Skill Time: Bow Drill Fire Making

Sorry gadget, not today...

If there's one thing that I've learned from Bear Grylls or Les Stroud or Cody Lundin, is that sometimes when you are enjoying the great outdoors (or as it's called in my house - an excuse to play with gadgets and gear!) things can happen and you may end up needing to start a fire. Now as much as I'd like to introduce an ultra easy fire-starting gadget here, I'm not going to. Instead I'm going to suggest that we all learn (and practice) the skill of starting a fire without matches (or gasoline or blowtorches!)

The activity that started my love of gadgets and gear when I was young was scouting. And although I loved Cub Scouts, I never matriculated to the Boy Scouts, but I learned and have tried to live by their motto, "Be Prepared". Often this results in over-packing gadgets and equipment, and sometimes having the false security that goes with that gear. For example, when my family and I are out camping, I know that I have about 4 to 6 options for starting the campfire that dictates the level of fun for the evening.

However as we all know, plans can change and it is all to easy to be separated from the precious gear that we rely upon (even if you try to carry a personal survival kit such as this), and you will find it necessary to make do with less than the sophisticated gear to which you have grown accustomed. In this case it is prudent to learn the basic survival skills that you may be inclined to scoff at in your gadget-filled ivory tower.

This article is the most thorough I've seen on exactly how you should use your body mechanics and equipment when starting a fire with a bow-drill. What it all comes down to is that the greatest piece of gear (or gadget) any of us have is the hunk of meat between our ears and behind our eyes, and the more we understand how to function and survive with minimal gear, the better we will be able to help ourselves and others with our ever-so-wonderful gadgets and gear! This activity is going on my summer bucket list!