FIRE BY FRICTION & MAGNIFICATION
FIRE BY FRICTION & MAGNIFICATION
Making fire without lighter or matches seems to be one of the main skills that people associate with bushcraft, and here I am going to look at two intriguing methods – fire by friction and fire by magnification – both with long pedigrees.
Fire by friction, also known as bow drill technique, “Indian fire fiddle” etc is a prehistoric fire-lighting method and can be performed with nothing more than materials found out in the woods, while fire by magnification relies on some sort of “burning glass” or lens. Burning glasses were often built into historic tinderboxes, but I have had success using lenses made from magnifying glasses, condoms and even ice!
As with all fire-lighting, preparation is key to success and before you even think of making your ember you need to have your fire laid and ready with at least twice the amount of tinder you would imagine needed, with kindling, small wood and fuel to hand.
To make fire you are going to need to produce heat, so protect your equipment from the cold and damp, insulated from the ground which is nearly always colder and damper than you want to work on.
Fire by Friction
The main pieces of equipment needed for fire by friction using a bow drill set are the “bow” a “base-” or “hearth-board”, a “spindle” and a bearing block. A dried leaf, sliver of wood or piece of bark is useful as an “ember catcher” and a good dry tinder bundle is essential.
