You have seen it in movies or documentaries. People walking barefoot over a bed of hot coals. And by hot I mean temperatures of up to 450°C. But how do those people do it without getting seriously injured and without suffering too much pain.
This bizarre custom is particularly common on the Fiji islands where so-called fire priests perform this hot stunt for religious reasons just like some orthodox Christians in South European countries like Bulgaria. Over time, firewalking has spread throughout the world, becoming a kind of one-in-a-lifetime experience for many people, including many westerners that see it as a kind of test of courage. Of course, such a daring and risky practice seems like the perfect challenge for daredevils that want their name in the Guinness Book of Records. But how do you actually walk over hot coals without roasting your feet?
- Coal is a bad heat conductor, which means it takes a while to conduct the heat energy that is stored inside to another object. This means, if you are really fast, like really fast, you can easily walk over the coal without hurting yourself
- If you distribute your weight correctly, there will be no part of your feet that are pushed into the hot coal too hard. Ergo: If you want to make it out safely, don’t run but don’t walk too slowly either. Experienced firewalkers only touch the coal for 0,5s to 1s per step.
- Mental preparation is everything. If you don’t feel ready for this, your feel will get burned severely.
Well, I prefer my feet on the bed and wrapped in cozy and warm socks.
