primative fire lighting

Out of curiosity has anyone ever actualy tried any of the primative techniques such as the bow drill or the flint and steel.<br><br>Did you actually manage to light a fire with it.

Yes I learned the bowdrill as a young boy from an Apache. No, he was not Tom Brown's mentor, but a cowboy who taught me to ride horses. He then told me to keep matches on my person at all times LOL. There is a great deal of personal satisfaction learning these skills. You also appreciate the marvelous advances in equipment, as did our common ancestors worldwide. A "shaman" teaching me his celestial cosmology- " and what's that star? thats a satelite you dummie!"

I tried the flint and steel with some success. It took me some time to find the right steel and the proper striking technique. The sparks aren´t too hot. You need a really good tinder for that.<br>I prefer more modern equipment, when I have to count on it. When I use two sticks for firelighting, I make sure one of them is a match. ;-)<br><br>

The wife bought me one of those primitive fire kits that they sell online. Using the raw piece of flint, steel, char cloth and cotton wool that came in the kit, I managed to get a fire going. It wasn't easy and it took several tries before I got it right and actually acheived flame. I would imagine that the more this system was used, that we would eventually get better at using it, that or we'd get smart and do what our ancestors did. That'd be, carry a smoldering coal with us as we traveled. ; - )

Has anyone tried a fire piston? Pete

I've used a bow drill as well. It takes some getting used to but it is SURPRISINGLY easy (once you've made everything and know the technique). I've also tried a firepiston...although I didn't make mine. I ordered it from http://www.firepistons.com/ (no, I'm not connected with site)<br>Being able to start a fire in the wild provides alot of comfort. The firepiston is WAY better than matches. The wind doesn't blow it out and you can replenish the firepiston in the wild.

Thanks for the web site. I had been to this site before and found it informative, but could not remember the address. I went ahead and ordered a fire piston. I let you all know have it works for me. Pete

yes I have, <br>I tried the hand drill for years and to this day have not made it work. but a few months ago I dicided to try the bow drill. and with the knolege and skills I had picked up from the hand drill I maneged it. <br>if you want ot hyave ago then A find out all you possable can about it B don't read the section in the sas survival giud and C practice and practice and DON'T GIVE UP. it is possable I tought my self to do it from books.<br>and once you've done it, try it with lots of different types of wood. <br>are you going to have a go at it?!<br>and Chris is right there is a lot of satisfaction learning this type of skill.<br>-james<br>P.S sorry about the typos and spelling i'm in a rush!

Flint and steel may be an old invention but its not really "primitive" in the sense of being backward -- i.e. zippo lighters light with a tiny flint and a steel. I think flint and steel is actually more reliable and makes more sense than matches, which can get wet or deteriorate no matter how much you protect them. Also they only work once (read "to build a fire" by Jack London). There's a neat little flint you can get thats made by Coughlan's and costs around $3. You can make a veritable shower of hot sparks with it by scraping it with the blade of a pocket knife. Aim it at some good tinder, like a cotton ball, and "poof" instant fire. Its even attached to a magnesium block thats supposed to also function as tinder but I never needed it.

Ohhhh, fire pistons!!!!! Looks like I'll be shelling out more hard-earned dough for fire starting redundancy! LOL<br><br>John McIntire

I recently bought Ray mears's new book bushcraft which lists the king of wood that you can use and has a step by step section on how to build a bow drill.

good book. tells you all you need to know.<br>-james

I succeeded on the first try (and failed on the second?!?), making a fire with a Bow Drill, with the instructions in the book, "Wilderness Living & Survival Skills" by John & Geri McPherson. I found the sequential pictures to be very helpful and the text was written by someone who clearly knows what they are talking about. Imho, this is a classic book, and should be in everyone's personal survival library!<br><br>But if I were someone just starting out on learning the Bow Drill, I would also seriously consider purchasing the video, "Jim Riggs Teaches How to Make Friction Fire". That guy is so mellow and a great mentor in the video. (His Cordage video is also great.) It is available at:<br><br>http://www.hollowtop.com/hopsstore_html/northwest.htm

I found instructions on how to make a bow drill at www.us-rsog.org. They also have info on other things such as trapping, equipment, water etc.