If you are camping or hiking and find that you have forgotten your matches, it is helpful to know how to light a fire with sticks. The bow drill and hand drill methods are established techniques for igniting flames and work on the same principle; Lighting the fire like this takes time and is a little frustrating, but with practice you can master it.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Collect the Tinder and Wood
Step 1. Find the bait
There are different methods of lighting a fire with sticks, but whichever you use, you need to start by gathering the bait material and some wood to burn. For the bait, you can take any fibrous, dry, flammable material that catches fire with a spark; fluff found in pockets, dried moss, or fibers torn from a plant, such as cedar bark, are all great examples.
- You should make a small skein of very dry and thin material.
- The bait is the first thing that catches fire.
Step 2. Collect some twigs
You also need to get some wood to add to the bait once it has caught fire; take several handfuls of twigs, small pieces of wood of various sizes. Get something thin, like a toothpick or even finer, but much longer, several handfuls of wood the thickness and length of a pencil, and several pieces as thick as your arm.
- Avoid wood on the ground as it could be damp; instead opt for dead branches that have fallen, but which have remained stuck in the branches or on the bushes.
- It is possible to break dead branches from trees, but focus on those that break off immediately; otherwise the branches aren't really dead.
- If the branch bends without breaking, it is alive or not dry enough; also avoid those that are still green because they generally don't burn well.
Step 3. Find some larger wood
Once the fire is lit and stabilized, you need to add larger pieces to fuel it. It is a good idea to prepare a large pile of wood before starting; these pieces must be larger than the twigs and should only be added to the bonfire when it is consolidated.
- The wood must be as dry as possible; dead trees are generally a good source.
- When collecting wood, avoid placing it directly on wet ground.
Step 4. Prepare a small skein of bait
Whichever method you choose to follow, the first step is to make a small wad of the flammable material; once you manage to have some embers or create sparks, you have to transfer them to the skein to get the open flames. Pile all the material into a cotton ball-sized pile, placing small herbaceous fibers such as typha in the center. For the outer portion you can use thicker fibers, such as dried leaves, to keep the skein compact; Also check that you have created a hole or indentation with your thumb in which to place the embers.
- Try to shape it as if it were a bird's nest.
- You can use a strip of bark to wrap and hold the material together.
Step 5. Arrange the wood like a tipi
Before you commit to creating the sparks or embers, you need to build the bonfire with a tent shape. By placing the large branches in a conical arrangement, placing lots of bait material in the center and distributing the larger sticks along the edges, you allow the fire to develop and stabilize. Don't use too much material and remember to leave plenty of room for air to circulate and fuel the flames.
Part 2 of 4: Making the Tools and Materials
Step 1. Get a board
If you are using the hand or bow drill method, you must first prepare a wooden stand; this represents the base on which to rest the tool to develop friction which, hopefully, ignites the flames. The drill and the board must be made of light, dry and non-resinous wood.
- The best material should be lymph-free and soft enough to be easily poked with your thumbnail without chipping it.
- Shape any piece of wood you have chosen into a board 2-3cm thick, 5-10cm wide and at least 30cm long.
Step 2. Build the drill
When the table is ready, you have to dedicate yourself to this tool; it should be made with harder wood than the base, such as maple or poplar. Try to get the branch as straight as possible and cut out a piece 20 cm long with a diameter of 3-4 cm.
- Cut one end to make it sharp like a pencil.
- The other end must be blunt.
Step 3. Make a headband
If you have decided to use the drill method, you need to make this additional tool. Choose a flexible piece of wood, as it has to withstand a lot of pressure; a dead branch may break more easily than a green one of a similar size. However, you can use both dry and "fresh" sticks for this purpose.
- Check that it is as long as an arm and that it has a diameter of 3-5 cm; look for the thinnest branch you have available, so that the bow is as light as possible.
- A light weight tool is easier to control and requires less force to use it; however, it must be stiff enough not to bend under your pressure.
Step 4. Connect the rope
Use a shoelace, backpack drawstring, small rope, or whatever rope you can get hold of. Canadian hemp and nettle are the traditional natural materials to make this part of the instrument; cut a piece about 180 cm long and tie one end tightly at the end of the bow.
