Essential Wilderness Survival Skill: How to Start a Friction Fire

Knowing how to start a fire without matches is an essential skill of any great survivalist. Check out the tutorial below to learn how to start a friction fire – no lighter needed.

Essential Wilderness Survival Skill: How to Start a Friction Fire

If you find yourself in the wilderness with no lighter on hand, knowing how to start a fire save your life. In this tutorial, we teach you how to start a friction fire using a wooden spindle and fire board. Check out the steps below to see how it’s done, and follow these steps to create an instant friction fire without matches.

Step 1: Find board and spindle.

Find hard wood for your spindle and soft wood for your fire board.

Step 2: Find a bow and string.

Find an arm-length stick of sturdy wood for your bow and a strong string to wrap around the spindle.

Step 3: Locate a handhold.

Find a piece of wood to be your handhold – this will protect your skin from the heat the spindle generates.

Step 4: Prep hole for spindle.

Use a rock to carve out a hole for the spindle to sit in on the fire board.

Step 5: Get poised for efficiency.

Sit on one knee, and prop your wrist against your shin for maximum stability.

Step 6: Mate the board.

Pull your bow back and forth to allow the spindle to further carve out a hole in the fire board.

Step 7: Carve a notch.

Carve a notch in the fire board to allow oxygen to mix with the wood dust created by the spindle.

Step 8: Start your fire.

Once again begin pulling your bow back and forth until a significant amount of smoke emerges from the fire board.

Step 9: Transfer your embers.

Move your embers from under the fire board to fine plant material.

Step 10: Billow the bundle.

Blow on the bundle to increase oxygen flow to the embers. Continue until the bundle produces flames.

Looking for another way to start a fire in the wilderness?

Check out the video below to see the full tutorial:

Want more DIY firestarter ideas? Check out the posts below!

• How to Start a Fire with Flint
• 10 Fire Starting Materials You Probably Have at Home
• DIY Fire Starter: The Cotton Ball
• Making Simple Tools From Flint

If you’re looking for useful survival gear that you can’t make at home, check out the Survival Life Store!

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on November 29, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.