Make a Fire By Rubbing Sticks

(Modern Survival.org) – Most people know that you can create fire by rubbing sticks together, but very few know how to do it. It isn’t as simple as just grabbing two random pieces of wood and grinding away with them. In fact, nearly anyone who has tried to make a fire by rubbing sticks together can tell you it isn’t an easy task. It takes proper knowledge, skill, and practice to master.

If you find yourself in an emergency situation, knowing how to start a fire without anything but supplies from the natural environment can save your life. In the following video, YouTuber The King Of Random shows us how to properly start a fire by rubbing sticks together:

To begin, you need to locate a sizable branch of softwood (such as Eastern Hemlock, Western Hemlock, or Douglas Fir). Strip away the bark and carve a flat surface onto it (roughly 8 inches or so). Carve a shallow channel into the flat area, where you will use the second stick to rub. If you do not have a survival knife with you, a sharp rock can be used to accomplish this.

Next, using another piece of wood from the same branch, cut a 45-degree angle on the tip. Brace the first branch with rocks so that it doesn’t roll around, then sit near the end of it.

Hold the second stick in your hand, point down, then clasp your other hand around it. Place the tip of the stick into the groove you carved in the branch, then begin to rub it back and forth through the channel.

Continue this until you begin to see smoke rising from the groove, then pull down on the rubbing stick to add more pressure and create additional friction. You should see a small pile of embers begin to develop at the end of the groove as you work. Speed up the rubbing, and continue to push downwards until you have made a decent pile of smoking embers.

The King Of Random uses coconut fibers at this point in the video, but if you aren’t in a tropical environment, a tinder bundle made from the inner fibers of dried tree bark will work just as well. Place the burning embers into the timber bundle, being careful not to squeeze the fibers so much that they smother the coal, but also not so loosely that wind can blow them out, either.

Let the embers burn into the tinder bundle, and once you see thick smoke and can feel heat radiating from the cluster, you can then begin to wave it in the air to help ignite the full flame. Now, place the flaming tinder into your fire pit, cover lightly with wood shaving, and blow to help them ignite as well. Congratulations, you have created fire!

This method requires practice and patience to master, but it’s a skill all survivalists should learn. Fire is essential for life for so many reasons, from cooking and staying warm to simply enjoying the serenity of staring into the flames.

To learn another way to make fire without matches or a lighter, click here.

~Here’s to Your Survival!