1. Primitive Fire Starting Boy Scouts of America

2. FIRE SAFETY VERY IMPORTANT! DO NOT COMPROMISE! JUST AS IMPORTANT as STARTING YOUR FIRE YOUR FIRE = YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

3. TWIG BUNDLE VERY IMPORTANT!!! 2 HAND FINGER CIRCLE of Twigs Tie with cordage (string)

4. These Skills: Require lots of practice Have a Failure rate Are difficult at times Sometimes take more time than you want

5. Bow Drill He who knows bow drill carries matches…MK You can do this! But not without practice

6. Bow Drill: Parts Socket Fire Board Spindle Bow String (aka cordage) Ember catcher

7. Bow Drill: Parts Sockethand hold Spindledowel-like pointed on top Fire Board Medium hardness : thumb nail test Bow forked, notched or split String natural, manmade or improvised Ember catcher leaf, wood sliver etc.

8. Socket Keeps downward pressure on spindle Gives more heat to spindle & fireboard Rock, Antler, Wood, Hatchet, Magnesium Bark: Hemlock, Pine, Locust, Cottonwood etc.

9. Fire board Thumb nail test: – No dent = wood is too hard – Pulverizes = wood is too soft – Leaves mark = Just Right!

10. Fire board Thick as spindle: good guide

11. Spindle Top: pointed to reduce friction Bottom: sides rounded to reduce the sides of fireboard less wear & tear on string

12. Spindle Carvebranch(large can be thinned) Naturalusually wobbly Wobble testroll on ground (flat surface) Little longer than: thumb to pinky Thumb thick

13. Bow Thumb thick Armpit to fingertip long Forked topnotchedor holes Peel: if you have time less wt. & moisture

14. String String or Cordage Plants:Barks: MilkweedWillow DogbaneHickory Stinging nettleStriped Maple Evening primroseBasswood Note: taking too much BARK hurts/kills tree (use strip) Ok if Survival Situation: your life matters!

15. Cordage: String Peeling stalksqueeze then split Snap pith side up Reverse wrapaway then toward Adding fibers“horse-shoe” or “U”

16. Ember catcher Catches ember underneath Fireboard Keeps ember from absorbing moisture---(bad) Leaf Wood shaving bark

17. Bow Drill: Technique Twig bundle & other materials (fuel) gathered Ember catcher on floor Fireboard next Spindletwisted-in Bow Socket on top Burn in hole Notch is made Ember is made

18. Technique Ember is placed in Kindling bundle Blow in to flame Twig Bundle is lit Fire is made!

19. Technique Knife starts holeto burn-in Notch is 1/6 to 1/8 pie slice Drill:warm-up setdon’t go crazy Powder fills up hole ~10 good strokesgets ember to glow May wave/fan ember

20. Kindling Bundle Kindling should not be confused with Tinder Tinder: superior form of Kindling that glows from an incendiary spark FINE KINDLINGS: will ignite readily from a glowing piece of Tinder as from a flame

21. Coal extender Milkweed fluffrub in hands Cattail fluff Rectangulated wood rot Flammable outer layer needed Grass Inner bark Leaves Birch bark (later will intensify flame)

22. Ember to Flame 2 parts: Ember Flame _______________________________________ Fire is last stepfire is usable

23. Hand Drill Harder than Bow Drill smaller ember More skill needed in making Kindling bundle Fewer pieces to makebut may not be DRY! BLISTERS!Cordage: Break Hands: Blister

24. Hand Drill 3/8” diameterworks for me 18-24” long

25. FLINT & STEEL Carbon steel or Iron Pyrite Flint rolling story Flint:flint, Iron pyrite, other hard stones Try rocks Tinder:Char cloth, Steel wool (000 or 0000) Tinder fungus Jute bundle

26. FLINT & STEEL 100 % Cottont-shirt Hole in canplace on fire Smoke comes outsmoke stops = done CAUTION:Let can COOL before you touch

27. Other Methods Flint & Steel MagnesiumFerrocerium Battery & Steel wool Soda can (Bottom) 2L plastic bottle Magnifying mirror Magnifying glassFresnel lens Fire piston

28. Other Methods Don’t count out: Lighters: very effective, 1 handed, keep dry Matches: get good w/ matches & Twig bundle

29. Bow Drill Woods AshPawpaw AspenSpruce BasswoodSycamore CottonwoodTamarack ElmWhite Pine HickoryWillow maple

30. Bow Drill Woods Hemlockget trunk wood Cedar not local Yuccanot local Fungal fireboards:i.e. Tinder fungus

31. Hand Drills Goldenrodbest near water Mare’s tail Teasel Mullein Cattail Rose hard on hands, not 1 st choice Seep willow Yucca

32. Wrap-Up Fire Safety is #1 Practice, Practice, Practice Put it OutProperly!

33. Questions?