Bowdrill

[crashdive123]

Now that right there is funny. I don't care who you are.

[Alec_end]

So, if you are having trouble getting an ember with cannabis and you only make smoke, will there be a point at which you don't care if you make an ember or not? Just curious.

Probably after five min I will stop caring about having a fire for warmth and being more worried about having a continues flow of smoke and if I do get an ember I will put it out quick as not to waste good cannabis on stupid fire.

[rwc1969]

The quest for fire might turn into a search for wild edibles.

LOL!

My search for wild edibles has turned into a quest for fire. I'm still recovering from last winter's attempt at bowdrill fire, but when I do I'm going to give Autumn olive a try. It doesn't seem too hard and has all kinds of straight branches in all sizes. And I think the bark may make a good makeshift cordage as well. There are a number of other related bushes that may have the same characteristics.

[your_comforting_company]

rwc... check this out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaeagnus_umbellata

the berries are good for you. you may have another multi-use plant there!

and according to this it's invasive, so eating the berries and harvesting the limbs would be a good thing!
http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/p...tmnolive.shtml

[sthrnstrong]

Does anyone else notice that YCC is a walking and talking survival encyclopedia? Good job on the education YCC, I always learn something new when post a comment.

[your_comforting_company]

Thanks sthrn. The world is full of wonder and knowledge. I try to keep it equal amounts of both. RWC opened the door, I explored the opportunity, and found a new resource. I have learned so many things from you guys, that I feel it's my duty to share any new info with you.
I view everything as a potential resource. Rather than being locked in a "struggle for survival" I hope my knowledge will help folks realize that we are creatures of nature, not seperate and apart from it. Rather than being parasitic and destructive, we can be symbiotic and productive.
What's that old saying again? the more ya know, the less you have to carry. The interweb is a wonderful source of information that would otherwise be unavailable to me. This forum is a terrific resource for ideas and possibilities to be explored.
I simply explored the possibility.

When everything you set your eyes on is seen as a resource that can make life more comfortable, you realize that people lived for aeons without our "modern" resources, and they did it comfortably.

For me, the world is full of wonder. I can't take credit for what was published on the net. I can take credit for my desiring to learn, but that's all. Before RWC's post, I had no idea what an "autumn olive" even was!
The funny thing, indigenous children would have already known this (tree) by the time they were 1/4 of my age... hey, I didn't say I was a fast learner hahaha!

(sorry for the rant!)

[rwc1969]

Thanks YCC! But, I gotta confess, I made some Autumn olive fruit leather the other day and yesterday I found out Autumn olive leaves make good tinder, the branches are all sizes from pencil lead on up and take a flame like they're soaked in gas. I made a fire yesterday using reindeer moss and the autumn olive. It was the easiest fire I ever made. I used a lighter, but only enough to get an ember. Then I blew on the reindeer moss and crushed leaf pile and poof, instant fire. Threw a bunch of small AO branches on that and poof instant bonfire.

I've actually known Autumn olive for a long time as a food source and cover for wild game, but confused it with Russian olive and perhaps a few other species as well. But, until a couple years back I didn't know it had edible berries. I didn't trust the source of the edibilty info and researched further until this year. Now I'm confident and familiar enough with AO to use it as an edible fruit. The ripe red berries are AOK, kinda like cranberries or Granny Smith apples in flavor, sweet, but tart.

But, back to the subjext of the thread, I was out last winter trying the bowdrill and found lots of dead Autumn olive branches. Many are real straight and they looked like the right consistency for bowdrill. I don't recall if I ever got around to trying them. I think I gave up before getting to the AO.

Around here it is really invasive, back in the 60's? the govt' used it extensively to fill in old ag areas, strip mine areas, roadsides, etc. to prevent erosion all across the country.

After reading your posts YCC, I look at every part of every thing I see as a potential resource for something, but there's only so much time in the day and I can't try em all. I've been spreading the word about the AO in hopes others who are more expereinced, or not, will give it a try as a firestarter.

It's you and WE's train of thought that I admire most, the skills are great, but it's the thought process I like the the most. you've both taught me a lot and you could have not showed me a thing and I'd have still learned just by understanding the thought process that goes into what you guys do and how you go about learning something.

You are both a great asset to this forum. Many here are! But, you two have a way about you that just works.

Thank you both for the wisdom you impart upon us all.

[your_comforting_company]

Thanks for the kind words. Wish I'd have gotten into this mindset when I didn't have obligations.. job, kids, bills, etc. I don't have a great deal of spare time myself, but I try to make the best of every moment I do have. There is just so much to learn and it all takes practice and hands-on. Sometimes I just don't have the energy level after work to focus/practice the way I'd like to.
Let us know how your experiment goes, when you have time to give it a try. I'll keep my eyes open for some and if I do locate some, I'll give it a go also.