Tie the other end with a loose, adjustable knot to change the length and tension of the rope
Step 5. Adjust the string
It is important that it is tight enough not to slip the drill. However, if the tension is too high, the tip will slip off the recess or the board. There are a number of ways to handle this.
- Keep the string almost completely taut, hold it at the end of the bow and, if necessary, push it against the branch as you begin to rotate the drill bit.
- Even if initially the tension is correct, it often loosens with use, so this is an important technique to master; you have to move your hand along the tool to keep the string tight enough throughout the work.
- Try to keep the twine still, you could wrap it around your finger and adjust it by tightening the knot.
- An alternative method is to insert another stick (preferably thick because the thin ones can break) into a second loop near one end.
- Rotate it until the string reaches the desired tension and then "lock" it to the bow; if it continues to slide, hold it steady with your hand.
Step 6. Find or make a hollow handle
This tool allows you to exert more pressure on the drill. Usually, it consists of a small object with a hole or a recess in which to rest the upper part of the drill in order to press it downwards; it can be made of bone, wood or stone.
- Look for a rock with a smooth hole in the surface. In theory, it should be the size of a fist and should fit comfortably in the hand without being too small or heating up quickly. The ideal solution is a stone with a smooth-edged recess.
- If you can't find a stone, the simplest alternative is wood. The "handle" should be small enough to be able to hold it without difficulty, but large enough to prevent your fingers from completely wrapping it and risking touching the drill.
- It is best to cut the cavity out of hard wood or use the knot from a soft piece that is naturally lubricated. Use the tip of a knife or sharp stone to drill a hole that does not exceed half the thickness of the wood.
- You can also make an improvised cavity from other materials; look for objects that can hold the tip of the drill steady without preventing it from turning. Obviously, there are many things you can use for this purpose.
- It is advisable to lubricate the cavity with lip balm or resin.
Part 3 of 4: Setting the Table
Step 1. Cut a small hole in the board
If you have already done this before setting out on a nature trip, you do not have to follow the instructions in this step; if you are building a board from scratch, you need to make a hole in which to insert the drill.
- Score the wood about 2-3 cm from the edge; the hole should have the diameter of the drill and be 5-6 mm deep.
- When you push the drill down, it should turn hard and you should feel a lot of friction.
Step 2. Use the bow drill to burn the hole
Once carved, you can use the drill bit to improve its shape and get enough frictional force to ignite the fire. Just rotate the tip of the tool in the hole and burn it with the clutch; you can reuse it in the future when you want to light the fire with sticks. The instructions described below are for a right-handed person; if you are left handed you have to reverse them.
- Place the board on the ground.
- Put your left foot on the board, to the left of the hole and at a distance of 2-3 cm; the arch of the foot (not the heel or the forefoot) should be on the axis. Make sure the ground is fairly flat or sink the board slightly into the earth to prevent it from swaying or moving excessively.
- Kneel on the right leg; make sure your knee is behind and far enough away from your left foot so that it creates a right angle.
- Hold the bow with your right hand and the drill with your left.
- Place the drill on the string with the sharp tip pointing to the right and turn it inside the bow; if you have difficulty, you can loosen the string slightly, but it should not slip once it is wrapped around the stick.
- Insert the blunt end into the hole and place the rock with the cavity on top of the drill.
- Grab the bow as close to one end as possible, start pushing and pulling it horizontally while applying pressure on the drill with the hollow stone; you have to find the right balance between the force you apply on the drill and the tension of the bow string.
- Move the bow faster and faster and apply more and more pressure with the hollow stone.
- Eventually, you will be able to create some soot and smoke at the base of the drill - a good sign! Stop and lift the board.
Step 3. Burn the hole with the hand drill
If you have decided not to use the bow, you still need to burn the hole in the plank. You can proceed by using your hands to rotate the stick and generate friction, just as described above; hold the drill between your palms and move them back and forth to make it spin.
- Remember to keep constant downward and inward pressure.
- This movement causes the hands to slide downwards, but it is important to keep the pole rotating; when you find yourself near the table, quickly bring your hands back to the top of the drill.
- Continue in this way until smoke develops; it is a difficult process, so be patient and don't give up.
