the stem, then quickly break it off and cut off any rough edges.

II. Then carefully scrape off the bark with the butt of the blade (the dull edge), completely exposing the wood. It will be damp at first, but will air dry very quickly.

III. Then, using a knife, cut off the bumps and side branches so that you get the smoothest possible stem. And lastly, slightly round the drill end of the rod, and the thin tip can simply be cut off and left flat.

Cleaning off the bark

Straightening the future drill

IV. Now you need to straighten the workpiece. It may happen (if you're lucky) that the drill bit will already be straight and you won't need much time to get it perfect. But more often than not, some effort will still have to be made. Look at your future drill as if it were a gun barrel, and by rotating, determine the degree of its curvature. Then, bending the rod, try to straighten it as much as possible. Take your time, although in any case you will gain the skill only after breaking a few pieces. When the natives straighten their drills, they heat the blanks over the fire of a camp fire, thanks to which the wood, firstly, becomes more pliable, and secondly, dries faster. After you have spent some time straightening the rod and are satisfied with the result, let the workpiece dry a little. After some time, check the drill; it is likely that slight curvature will appear again. Straighten the workpiece again, this time you will feel that the rod has become stiffer, but after this straightening it will most likely remain straight. I have often cut branches like these on a hot summer morning and used them to start a fire later that evening, but they are usually stored somewhere warm and dry for a couple of weeks. Inspect the workpieces often and straighten them, then you will have truly perfect drills.

Compound drill

There are situations when it is necessary to get a fire as soon as possible. In this case, of course, you should look for a completely dry branch of a suitable size. But if you don’t have one, you can pick up a short dry branch and securely attach it to a smooth, damp branch, so you will get a drill of the length you need. The Navajo Indians of New Mexico sometimes used the shaft of an old arrow for this purpose. There are several ways to attach this “drill bit”, but next I will talk about a method that can be used in almost any situation.

I. Find a piece of dry branch suitable for making a drill tip, approximately 9 cm long. Sharpen one end to form a tetrahedral pyramid about 7 cm high, try to make the edges of the pyramid as even as possible. Set aside the finished tip.

Preparing the tip

II. Find a straight and long enough branch of suitable diameter from which you will make the “body” of your drill.

III. To attach the tip of the future drill to this branch, you will have to work a little. First, you need to use a knife to split the found branch from the thicker end. The length of the split should not exceed 10 cm, then, with extreme caution, split the resulting shares again, but at an angle of 90°. Thus, you will get a stick, divided into four parts at one end.

Split the appropriate branch

IV. By dividing the end of the stem into four parts, you will have a “nest” that your pyramid tip will fit into nicely.

V. Insert the tetrahedral part of the tip into the split branch so that the edges of the pyramid are between the split ends.

Attach the tip to the drill body

Finished drill

VI. Then you need to tightly tie the resulting connection, for which you can, for example, use a strip of willow bark about 6 mm wide (or something similar).

VII. After tightly screwing the tip to the main rod, lightly tap the drill end on a hard surface to force the tip into the socket even more tightly.

How to make a hearth board

You'll be surprised at what can be used as a hearth board. Sometimes it turns out that large wood chips that look completely unsuitable for this purpose can make an excellent fireplace, of course, if the wood chips are dry and properly prepared. For someone who is just starting to acquire survival skills in the wild, it is best to choose a stick that can be turned into a flat and fairly long plank approximately 1 cm thick. It is advisable that the dimensions of the hearth plank be approximately 20 cm in length and at least 3 cm in width. When starting to make fire, you must hold the hearth board level and rigid, for which you press it to the ground with your foot. If this cannot be done, then the rotation of the flint can tilt the hearth and precious wood dust will crumble. To make it convenient for you to work, try to make your board as even as possible, then the wood dust will collect in the right place and in sufficient quantities.

Hearth made of willow

How to make fire with a hand drill

Making fire this way is quite simple. But the process of learning this itself can be quite difficult. Some people may try to convince you that it is impossible to start a fire by manual friction, but in fact this is not the case, although, of course, you will need some skill and good technique. You should not be upset by the first failures - you need to go through this in order to eventually learn how to make fire by friction.

There are many ways to make wooden flint parts, but for a beginner, the following option seems to me the most reliable.

