Lake District Bushcraft: Friction Fire Lighting

What better way to learn about bushcraft and fire than an expedition into the Lake District? We met with Ben McNutt, owner of Cumbrian Bushcraft experts Woodsmoke in the hills above Windermere to learn how to light fire without matches, despite the damp weather. This post is part of our Family Adventure Capital Season ..  

How to light a fire without matches

Wilderness expert Ben McNutt did an apprenticeship with Ray Mears. He has spent much of his life learning bush-craft from indigenous people around the world. And he was listed as one of CN’s top 50 travellers in the world. Put it this way if I were to be stranded in the jungle, desert, on an icecap or even on a Cumbrian fell, this is the guy I’d want to have around. Most Woodsmoke courses last a week or more; we only had an hour. But in that small amount of time he showed us a core bush-craft skill – how to light a fire using only the natural materials around you. This method of starting a fire without matches is called the bow drill friction fire lighting technique.

Somewhere up in a clearing in the woodlands, we are offered a lesson in bushcraft

We couldn’t wait to share some pictures of this magic. One word of warning, please don’t try this in your local woods, forest or at home unless you are absolutely sure fire-lighting is permitted and know what you are doing.

Or have Ben with you.

First gather and prepared your materials

First comes the drill 

Then the bow, socket and fireboard are assembled

To light fire successfully you need to get organised and be ready to generate some heat

Now for the hard work starting a fire without matches

The friction produced drawing the bow drill back and forth soon generates heat and smoke

And where there’s smoke, there’s the possibility of fire, but not just yet…

You’re aiming to make smoking embers

The first stage produces hot embers, from which you can hopefully light your tinder

The embers are carefully placed in the centre of your dry tinder ball

Now for the magic…

And with gentle blowing to feed oxygen ….

You soon have smoke, and everyone knows there’s no smoke without….

There’s no smoke without…

Fire….

Fire…

With your tinder ball alight who needs a match? You’re ready to light your fire

Cool eh? Fire without matches!

Now that’s what I call a fire-starter. Who knew it was so easy to light fire.