Hate bow drills

Nice by no means am I a primitive "only" kind of guy
I love using firesteel, recently i've been enjoying the primitive methods though. But I will still always carry around my firesteel. I like to go prepared into the woods I marry my outdoor adventures with modern equipment more often than not.
I Enjoyed the post, its good to get people thinking and pondering rather than just doing what the rest of the folks are doing.

-Phorisc
Live The Adventure

 

no one here but some people on a tube site just might bake there wood in a toaster oven then start there video wow look at my skill wow they have fire in 4 pass of the bow there answer its my skill

i got so pissed off in my two year quest to make a bow drill fire that i tracked down where the farmers found the most arrow heads and tract down in the woods until i found where the local indians got there flint

my thinking two years of failure if i know how to find natural flint its like the fire knows once you do it once then the fire starts working and is allways more easy and once you do it allways can i know if i was named robin and was on a island i would have a fire in a couple hours this would give me more time with my emaginary friend a soccer ball with a hand print on it

one night pissed off i put my wood drill in the drill press and held fire board in place and i said ill make it work lol the drill press spinned the wood to fast so the tip of the wood drill glassed over and would not make a fire talk about defeat i could not frie even with a drill ugh

find a rock with a natural depression in it like the dril makes in the fire board if your drill not smoking look at tip of the drill your could scratch the glass looking part off to rough it up or with that rock run it a few pass on that rock to get rid of that glaze do that and you will start making fire fast and every time great when you drop drill in river water not asorb very deep just drill off the wet with your rock i have found rock like this where i find arrow heads theres were larger each hole for differnt size wood or type bigger left at camp before the hunt run few pass on that rock and your drill ready fo a quick fire

if your teaching kids or young adults you want to make them develope a life long love of nature make it easy on then make the fire kits up test each one till your making fire with it the kiln dry them so they get a fire quick and easy when i was in boy scouts no one ever did it the offical kit was made out of a pine 2 x 4 the bow was like 9 inchs long the kit did not work at all it was so bad that for 10 years not one single scout learn bow drill fire now days they actualy do it so my frist try was age 14 first fire age 35

 

I don't seem to have the determination I had when I was younger ,with the goal that," If it could be done 100 years ago I should be able to do it my self ."
My bucket list is very deep .
But the fact is ,if another man can do it, I can do it.
If I make excuses, I short change my self.
Not that I will ever actually "need the skill" ,but that I have the experience to "teach the skill" to others and keep it alive.
Good post thanks.

 

To me the best thing about learning any skill is all of ancillary knowledge that comes with it. The next best things are the sense of accomplishment, competence, etc. The more we learn, the more we realize is out there yet to be learned!!

When we learn certain skills such as hunting, trapping, Friction Fire (bow drill, Rudiger Fire Roll, etc), Percussion Fire (Pyrites & Flint, F&S, etc), edible and medicinal wild plants, etc we also learn ever so much more.

To hunt or trap we learn navigation, recognition of species of flora (look out for the poison ivy!) and fauna (have to know which duck it is to know if we can shoot, etc), life habits of species (Ramps are found in early Spring, mulberries in late Spring, milkweed pods in late summer, etc) (most animals are most active at dusk and dawn), what do do if we fall through the ice, how to process for food or fur, how to cook, etc.

Primitive skills are no different. Learn lots of species of plants and fungi in finding out what in our area works for us for fire, shelter, cordage, food, medicine, etc. Also where each is likely to be found. (Wet loving plants - nettle and jewel weed tend to be found in moist to wet areas, etc. Dry tolerant trees - oaks tend to be found on hills, etc.)

Sometimes the journey is as, if not more, important than the destination!!

And yes, most forms of friction fire can be quite annoying in their high time and effort requirements while yielding inconsistent results. But then, I haven't put the time in with them that I have with some others.

 

I am not a master friction fire maker , still learning with margins of success .
I made a bearing block to help me out.
Nylon block with a ball bearing .
Seems to work OK .
I have plenty of Nylon if any one wants some.

 

I have been watching Alone on the History Channel. One contestant Randy, lost his ferro rod and had to revert back using a bow drill to make fire or tap out. He struggled but never gave up. Finally he accomplished the feat and produced an ember in which he blew into a sustainable fire with a tinder bundle. He is still in the mix for a half a million $ dollar prize if he his the last one standing.

I'm a stern believer that its better to own a skill and not need to use it, than to need it and not have the skill. In survival, Practice makes Permanent...Semper Paratus. My fire kits have redundancy, containing a BIC lighter, Ferro rod, UCO Storm proof matches, f&s w/charred material, man made tinder (pjcbs) jute string & lighter knot.
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@DomC could you identify the stuff in this picture and what is that handle for? Thanks

 

Firesteel, Flint rocks, Charcloth, Jute twine, Charring tin, and some Jean material for charring?

 

Yep there it is. Motomom what handle are you referring to? The brown object is lighter knot aka fatwood BTW.

Dom

 

Been getting a bunch of this stuff in and made up to sell, so I'm happy I got it right. Haha.

 

I dont hate the bow drill. I dont like the bow drill either. I use flint and steel . Every one of our get home bags and car kits have multiple lighters in them. I dont travel by air or in anyone else's car. Even our boats have a get home bag with the basics. For long term we are stocked with new Zippo lighters and many cans of fuel. we also saved dryer lint for a couple years and have a garbage bag of it. When you stick to your plan you are never with out your basics. Dont vary or cut corners and you will be fine. Its when you say hey honey lets take a 300 mile trip . Did you pack a get home bag ?? no we wont need one. That is when shtf . dont leave home without some form of fire starter, knife, and the rest of your get home kit. I got one for you, so you are flying and the plane goes down. You survive by some miracle and you have your boot or shoe laces. You can not carry a knife so count that out, Im not sure you can even have a lighter. Im not sure if you can even carry a small survival bag on a plane. You wont have any way to carve out a bow drill. Just my 2 cents. Stay at home or travel in a way where you control the things you can carry with you. Kingfish out.

 

Yesterday I tried the bamboo saw ,but I still have a way to go it's not happening yet.

 

Heard that. Haha.

At Kingfish: You pick up any ferro rods or anything for more long term/portable fire potential? Don;t get me wrong, Zippos are nice, but I know what I ferro rod can get you.