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…

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…

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…

The history of fire is fundamentally the history of humanity itself. Long before our ancestors learned to create a flame, fire was a terrifying natural force—a byproduct of lightning strikes that brought both destruction and opportunity. However, the transition from…

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…

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,…

Grass trees (Xanthorrhoea sp.) and grass tree stalks are endemic to Australia. They are locally called ‘Black Boys’ due to their appearance after bushfires. They need a certain number of regular fires for their survival and are well protected against…

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…

Harnessing the power of sun rays for fire lighting is one of the most elegant and rewarding skills in the bushcraft repertoire. Unlike friction-based methods that require intense physical exertion, solar ignition harnesses the sun’s virtually unlimited energy to create…