Finally got to where I needed to - Bowdrill

[Brian Andrews]

Hey Ken,

This is awesome stuff! I think a lot of folks think they can do what you did. But, you went out, took the biggest step and proved it :thumbup: Incredible.

B

 

[Gravitas]

Nice experience, thanks for sharing

BTW where did you get that Bic mini kydex sheath?

 

[kgd]

Thanks guys. Gravitas, the bic kydex comes from On Scene Tactical.

 

[omniviking]

good job and thanks for sharing.

maybe it wouldn't hurt to pack along another pair of boot laces for a few bucks, they may not be para cord but they are some useful sturdy cord in a pinch, some are up to 6 feet long.

Pat

 

[kgd]

good job and thanks for sharing.

maybe it wouldn't hurt to pack along another pair of boot laces for a few bucks, they may not be para cord but they are some useful sturdy cord in a pinch, some are up to 6 feet long.

Pat

Well, even though this was just an exercise it was still pretty dumb of me not to include extra paracord in my water bottle holder especially when I knew I was going to use my bootlaces. Just didn't pop into my head that I'd break one of them. Like a fin strap, bootlaces or cordage for replacing them are pretty darn important.

 

[Mentor]

Terrific thread, Ken - and great pics, too!

I'm inspired to have a go at an improvised bow drill fire next weekend.

By the way, that knife Rick made you is really impressive. It reminds me of an elongated Grohmann with traditional looks and a scarier edge profile.

All the best,

- Mike

 

[IUKE12]

Good stuff and a great example of perseverance:thumbup:

 

[Walkabout]

Excellent post, and great work!

As a Manitoban, I can appreciate the limited local materials that are on hand at this time of year to accomplish what you have. Congrats!

Although I have been able to get a fire going with a bow-drill, it has always been under "my terms"... i.e. in my garage with nice dry tinder. I have yet to try this in the bush, let alone in the cold.

You've inspired me to give this a try next time I'm out (not too far away, I hope).

Thanks again for taking the time to post this.

 

[SouthernCross]

G'day KGD

... Here I decided to venture to something different. Despite passing by a bunch of phragmites and thistle on the way to the area, I didn't collect any at the site. That turned out to be a mistake. Again, deciding to look on site at what I had available to me, I first gathered up a bunch of dried grasses and leaves....

.... So this time I decided to go with what I know. I huffed it about 1/3 km away to some phragmites and gathered this up. Noteworthy, I did this without a bootlace in one of my boots (as it was attached to my bow). This was a real PITA! I found the phragmites and then another problem cropped up. A lot of the heads had collected snow and were wetted. I carefully selected the driest of them and made sure to cut off any wet parts with my knife. After a bit, I had a nice collection of fluffy stuff for a new tinder bundle. I also noticed a bunch of dead phragmites stalks from last year and grabbed them as extra kindling......

These two exerts highlight an important survival skill that unfortunately is seldom talked about.

You took note of the resources in the greater area, and knew where to find better tinder when the need arose.

In many respects, this skill was of equal importance to knowing how to use a bow drill in getting that fire started.

Well done :thumbup::thumbup:



Kind regards
Mick

 

[paleojoe]

....And you were calm and patient! :thumbup:

You observe much more when not in haste, errors as well!

 

[HikingMano]

Great thread indeed Ken! :thumbup: This sort of stuff really inspires me to go out and learn how to do this...

ETA: I just went through the thread a second time, and I've got to say it's one of the best I've seen in a while :thumbup: Everything from the walkthrough and insights to the pictures themselves, superb!

 

[99f250]

Congrats on the success, inspires me to try it, just from your pics I learned a few pointers, thanks