Primitive Fires: Elements Needed To Build an Effective Bow Drill

Building a fire is a key ingredient to wilderness survival. Here are the elements needed to build an effective bow drill that will keep you warm and healthy.

Fire in the wilderness / Unsplash

Emergencies can arise at any point while off on a wilderness excursion. Electronics can die, lighters may not ignite, and your water source may run low - suddenly, you're in a wilderness survival situation.

Unless you're planning to go on 'Naked and Afraid' or 'Alone,' chances are, you're not expecting to use primitive survival skills in a real-life situation. However, we don't always have a say in what the wilderness has in store.

If you embark on your next adventure with some basic survival skills, such as tree identification, knot usage, and primitive fire starting, you will likely notice an increase in your confidence.

A basic need for survival is warmth, and a fire is a great way to produce heat. Additionally, you may find yourself needing a fire to boil water, cook food, or dry clothing.

When starting a fire, keep in mind the three elements that every fire needs: heat, fuel and oxygen. If you don't have all three components, you won't have a fire.

While there are numerous ways to build a long-lasting fire, the bow drill serves as a reliable tool, but requires some patience. Take your time and practice at home before heading into the wilderness.

The Bow Drill

There are several components to a bow drill, including the hearth board, drill, tinder, bearing block, and bow. At all times, you should carry a multi-tool and a form of cordage in the wilderness - these will be needed for your bow drill. If you're a bushcraft expert, you may be inclined to use a piece of clothing or a plant in place of cloth or a sharp stone in place of a knife.

Let's look at the elements of the bow drill:

The hearth board is the flat section of wood that rests on the ground. The drill, a straight and smooth piece of wood with a pointed tip, will drill directly into the hearth board in a small depression that you will need to carve out. However, to make this drill work, we need a bow and a bearing block.

Starting with the bearing block, you must create a small depression in a wood block for the drill to rest and stay in place. This will maximize the spinning, which will then create friction between the drill and hearth board. The bearing block is held in your hand and acts as a barrier between your skin and the drill.

To create the bow, you need a sturdy, non-flexible stick roughly the length of one extended arm. Once you have found your stick, you will tie your cordage around the ends of the bow. Once this step is completed, you will have an item that resembles a bow and arrow.

To visualize what your bow drill should look like, view the Penguin Books UK YouTube video featuring Dan Hume.

Nearly any type of wood can be used to create a bow drill, though some types will be easier and more effective than others, such as basswood, willows, poplars, and aspen. Note that these are all softwoods, which will be your best bet for the hearth board. For the bearing block, hardwoods such as oak are a good choice to reduce friction.

Final Note

As always, when enjoying the wilderness, practice Leave No Trace (LNT) principles to minimize your impact on the environment, and to keep yourself and others safe.