How To Make Fire By Rubbing Sticks Together

I will attempt to give you a description of starting a fire by hand. I have no photos to illustrate the method.
I will assume you have seen the method done of spinning a stick of wood on another on
the ground between the palms of your hands.

The criteria is

1. The stick is to be of a hard wood type with a blunt point at one end

   The wood at the base is of a soft wood type with a small crater cut in to fit the point of the hard wood stick.
   The stick is spun backwards and forward between your hands and pressure is kept downwards to create friction and hence heat.

2. The material that is placed in and around the ‘crater’ on the softwood is to be fine and dry combustible material. Dried Kangaroo dung is perfect.

Note: this is a very slow and laborious process and you will invariably end up with sore hands.

If you know about the bow method of spinning the wood, then I recommend it as success is

greater for the novice. (One hand operating the bow and the other putting pressure on the top of
the stick using a suitable piece of hardwood with a greased hole in it to fit the stick)
When the combustible material starts to glow, gently tip the small glowing embers into the
middle of a handful of very fine and very dry grass and gently blow to encourage flame.
When you have flame, place it in the ready made campfire.

Tips

Have a small campfire ready made from very fine and dry grass and fine twigs. Also have ready

the next stages of fuel ( ie larger twigs, then sticks, larger sticks, small logs, larger logs and so on.

Strip all bark off your fire making equipment and be sure it is dry dead wood as you do not want moisture present to reduce the friction that is vital to success.

If you are using the hand method, then perseverance is the answer. Choose a nice smooth stick.
Do not allow any grease to get on the stick shaft or on your hands.
Need grease/oil? Try rubbing the non pointed end of the stick along your hairline as most people accumulate natural oils there.
I recommend the bow method for success and it is still authentic as it was used by early
man and woman
Stop periodically and check there is still combustible material in and around the crater
The crater should be a little larger than the stick diameter and have small walls to contain the combustible material with a central point for the point of the stick to sit in.

What will impede the creation of friction?

1. Lack of surface to surface contact (e.g. a very pointy stick and a flat bottom ‘crater’

2. Any sort of lubricant such as grease/oil and water between the friction creating surfaces.

3. Not enough downward pressure on the stick.

4. Not enough speed.
So in a nutshell, we need a dry environment, no lubricants, pressure and speed.
Once you have tried this, like myself, you will probably marvel at the tenacity of our ancestors
and know in many ways life was not convenient.
Give me a box of matches any day!!

Go do it and succeed as it is great to be able, in one small area, to do something that is totally nature dependent and different.

Be proficient at it and teach others so they too can learn to be self dependent. It is just a small

thing but in actual fact it is a large achievement.

You will probably never have a need to use it in a survival situation.
But, “What the hell, who cares?”

Consider this scenario (you never know, it might just happen)

You are flying overseas to visit friends or relatives. You fall asleep for hours during the flight.

You wake up and head for the toilet. After doing the necessary you push the button and without

any warning the floor disappears and you find yourself falling through the air. Your survival instinct kicks in
and you immediately place your head between your legs to decrease your size and wind resistance.
This you know will speed up your fall and speed you to your inevitable demise.
Your brace yourself as your life flashes before you and wished you had
not stole your brothers favourite frog.
You wonder if the Airline company will give you a refund for the part of the journey that you have
not completed, but that thought quickly leaves your mind.
With your head between your legsyou see the ground rushing up to meet and destroy you.
In this position, you kiss your bum goodbye as you know it is the last thing you will see.
Then surprise surprise, you find yourself crashing through the branches of pine trees on the side
of a very steep mountain covered in snow. Your speed is slowed considerably and you are thrown from
the branches onto the side of the deeply snowed mountain and still going down at a much slower pace again.
You are now sliding down a very clear slope that is getting less and less steep. You come to a
stop at the snow line. You lie there for 30 min afraid and totally awed and disoriented. You gingerly arise and
test your body for damage and find to your absolute amazement, that apart from a few cuts and bruises you are in quite good condition.

You have absolutely nothing with you besides the clothes on your body (the Airlines policy even took your lighter).

You head further down the mountain untill the weather is milder and dry. You have no idea where you are and in what

direction you can find help.