Friction fire starting is a pain in the neck… and hands, and arms, and back. It can take hours, especially when you are employing the spindle method of spinning a stick on a plank. There is a much easier way that will save you time and will save you from blistering your hands.

The biggest problem with the spindle method, unless you fashion a bow to turn the spindle, is it will undoubtedly cause blisters unless you can shave the stick down, so it is as smooth as glass.

As survival situations are often very time-delicate, this will almost never be the case. The way in the video is a much more viable method of starting a fire. Not only do you employ stronger muscles that will be able to handle better the rigors of rapid and sustained movement, but you also get more of the hot embers that will be used to light your dry grass or leaves to get the fire going.

An important thing to note is that you'll want to use a soft wood that will easily shave away and form a pulpy mass of embers.