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Film credit @paularnottjr. People tend to focus so much on getting the ember, that they forget the importance of properly blowing that ember into a flame. I know I did in the past. Figure out the wind direction so you can make sure the wind is blowing at your back when you give oxygen to your bundle. Use all your lungs' capacity in longer, drawn out exhales (opposite from how you'd blow out birthday candles). Strong and steady is key to get the ember to ignite. Make sure the ember is firmly planted in the bundle well enough that it does not dissipate into tiny separate embers throughout the bundle. Take short inhales between exhales to prevent your ember from losing oxygen. My inhales are less than a second and my exhales are about 4-5 seconds of strong, consistent "smooth" blowing. Remember to give your bundle a "stem" or enough space from your hand. And when collecting tinder, get the amount you think you need and times it by 3 just in case you need to add to the bundle and so you have tinder to throw on your fire if it doesn't catch at first.

A post shared by Melissa Miller (@melissabackwoods) on May 2, 2017 at 3:37pm PDT

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Demonstrating how to use the bow drill divot in the Fieldcraft knife from @topsknives as a handhold to create an ember. It worked a lot better than I anticipated, and was friction free for a smooth-acting hand hold. I prefer to take the sheath off, but make sure to position the knife facing outwards from my shin. I also used the knife to carve the notch in the hearth board, which cut the wood very easily. I'm very impressed with the multiple functions this knife serves!

A post shared by Melissa Miller (@melissabackwoods) on Nov 22, 2016 at 12:35pm PST