Learning the bow drill can be difficult. Choosing the right wood for the bow drill, the hearth board and bearing block can drive a person insane with frustration from failure to produce a coal when it seemed like all the proper steps had been taken.
My brother was able to use his trousers for personal flotation! This is a technique that my Daddy learned in the United States Marine Corps and he wanted to share it with us today.
Today I am using one of my favorite weeds as a hand drill and hearth board, and this is Horseweed (Conyza canadensis)!
Flame! Fire! How did I do it? First we gathered our supplies. Dad and I harvested a few Yucca stalks to use as spindles for the hand drill.
A friend asked me today, "Gabriel, how did you spend your 4th of July?" Well it began like this. First, Dad and I decided to take a hike down to the Roanoke River.
