Image Via: Tony Webster
Image Via: Tony Webster

Expert survival secret: The 3 best ways to start a campfire

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Malcolm Cullen
Malcolm Cullen

Bow drill

Although it does work if you have the patience and some dry wood—and you know what you’re doing—using the bow drill method to start a fire isn’t nearly as simple as it sounds. That’s especially the case after a mid-winter rain has soaked everything and it freezes up again—everything that looks dry is actually coated in ice. I consider this primitive method of starting a fire—basically rubbing two pieces of wood together—as a last resort, but it’s still worth knowing. Practise plenty before you head out, but even when you think you’ve got the technique mastered, don’t forget to bring along your matches, lighter, fire striker and tinder.

Learn the proper bow drill method at www.outdoorcanada.ca/bowdrill.

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