Making a notch for the drill

Insert the drill into the hearth

I. Using the point of a knife, make a small indentation, slightly larger than the diameter of the tip of the drill, in the center of the hearth board, closer to one of the ends. This is necessary so that at the very beginning of work the drill does not jump off the board.

II. Find the position that is most comfortable for you, which will allow you to quickly rotate the drill and at the same time put pressure on the hearth.

III. And now one important point: before starting work, be sure to moisten your palms; you can use water or saliva for this. Then rub your palms together a little until you feel that they do not slip.

IV. Grabbing the drill at the upper end, begin to vigorously rotate, at the same time try to press as hard as possible on the hearth. Use only your palms; your fingers should not touch the drill. As you rotate, your arms will inevitably fall down; when they drop almost to the hearth, hold the drill with one hand at the recess, and with the other quickly grab its top, continuing to hold the drill tightly. Hold the stick again with your palms and repeat this action until the result is achieved.

V. After two or three such transitions, smoke should emerge from the recess. Continue turning, but don't go too hard, as at this stage you are only preparing the drill and hearth board for starting the fire.

Hearth with a recess and wood shavings placed underneath

Rotate to get smoldering wood dust

VI. Now cut out a sector in the board equal to approximately 1/8 of a circle. Imagine that you need to divide a round cake into exactly eight pieces, with the tip of the piece in the center of the hole you drilled.

VII. Now you are ready to start the fire. Place thin wood shavings or a dry sheet under the indentation and press the hearth into the ground again. Wood dust should collect on these shavings, not on the ground. In this way, the future spark will be protected from moisture, and, in addition, at the decisive moment, thanks to this substrate, it will be easier to ignite the tinder.

VIII. When the preparation is complete, wet your hands again and get to work again. Start relaxed but decisively and, as soon as you notice that the stream of smoke has become denser and larger, increase the speed of rotation and the pressure on the hearth board. After several cycles, the smoke will envelop the ignition area in a thick, swirling cloud. Once this happens, keep a close eye on the wood dust that collects in the hole you've cut: when you see the wood shavings that have accumulated in the hole begin to smoke, stop.

How to ignite tinder

Now, thanks to the resulting smoldering wood dust (I will call it coal), you can get a real fire.

I. Carefully lift the hearth board from the backing.

II. Transfer the coal to the tinder, preferably in the driest place with the thinnest fibers, and carefully roll it up.

III. Blow lightly on the coal a few times, this will be enough to increase the heat and ignite the tinder.

Chapter 3. Beam drilling

Over the past 10 years I have taught hundreds of people of all kinds ages - from seven-year-old children to those well over 70 - make fire by friction, mainly using the beam drilling method. No matter what your life experience or social status, if you are new to making fire, you have the same opportunities as everyone else. Everyone faces the same problems, setbacks and challenges, and no one has any unfair advantage when it comes to the difficult task of making fire and surviving in the wild.

I once had the opportunity to teach Jake, a former Marine, how to use a bow drill, who, about five years before we met, served in Afghanistan, where he was ambushed and seriously wounded. The year before, Jake had already attended our basic course, during which he learned his first bow drilling skills. He was now undergoing advanced training.

At the beginning of the lesson, I briefly reviewed the principles of bow drilling and set the students the collective task of making a kit for this method and building a fire. I was immediately drawn to Jake's positive attitude, wide, easy-going smile and great sense of humor. He was literally eager to complete the task, because, as I knew, Jake had not yet achieved much success in starting a fire.

“Dan, if by the end of this week all I have learned is that I can make fire by friction, I’ll be happy,” he said with a smile, showing me the completed kit. Jake was so enthusiastic that he not only took part in the production of the general set, but also made his own. Having finished cutting out the recess, he immediately squatted down and began to furiously rotate the drill, but the stick kept popping out of the hole in the hearth. Again and again he put the drill back in and started the process again. Finally, the drill jumped out again and flew away like an arrow into the blackberry bushes growing nearby. Jake stood up and, cursing, threw his bow to the ground. His hands were shaking from fatigue and disappointment.

“My hand doesn’t work anymore,” he muttered through his teeth, taking a drag from his cigarette. He threw the cigarette butt into the campfire and went to the bushes, intending to find a drill. When he returned, I noticed a familiar sparkle in his eyes.