Step 4. Make a notch for the soot
Use a sharp tool to make a "V" opening from the edge of the board almost to the center of the burned hole. The important thing to remember is that the notch does not have to be large enough for the drill bit to slip through when you spin it again.
- The notch should be about 1/8 of a slice of cake wide.
- The tip of the "V" should coincide with the center of the burnt hole in the board.
- The wide end should be facing out.
- The notch and drill bit should have rough, not smooth edges to increase friction; if they look shiny, add some sand to the notch.
Step 5. Place a bowl for embers in place
You need an object to collect the glowing fragments you have produced, which protects them from the cold ground and allows you to carry them to the bait wad; you can use a dry leaf, a splinter of wood, a piece of paper or bark, as well as various other materials. Whatever it is, make sure you can lift it without dropping it or spilling its contents.
Place the container directly under the notch you made in the board before creating the embers
Part 4 of 4: Lighting the Fire
Step 1. Create the embers with the bow
At this point, it is time to light the fire. You have to repeat all the steps you followed to burn the hole in the board. Don't forget to place the embers container under the notch and keep the bait wad close at hand.
- Start by pushing and pulling the bow while applying pressure with the hollow "handle"; as you pick up the pace, increase the speed and press harder and harder.
- Keep the bow in the center of the drill; if the string moves upward, more horizontal force develops near the handle and the tip is more likely to slip.
- The string should always be parallel to the ground (if this is perfectly flat) and perpendicular to the drill bit; in this way, each movement generates the maximum possible force reducing fatigue. Using this type of tool is very hard work!
- Eventually you will manage to get some soot in the "V" notch; keep turning the drill until smoke develops.
- When the smoke begins to be abundant, don't stop, but increase the pressure and speed of the movement.
- Look at the dust you are creating - the darker it is, the better.
- If you can get smoke out of the soot pile, you probably have embers.
Step 2. Use a hand drill to get the embers
If you have decided not to use the bow, follow the same technique you used to burn the hole in the board. This method is generally slower and more challenging than the bow method, but you can get embers if you are persistent; move your hands quickly back and forth without releasing pressure towards the board.
- Try to keep your hands close to the top of the drill by moving them half a turn or in an arc trajectory.
- The lowest point of the arch should be where your hands touch the drill.
Step 3. Blow on the embers to create flames
When you have some glowing material, gently remove the drill and lift the board. Use a stick to hold the embers container on the ground in case it gets stuck in the notch. Move your hand gently to create a stream of air over the coals and strengthen the combustion. Do not blow with your mouth unless it is possible to do it very lightly, otherwise you could scatter all the material.
- Wet soil extinguishes coals, but you run the risk of extinguishing them even if you have to lift them off the ground.
- Once you are sure that the embers do not go out, transfer them to the bait and blow gently.
Step 4. Blow on the pile
Start with a light flow, carefully squeezing the ball around the embers; as the flames spread over the material, you have to rotate and / or reshape the material to fuel it.
By blowing, you provide more oxygen to ignite the bait and transfer the heat from the embers to the flammable material
Step 5. Build the bonfire
Keep blowing and gently squeezing the bait until you get real flames and place it on the ground where you want to create the bonfire; if you want to feed the fire, keep blowing and add some sticks the size of a toothpick to the burning pile. Afterward, lay down the sticks the size of a pencil, gradually increasing the size of the wood until you get a real bonfire.
- If you have prepared a pile of wood with the conical shape, put the burning bait in the center.
- Keep blowing slowly and steadily to fuel the flames.
Warnings
- When the fire is no longer needed, cover the ashes and check that it is completely extinguished!
- This method doesn't always work and takes a lot of time and energy.
- Remember that if you are not in good balance or the string is too tight, the drill may jump off and hit you.
- If you know you are going to start a fire this way and you don't have a torch with you, make sure you have plenty of time before it gets dark.
- The drill, the table and the cavity are hot; be careful not to burn yourself.
- Choose carefully the type of wood, leaves or twigs you burn; for example, the rhododendron is very poisonous, so do not use any part of it and do not collect the wood that is at its base. Do some research ahead of time to know what you can and can't burn.
