OK, so this took a lot of research,tons of effort and countless attempts. Multiple youtube videos were sourced, watched and rewatched. I purchased bamboo, a machete, and coconut husk, all of which were easier to find than one might expect. Together with my two daughters, we tried this a couple dozen times resulting in smoke, smoke, and even more smoke! We almost set off the smoke alarm (although looking back we probably should not have been inside in the first place) and we got everything but a burning ember. Today, for the first time, we achieved our ultimate goal of fire! Turns out we were doing it correct from the beginning, but not blowing on the resulting charcoal long enough…I am going to attempt this again today, to ensure that I can do this from scratch 100% of the time and with little wasted effort. I feel like this is a great accomplishment. One of the most vital things is staying strong as a tribe from the minute you hit the beach. You can survive up to three weeks without food, but only three days without water. As evidenced by past seasons, especially both of the Fans vs. Favorites, having fire and being able to stay hydrated from the beginning has proved a momentous advantage.It also has proved to be important in challenges such as tiebreakers at Tribal Council. I feel that this skill already puts me ahead of both Sundra Oakly, and Rebekah “Becky” Lee from Survivor: Cook Islands, neither of whom were able to produce fire using flint in a crucial moment. I can now successfully start a fire using flint, and the bamboo saw, which was first demonstrated by Rob Mariano, or as any true fan knows him… Boston Rob!