“Nothing, this time I will definitely succeed.” Chuckling to himself, he knelt down again and began to work.

I saw that he needed to press the drill harder to improve the grip of the flint parts. This is the skill that most students have to learn when trying to master this method of lighting. Jake almost made it, but the effects of his injuries prevented him from succeeding.

“Jake, you need to press the drill harder against the hearth. I want to try something if you don't mind." I remembered that there is one simple method that can help in a situation where a person has injured his arm far from civilization.

I asked Jake to go and cut down a tree about 8 cm thick and about 2 m long. When he brought the cut trunk, I cut a hole in one of the ends into which I was going to insert the top end of the drill. As a result, we made a huge stop, which not only firmly pressed the drill to the hearth board, but also gave stability to the entire device. Thus, all Jake had to do was hold the rest with his left hand, completely concentrating on working with the bow.

Not even a minute had passed after we installed the device, and in Jake’s fireplace the coal that had been withheld for so long was already sparkling. A few more minutes - and a bright flame soared above the dry logs. Jake stood near the fire and smiled widely. I completely shared his feelings: sometimes even the smallest achievements feel like huge victories.

Let's say you went outdoors or on a hike and are completely sure that you are equipped with everything you need. Unfortunately, you discover that you forgot your matches! Learning how to make fire using friction can save your life in an extreme survival situation.

This article gives detailed description one of the most interesting and complex methods of making fire using a bow spindle (“Indian fiddle”).

Preparation

1. Find tinder. As a rule, these are dry, fibrous materials that are flammable from a spark (lint from clothing, bird plumage, thin wood shavings, dry moss, crushed fibers of dry plants, the inner layer of cedar, birch bark, spruce cones, pine needles, tinder fungi, burnt cotton and linen, wax paper, dust produced by wood-boring insects)
2. Kindling and fuel.
   • Gather a few handfuls of kindling. Long, dry rods about the thickness of a toothpick are best. Gradually increase the rods to pencil thickness.
   • Use wood as fuel. They burn well, give a lot of heat and smolder for a long time. Soft conifers burn quickly and produce a lot of sparks.
   • Try to avoid wood lying on the ground (it will most likely be damp or damp). Instead, collect firewood and kindling from dead wood. Look for dead branches that are tangled in bushes or the understory of trees. It should be noted that mixed dry and wet wood burns for a long time, and the smoke released from the wet wood will drive away insects.
3. Do "nest" for coal. Wrap the tinder bundle in a denser material such as dry grass or leaves. Make sure you leave a recess for the charcoal and small gaps for ventilation.
4. From flexible elastic wood (hazel, bamboo) make onion.
5. Wooden board. For making boards, those that do not contain juice are best suited. Choose a light, dry tree and shape it according to the following dimensions: thickness - 2-3 cm, width - 5-8 cm, length - at least 30 centimeters.
6. Spindle (drill) It is recommended to make it from hard wood that does not contain resins or other juices. However, you can use the same wood as for the board. The main thing is that the wood is dry and light.
7. Find or make a top support for the spindle. may be made of wood, bone or stone.
8. Prepare coal collector. To insulate from the cold ground and move the coals into a pre-prepared nest with tinder, you can use a dry leaf, a wood chip, bark, a piece of paper, etc.

Making fire

Voila! Now you can warm up and relax near the long-awaited fire...

