A magnifying glass has been used to start fires since ancient times. Greek and Roman writers recorded the use of ‘Burning glasses’ for domestic and war purposes. A concise history of these applications can be found on Wikipedia. Nowadays, fires…

Hadza hand drill friction fires are the standard fire-making method of the Hadzabe people in Tanzania, who live remotely. They do not have the omnipresent butane gas firelighters of the modern world or any other artificial methods. Even when lighting…

While researching various bushcraft and survival topics, I constantly encounter inconsistencies and errors on reputable websites. Therefore, I have gotten into the habit of checking many postulates myself. One of these statements is that Prometheus brought fire to Earth with…

At the Global Bushcraft Symposium 2022 in Wales/UK, the Swede Mattias Norberg demonstrated his method of creating fire by bow drilling. Sweden has a rich outdoor tradition, and it was a privilege to meet him there, as he has deep…

Various internet pages and YouTube channels describe lighting fire with stalks of giant fennel (Ferula communis) as easy. I doubted these claims, so I tested them myself. The outcome was sobering, which I will describe in the following article. I…

Fire starters are convenient aids in Austria’s cold winters. Wood shavings lighted wood- and coal-burning stoves one generation ago. These shavings lighted spruce kindling, which in turn started burning bigger pieces of wood. Nowadays, it’s easier. Either commercially available or…

The Batwa people live around Bwindi Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. This park is significant because it houses half the world’s mountain gorilla population. The Batwa were the last tribe permitted to hunt in this national park before they were…

Camelthorn is an excellent firewood in Southern Africa. Its outer layer is light-colored sapwood, and its dark, hard, and heavy heartwood is inside. This hardwood produces long-lasting coals and high heat. Its northernmost distribution area extends from the Northern Cape…

Firesaws are only known as a traditional fire-making method on the Pacific Islands. In Australia, these methods were replaced by friction fire hand drills and later, under Western influences, by bow drills. Nevertheless, fire sawing is an interesting technique, which…

Mankind’s use of fire goes back an extraordinary length of time. From humble collecting and guarding natural fires to producing fire by sparks or friction took about 1,5 million years. For more than 500,000 years, mankind has been producing fires…

If you are outdoors in boreal forest biomes worldwide, protecting yourself against wind and wetness is paramount. And to light a fire for warmth. The necessary firewood should be dry to burn hotter and with less smoke. But if you…

In the northeastern parts of Namibia, Ju//hoansi Khoi-san bushmen preferably use Manketti wood (Schinziophyton rautanenii) for friction fire lighting, at least in areas where Manketti trees are growing. Such areas have slightly higher elevations compared to savanna bushveld vegetation. Both…

Terry Longhurst said, “Bundle baskets are what we use with young people when fire lighting. Using a bundle prevents them from getting burnt, and it also helps if they have special needs.” Such a fire bundle basket is chicken wire,…

In the Stone Age and Bronze Age, European men created fire by striking flintstone on marcasite and catching sparks on tinder made from horseshoe fungi. Marcasite is crystallized pyrite (an iron sulfate mineral) and is not readily available but has…

Friction fire hand drills are usually not the first choice for fire lighting in the Northern Hemisphere, as they are regarded as a strenuous technique, especially in cold and humid environments. Dave Watson proved this perception is incorrect under overcast…

The approach to friction fire lighting with bow drills in the UK slightly differs from that in other countries. In the following, these differences will be explained. Materials and shapes of the various bow drill elements Hearth board of the…

At the Global Bushcraft Symposium 2022 in the UK, Gordon Dedman presented the bow drilling technique he teaches in Australia. Since readers are assumed to know the basics of bow drill friction fire lighting, I will only concentrate on specific…

At the Global Bushcraft Symposium 2022 in the UK, Gordon Dedman presented the hand drill friction fire lighting method he teaches in Australia. As most readers of this topic will know the basic techniques of hand drill friction fire lighting,…

At the Global Bushcraft Symposium 2022 in the UK, Gordon Dedman presented a variety of types of Australian friction-fire wood, which are well suited for friction-fire lighting methods and tinder. The signature friction-fire method, exclusively used for thousands of years…

In Southern Africa, fourteen species of Bushwillows belong to the Combretum family. Other trees of the same Combretum family are Clusterleaf species, Leadwood, and others. Interestingly, not all Combretum species are suitable for firewood, but some are excellent for that…

The Greenthorn tree (Balanites Maugham) is easily recognizable in Southern Africa due to its triangular, fluted, or buttressed trunk. Its spines are green like its twigs and often forked. It is very spiny and challenging to climb. It mainly grows…

The type of wood for fire hand drills changed over time Fire starting with friction hand drills was traditionally common among Khoi-san (Ju//hoansi) people in their distribution area, which was once over Southern Africa and became increasingly confined by invading…

The energy received by the earth from the sun is called the Solar Constant, which describes the effect that every 1 m2 of planet Earth facing the sun’s rays at a 90-degree angle (directly overhead) will receive 1375 Watts (Joules/sec)….