How to Use a Bow Drill to Make Fire

Learn this primitive and low-tech way to kindle a flame for survival

Reviewed by Ky Furneaux

Last Updated: January 31, 2025

Fire is essential for wilderness survival, but you may not always have a lighter or matchbook to get some sparks going. A bow drill is an old and time-tested device that takes much of the work out of starting a fire manually. We'll show you how to assemble and use one to get some heat in a pinch.

Bow Drill Fire Quick Guide

Make a bow drill by tying a cord to either end of a slightly bent 2 ft stick (the bow). Twist the middle of the tied cord around a straight stick less than 1 ft long (the spindle). Hold the spindle vertically on top of a flat board with a divot in it. Saw the bow back and forth until the spindle makes a smoking coal.

Steps

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The stick should be made of a rigid wood like oak, cedar, or hemlock. If you choose a more flexible wood like pine or spruce, it might break while you're trying to start a fire or the cord you're going to tie to it might slip off.
550 Parachute cord is a great option to stow in your backpack in preparation for bow drilling a fire in the wilderness because of its durability. But in a pinch, you can also use a shoelace from an adult-sized shoe. Make sure the string is not taut, but don't leave a lot of slack, either. The string should not rebound if plucked.

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Find a second stick less than 1 ft (0.30 m) in length for the spindle. The spindle is the stick you'll use to "drill" into the baseboard and (hopefully) set off a spark, while the bow and the cord act as the drill mechanism. Look for a stick made of hardwood (like cedar, hemlock, or oak) as thick as an average adult man's thumb. Carve one end into a point with a knife or another sharp-edged object (like a rock) and leave the other end flat across the top.
- If you choose a softwood stick (like pine or spruce) for your spindle, it won't hold up long against a lot of sawing. On the other hand, it will be easier for you to make a fire with softwood than hardwood. If that's all you can find, just gather up multiple sticks to use as backups just in case!
Look for hard, palm-sized materials with a divot or hole in it that fits snugly over the blunt end of the spindle. You can use pieces of hardwood, bone, or antlers, as well as small rocks or shells. You'll use this object to keep the spindle upright while you saw it to make a spark.
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Look for a flat piece of wood 0.5–1 in (1.3–2.5 cm) thick for the baseboard. The baseboard is where you'll pile tinder and drill the spindle to make a spark. It should be made of the same wood as the spindle or just slightly harder, as well as long enough for you to put your foot across it on one end.
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Cut a divot and a notch into the baseboard. Use a knife or a sharp rock to carve a divot into the center of the baseboard. This is where the pointed end of the spindle will rest as you drill it. After that, bisect the divot with a small notch where the coal dust will collect and start smoking.
- Before you start drilling, place a small leaf or piece of bark underneath the notch to catch any coal dust that falls through. The goal is to keep as much coal dust in the notch as possible to make a big enough coal to smoke.
Tinder is made of inner poplar tree bark or dry grass. It's used to transfer the flames from your coal or spark to a pile of kindling. Pick your tinder materials and collect them into a small pile you can easily pick up with your hands. Then gather up your kindling: small straight pieces of dry wood and bark that catch fire easily and will help catch bigger pieces of wood on fire.
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Twist the middle of the bow cord around the spindle. Twist it until the cord is wrapped around the spindle once, with the pointed end of the spindle on the baseboard and the blunt end pointed skyward. The tension should be tight enough that the spindle would flip out on its own if you weren't holding it.
- Protect your hands from getting cut or burned. You can wear a pair of gloves or just put your sleeves over your hands.
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Place the pointed end of the spindle on the baseboard and saw. Crouch down with your left leg bent. Position your left foot on top of one end of the baseboard. Press the inside of your left arm against the outside of your bent leg and hold the spindle to the baseboard with the bearing block. Then, with your right hand, saw the bow in a long, smooth back-and-forth motion.
- Saw slowly at first to conserve energy as you build up the heat.
The dust will be the main indicator of how well your technique is working. It should be dark brown or black in color. If it's light-colored, increase the pressure and speed of your bow strokes. Once the coal is smoking, it's ready to transfer to your tinder bundle.
The tinder bundle should start smoking along with the coal. Blow on the dry bark to encourage a fire to start.
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Move the tinder bundle to your kindling and start a larger fire. Once the tinder is alight, transfer it to your kindling and blow on it again until the kindling is also in flames. From here, arrange larger pieces of wood around the kindling so they'll catch and keep the fire burning for several hours.
- Avoid blowing too hard or you'll risk blowing the coal dust all over the place! Instead, blow slowly and softly through pursed lips.

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Question

Can I just use my hands instead of a bow?

Community Answer

Your hands wouldn't generate enough friction, and you would burn your hand. There is another method using a stick instead of a bow to create fire.

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What items can I use to make a notch?

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You can use a pocketknife or multitool to cut the notch. If you don't have those, you could try to find a piece of wood that is naturally in the right shape, but this is nearly impossible.

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How big would the stones have to be to keep the fire contained?

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The rocks should be 2 - 4 times larger than your fist and the rocks should be placed in a small circle not a massive circle.

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Tips

Use soft, non-resinous wood like yucca, basswood, aspen or cedar.

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Some troubleshooting:
- Shavings pile up around the hole, no coal forms: Make the notch bigger.
- Coal forms from drill, not base: Choose a harder drill, softer wood base.
- Drill keeps breaking free: Brace your hand applying the pressure against your shin or knee, use a shorter stick (3" or so).
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There are two distinct parts to this: making the equipment and then starting the fire. So the first time you 'drill', you won't have the notch in the base/hearth, and you will be trying to get a nice round hold. Aim for blackening the wood, and drill (relatively) slowly. Once you have a nice round hole, then notch it and go for the fire step.

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Warnings

Make sure you are careful with the fire, always put stones around it and keep it contained.

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Fire is dangerous. Don't "play" with it.

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Do not light anything on fire without permission

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