Possible problems and their solutions

• Practice. Practice at home in your free time to develop experience and habit.
• If you get a good hot coal, the tinder will literally burst into flames in your hands, so always prepare kindling and wood for the fire in advance.
• The shape of the chimney is important, but not essential, provided it is slightly wider at the bottom than at the top. It is recommended to use a narrow chimney with a cutting angle of about 60 degrees (1/6 of the pie) and U shape, but V-necks work too. The chimney is where hot wood powder is collected and mixed with air, allowing it to turn into coals. A wider chimney usually means you'll have to create more tinder (hot wood powder), but it will also allow for more airflow.
• Maintain the position of the bow relative to the middle of the spindle. If the string moves closer to one end of the drill, a torque imbalance will occur and the drill will likely pop out of the socket (support block) or hole in the board. To return the string to its original place, change the angle of the bow as you move back and forth. The string should always be parallel to the ground and perpendicular to the drill. Never point the tip of the bow at the ground or sky. Learn to control the bow in a horizontal plane.
• The hole in the board and the tip of the spindle that fits there should be rough, not shiny and smooth. Roughness increases friction. If they become smooth, then pour some sand into the hole. This is an old Indian trick that many settlers lost sight of.
• If you're tired, don't be afraid to take short breaks. The process of making fire using the bow spindle method takes a lot of energy, unless you are one of those people for whom this activity is natural and everyday. If so, then you're in luck. For the rest of us, rest breaks can mean the difference between a warm, cozy night in the friendly surroundings of the forest and a cold, dark night in an inhospitable wilderness environment. Try to almost completely fill the chimney cutout with dark wood dust, and then take a break or pass the baton to your partner while the sawdust is still wet.
• If you have two people, you can act in tandem. The first person remains in charge (or leading) and sets the pace of work, while the second person adds effort to each movement. Such cooperation greatly facilitates the extraction of smoldering embers, especially in the first couples.
• It has been found that it is easier to work if your hands are a little sticky (like resin).
• Place the tinder nest under the chimney opening and you won't have to risk moving the coals. This technique will significantly reduce your effort.
• If you know you'll have to make a fire this way and don't have a flashlight, make sure you allow plenty of time for this procedure before nightfall. Experienced campers have been doing this for years and still have difficulty working in the dark. Even if you have a flashlight, do this during daylight hours. You'll be glad you did.
• Do not allow the board to wobble while drilling.

Warnings

• The spindle, board and socket become very hot.
• This method of making fire does not always work and takes a lot of time and effort.
• If you no longer need a fire, cover the ashes and make sure they do not pose an environmental hazard.
• Be very careful about what wood/leaves/branches you burn. For example, it is very poisonous, so make sure you do not use it as fuel. Do some research so you know what you can (and can't) burn in advance.

Necessary equipment

• Knife or sharp stone
• A board made from soft wood (such as cedar or linden)
• A spindle (drill) made from the same or softer wood (such as poplar root)
• Bow made of elastic wood (hazel, ash, acacia (wattle), mulberry (mulberry), maclura or “bow tree” (osage), yew, bamboo)
• Rawhide or durable
• A support block (socket) made of something smooth, a piece of hardwood or stone with a recess.

In English terminology the word wattle is the common name for trees and shrubs of the genus Acacia, primarily growing in Australia and South Africa.

Osage or Osage-Orange(inedible American orange) is the tree from which the American Indians made their bows. It is considered the best wood for making homemade bows. Its mechanical properties are similar to yew. Other names: Bois d'Arc ( tree of bows), Maclura aurantiaca (orange maclura) or Maclura pomifera(maclura), Bow wood, Horse-apple, Adam's apple, False orange. Maclura fruits are widely used in folk medicine.

The best drill-board combinations:

• Willow - Linden
• Willow - Willow
• Hazel - Linden
• Willow - Maple

The essence of starting a fire by friction is that when any objects (including wood) rub against each other, they heat up. In this case, wood acts as the rubbing surface. Heated by friction, it is able to reach a temperature sufficient to form smoldering tinder, which is often dust from the same wood.

Theoretically, this method is simple, but in practice it requires enormous effort to implement and certain skills.

There are several known ways to produce fire by friction, but not all of them are applicable in real conditions, taking into account the characteristics of the temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere (corresponding wood and its humidity).

Basic options for making fire by friction

Most often, the following methods are used to produce fire by friction:

1. Fire plow. Here, smoldering tinder is created by rubbing a peg against a groove cut into a piece of wood.
2. Hand drill. In this case, smoldering coals appear as a result of drilling a wooden plank prepared in a special way.
3. Fire bow. Here everything is the same as in the case of a hand drill, only the drill is driven by the reciprocating movements of the beam.
4. Fire bamboo. In this case, pre-prepared kindling begins to smolder, sandwiched in half of the bamboo trunk, which is used to “saw” the other half.

All methods of starting a fire by friction have their own specifics and are quite difficult to implement. To confidently make a fire with their help, preliminary training is required.

Fire plow

This is one of the most difficult methods of making fire by friction. However, in the absence of a rope, which is needed, for example, for a fire bow, it becomes acceptable for starting a fire even in the steppe and forest-steppe.

