#AskPaulKirtley Episode 36 – Bow Drill Woods To Avoid, Edibility Of Beech Nuts, Looking After Teeth & Nails The Indigenous Way, Natural Meds or Charcoal For Stomach Upsets?
In this episode of #AskPaulKirtley I answer questions about how we might look after our teeth and nails without modern tools, natural meds and charcoal for stomach upsets, the edibility of beech nuts, bow drill woods NOT to use, shorts in the bush (are they a good idea?), some curious rings around a tree, uses of Himalayan balsam and pot lifting – what on earth are we doing?
Watch #AskPaulKirtley
The video above is ad-free. If you particularly enjoy it, or gain value from it, consider buying me a coffee to help support the video hosting for these ad-free videos. Thanks!
#AskPaulKirtley videos are also available to view on my YouTube channel.
Listen To #AskPaulKirtley
Use the following controls to listen to the audio podcast right here or download the .mp3 to your device…
Links For This Episode of #AskPaulKirtley
Bow Drill – The Keys To Success
Intermediate Wilderness Bushcraft Course
How To Listen To #AskPaulKirtley On Other Platforms
Podcast RSS Feed: You can subscribe via the #AskPaulKirtley Podcast RSS Feed
iTunes: You can subscribe to #AskPaulKirtley via iTunes
Soundcloud: Follow me on here on Soundcloud
Leave A Comment…
Leave me a comment below. Let me know what you think of this episode. I read every one.
But remember if you want to ask a question for a future episode, don’t do this in the comments below, do it in one of the ways explained HERE.
What Is #AskPaulKirtley?
#AskPaulKirtley is my Q&A video and podcast series that aims to answer your questions about bushcraft, survival skills and outdoor life.
The idea here is partly to take the strain off my email inbox and get answers out to people in a more timely fashion.
Rather than send an answer to just that one person, I’d like others to benefit from the answers too. So, just in the same way I’d previously write an email answer, here I’m going to speak the answer (which is much quicker than me typing out an answer, so I’ll get more questions answered as well as benefiting more people).
Click here to find out the different ways you can ask me a question.
Related Material On Paul Kirtley’s Blog:
Water Mint, Mentha aquatica – A Not So Wild Tea
10 thoughts on “#AskPaulKirtley Episode 36 – Bow Drill Woods To Avoid, Edibility Of Beech Nuts, Looking After Teeth & Nails The Indigenous Way, Natural Meds or Charcoal For Stomach Upsets?”
Thanks for another useful episode Paul. I am so glad to know that my inability to get Oak to hold an ember, when bow-drilling, is not totally down to my technique, or running out of puff when trying it.
All the best, keep safe and keep up your exceptional good work. Dave.
Hi Dave,
It’s good to hear from you and I’m glad this particular episode held some useful info for you.
Thanks for watching/listening and your feedback.
Warm regards,
Paul
Hi Paul, Thanks for that, always good to get your opinion on these things, sound’s similar to hazel nuts, I’ve heard some people have had an upset stomach after eating too many raw cob nuts. That said i used to scoff them down when i was younger and never had any problem, maybe im half billy goat .Will have to have some tasting sessions.
Thanks for all your hard work. Much appreciated chief.
Thought you had forgotten me for a while.
Haha, not you’re not forgotten Adrian 🙂
I’m the same re beech nuts. Never had a problem eating them and have eaten reasonably large quantities in the past.
Warm regards,
Paul
A comment on nuts from Fagus Sylvatica L. (german: Rot-Buche, european beech or common beech):
“If eaten raw in major amounts they are unwholesome. They are beneficial if eaten roasted. … Small amounts are harmless.”
Ingredients: 45% oil, 40% starch, protein (ca. 25%), Vitamin B6 and C, Alkaloide and Fagin. It’s assumed that the last both ingredients will produce headache and an upset stomach.
So enjoy eating / roasting.
Source: Fleischhauer/Guthmann/Soiegelberger: “Essbare Wildpflanzen”, at publisher Munich, 20th Edition, p. 51f
hi Paul
another very interesting episode esp about friction fire and woods to avoid as this is an area that interests me greatly , i was therefore supprised that you included holly and ash in there as i have often used these woods as drills ( will now experiment with them as hearths now )
keep up the good work
Paul
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your comments. Yes, holly and ash both have a tendency to be too hard when well seasoned, particularly holly.
How big/strong are you Paul?
Warm regards,
Paul
hi Paul
regarding my build etc re bow drill woods , im not massive 5″11, 12 stone ish , but i have done physical work all my life however my lady got her first ember using a holly drill and she isnt as strong as me , maybe a fluke i look forward to more experimenting
keep up the good work , many thanks
paul
Hi Paul, thank you again for this interesting and helpful ask Paul Kirtley.
I’ve recently signed up to your online elementary bushcraft course and am enjoying learning from you.
I found your bowdrill q & a very helpful. I have not yet attempted this technique but am pleased to hear that sycamore is a good species to use. There is an abundance of sycamore here where I live in South East Scotland, so will go out looking for a suitable piece of dead standing dry sycamore so that I can start on my journey of learning friction firefighting.
Thank you.
Hi Suzy, I’m glad you found the bow drill Q&A. Sycamore is indeed very good. It was the first species I had success with. Wishing you similar success! 🙂
Warm regards,
Paul