Fire plow coal

Getting a coal with a fire plow

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Fire
• Firebow
• Bow
• Survival
• woods
• camping
• camp
• hike
• hiking
• plow
• hand
• friction
• start
• wood
• smoke
• tinder

[astrobecker]

Kay2423, Just an FYI: I grew up in the north woods of Wisconsin and even though I love making fire with the plow, if I was in a survival situation I would immedetiatly begin gathering materials to use the fire bow methode. That is very reliable and suitable for most parts of the US and Canada. I have made fire with a bow in some horable weather conditions where the plow I have only been able to get a coal in good weather. After 2 days without eating you wouldnt have the stamina to use the plow.

[astrobecker]

Kay2423, Some people say you NEED Sotal to get a coal. That is not true but from everything I have reasearched about it, Sotal would be the best thing available in the US. It is not so much the kind of wood but the condition of the wood. In my vidio I used an old weathered piece of cedar. If you can easily imprint the wood with your fingernail and it isnt yet rotten it could likely give you a coal. It needs to be baked super dry from being in the sun. Experement & Good Luck! Astro

[astrobecker]

baidarka7, If you are getting 10 out of 30 you are doing great. I have never had Sotol to use so my success rate is less than that but it can be done with other materials. Some day I hope to get out west and ship myself back some Sotol to try with. Isnt that about the greatest rush there is to make fire that way? People watching a video of someone doing it dont realize the extreme amount of energy and coordination it takes to get that coal. Good for you for sticking with it. - Astro

[astrobecker]

You don't have to but you will find that many times there is a tiny coal stuck to the end of the plow. I lift it slightly off the bottom and bury it in the powder for a few moments just in case there is one there. Watch for where the smoke is coming from for 30 seconds or so. - Good luck. It's a rush making fire with a plow.

[ZZOTH]

good job :)

[astrobecker]

Thank you, it took a lot of practice.

[Kay2423]

What about cotten wood? Would that work??

[baidarka7]

I'm going to visit my folks in El Paso, TX, in September. I plan to harvest a bunch of sotol and ship some back. Send me a note then, and I'll send you some. The sotol I got recently was...um...taken from some xeriscape here in Socal.

[Kay2423]

What type of wood do you need to use for this?

[baidarka7]

I got my first fire plow fire today, using sotol. My success rate is pretty low, though. I would say, I got about 10 embers, out of 30 tries. I'm totally pooped...

[baidarka7]

Do you need to keep the hot end of the plow in the wood dust, at the end, to get the ember?