The essence of the method is that when a sharp stick rubs against a groove in a log, the walls of the log heat up, hot dust is scraped off from them, which will then swell.

Dry (but not rotten) soft hardwood wood is suitable for the fire plow. Coniferous wood should not be used for making fire by friction due to the presence of resin in them, which can prevent the appearance of smoldering tinder. However, if there are no deciduous trees nearby, you can try, for example, using pine sticks.

Some people believe that bark can be used as a base to start a fire by friction. But this is not true: fire cannot be produced this way. If you use bark, then birch bark, and then only as kindling.

In order to make fire with a fire plow, you need to follow the following algorithm:

1. A plank is made, or a flat platform up to half a meter long is made on a horizontally lying trunk.
2. A shallow groove is cut into the board for almost the entire length of the board.
3. A peg up to 30 cm long is planed from the same wood, which is sharpened on one side.
4. The sharp side of the peg is lowered into the groove.
5. The peg is pressed into the bottom of the groove and thus driven along its entire length in one direction and the other.
6. Kindling is placed on the smoldering coals formed as a result of friction, or the coals are carefully poured into the kindling rolled up in a nest, and then fanned until a fire appears.

Our distant ancestors made fire in exactly this way - by rubbing one piece of dry wood against another using the fire plow technology.

If you make the peg longer (a little more than two meters), the fire plow can be used by two people, which greatly simplifies the work of the person making the fire. In this case, the person sitting next to the piece of wood directs and presses the peg to the groove, and the person standing presses and moves it in one direction or the other. The video shows how this is organized:

Hand drill

This method of producing fire by friction is used mainly in the tropical and equatorial zones, where suitable wood is available.

Algorithm of actions:

1. A piece of a small branch is cleared of bark and split lengthwise into two parts.
2. In one half of the side, a “V”-shaped slot is cut, in the narrowest part of which, on the outside of the branch, a recess is made for the future drill.
3. A drill is made from the same wood, which is a thin stick sharpened on one side, at least half a meter long (with a shorter one, it will not be as convenient to work with).
4. A stick with a slot cut out is placed with its flat side on the ground on pre-prepared kindling.
5. The sharp side of the drill rests on a recess in a stick lying on the ground.
6. The upper part of the drill is clamped between the palms and rotates with pressure in a motion reminiscent of rubbing the palms during frost. When the palms slide down without lifting the drill from the lower stick, they must be returned to their original place and continued rotation.
7. The smoldering coals formed as a result of friction inside the crack are carefully dumped onto the kindling and fanned until a fire appears.

This method of making fire by friction was used by ancient people living in hot countries. In modern conditions, it can be simplified by using potassium permanganate, which ignites faster than a rod.

If a tourist has potassium permanganate in his first aid kit, starting a fire will not be a problem. You need to pour a little of this powder into a hole made in a log, press it with the end of a small stick, first covering it with tinder, and make several rotational movements. The friction will cause the tinder to flash and ignite.

An example of such a fire in the taiga in winter is shown in the video:

In our latitudes, it is somewhat difficult to make a fire with a hand drill: it will take a lot of time, effort, and wounds may form on your hands, which can become infected. Therefore, this method is not widely used, unlike the following method.

The video shows how to make a fire in this way in Kenya:

Fire bow and its variation

This method of starting a fire by friction became known as the Indian fiddle, although it has long been used not only in America, but also on other continents.

Essentially, this method is the same as a hand drill, only in this case the rotation is carried out not by the palms, but by the bow string, which provides greater speed and, accordingly, higher temperatures. Therefore, it is sometimes called a bow drill.

Externally, the device for making such a fire looks like a bow, the string of which is wrapped around a stick.

The wood used is the same as for the fire plow, that is, dry wood from soft hardwoods, such as alder or aspen. Trees lying on the ground are not suitable for these purposes, as they are likely to be wet or rotten and rotten.

This method also requires a rope, which is often used as laces removed from one shoe. The main requirement for a rope is that it must be strong (hiking ropes are very good for this).

To make fire with your own hands using a fire bow, do the following:

1. The sushina is being cut down.
2. A plank is made, or, as in the previous case, the branch is split halfway along the fibers.
3. By analogy with the previous method, a “V”-shaped slot and a recess are made at its narrowed end.
4. A drill about 30 cm long, sharpened on both sides, is planed from a separate piece of wood.

1. The onion is being made. To do this, you can take a curved, fairly rigid stick up to a meter long and tie a rope to both sides. An elastic branch will also work for this purpose, but it will be more difficult to achieve tension in the rope as the bow moves forward, which can cause the rope to slip along the drill.
2. Take the second part of the split stick and dig out a small hole in the center of it on the inside. The top of the drill will be inserted into this hole.
3. The string is wrapped around the drill once, the drill is inserted at one end into the bottom board and pressed with the second board from above. Both pointed ends of the drill should fit into the corresponding holes. It turns out to be a bow drill.
4. The person stands on his right knee and presses the bottom plank with his left foot to prevent it from moving. The bow is in his right hand, and with his left hand he holds the top plate with which he presses the drill.
5. The bow is set in a reciprocating motion, as when drilling, this causes the drill to rotate in the support. As the “V”-shaped gap is filled with tinder, the speed of movement of the bow must be gradually increased, bringing the temperature at the point of contact of the drill with the support board to the maximum.
6. The smoldering tinder formed as a result of overcoming the frictional force is removed along with the kindling and inflated until a fire appears. The tinder should be in the form of small black needles: only in this case can you hope for a good result.

I once observed the following picture: a young man attached a wooden drill to a drill and drilled into the center of a wooden board - there was a lot of smoke, but it was not possible to start a fire. A similar situation can be seen in some books illustrating images with a similar scheme. It is not difficult to guess that such a method is doomed to failure, because there is no place for tinder to accumulate, which, among other things, simply scatters to the sides.

This method of making fire, like those described above, is based on the physical phenomenon of increasing internal energy by doing work to overcome friction forces.
In our latitudes it is the most preferable, but it still remains one of the most complex and energy-consuming (mainly due to the high complexity of making a bow) and requires preliminary development.

There is also a “relative” of the fire bow, called a pump drill, but this device is quite difficult to manufacture in survival conditions and therefore will not be considered in this article. The video shows this option:

Fire bamboo

This method of making fire with your own hands, for obvious reasons, is used only in regions where bamboo grows. Only dried stems of this plant are suitable for it.

Fire is produced as follows:

1. A dry meter-long bamboo trunk is split into two parts.
2. One part (hereinafter referred to as the first part) is shortened to half a meter and a small through hole is made in the middle with a knife.
3. On the outside, a transverse groove is made directly along the hole.
4. From the second piece (hereinafter referred to as the second part) of the split bamboo trunk, a wide sliver about 40 cm long is cut and broken in the middle.
5. The side of the second part of the trunk is made smooth and its edge is sharpened with a knife - a kind of bamboo blade is obtained.
6. From the second part of the trunk, shavings in the form of thin twisted ribbons are scraped off with a knife. To do this, the knife blade is held at a right angle to the barrel and positioned across it.
7. The chips are rolled into a tight ball, divided into two equal parts and placed inside the first part of the trunk directly above the hole (the hole is between them), after which they are pressed on top with a broken sliver.
8. The second part of the trunk rests against the stomach with one end, and against the ground with the other. The weight of the body presses it to the ground so as to prevent displacement during operation.
9. The first part of the trunk with kindling and wood chips is taken with both hands by the opposite ends and leans with a groove against the flat side surface (“blade”) of the second part.
10. The reciprocating motion due to friction provides sufficient heat to cause smoldering in the kindling pressed against the wood chips.
11. The smoldering kindling is transferred to dry grass and fanned until a fire appears.

I have seen another execution of this method of starting a fire by friction. In it, half a bamboo trunk with kindling lay on the ground (kindling down), and the other half was sawed. But this method, in my opinion, is less universal, since it requires at least two people (one to hold the lower part, the second for sawing movements), the soil must be dry so as not to wet the kindling, and your hands can be damaged by lying on ground stones or thorns.

Like other methods of making fire by friction, this one requires preliminary training. Without such training, a person who finds himself in an emergency situation risks spending a lot of time and effort, while being left without fire.

As for me, in our latitudes the most acceptable option for starting a fire in survival conditions was and remains the fire bow method. Although it requires a strong rope, it allows you to spend less force than other methods, which in an emergency there is always somewhere to use.

Interesting video: bow drill in action

Fire plow in Polynesian style: