Firesteel Project

I spent some time drilling out Firesteel Blanks yesterday for a project.

This requires some special attention to safety including DARK safety glasses (carbide bits and ferrocerium combine to make big sparks,) closed toed boots or shoes, and, apparently, some sort of respirator would have been handy.

I have spent the past several hours blowing crud (for lack of a better term) that looks an awful lot like powdered firesteel out of my nose. Oops. I guess I need to keep from inhaling any flames for a couple of days. :)

What I ended up with, other than a snoot full of firesteel, is a very compact and yet robust Army-sized firesteel that'll easily fit into an Altoids Tin with plenty of room for other firestarting gear.

Once I come up with a suitable underwater drilling solution I plan on making a handful of these for JRE Industries as yet another alternative to the many firesteels they already carry.

Thanks for reading,


B

Thermos Cooking

Here's an idea I found on the Internet quite a long time ago and never tried--until now.

Get a good thermos. I use a 1L Stanley like you'd see construction workers bring full of coffee.

Fill it full of the hottest tap water you can get and screw the cap on.

Now bring a kettle of water to a boil and get 1 cup of wheat berries.

When the water is boiling, dump out the thermos, add the wheat berries, and top off with the boiling water. Then add the cap and set the thermos on its side overnight.

Eight hours later you should have cooked wheat berries which you can eat with a little brown sugar and milk, some berries, buttermilk, or whatever else you like to have in the morning.

This will be my first taste of thermos cooked wheat berries so I hope it goes well.

I understand you can cook beans and other whole grains using this method too. This would be a great way to prepare a hot breakfast while camping for the cost of the thermos's weight.

I'll have to continue to experiment with this idea if it goes according to plan.

Thanks for reading,


B

Diving Sparrow Boreal Bushcraft

I'm putting up the Diving Sparrow Knife Works Sparrow Special to give another Diving Sparrow blade my attention. This is Abe Elias's Boreal Bushcraft and it's made of 1/8" thick 1095 with green canvas micarta handle scales and red liners.

Coming in at 7.25 oz. (205g) at 9.5" OAL and 4.5" from the front of the handle scales to the tip this is a svelte slicer capable of a great deal I suspect. I've paired it with my Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe and will keep these two together throughout the testing process.

The Boreal is part of Diving Sparrow's Bushcraft Line and Abe makes them in both Carbon and Stainless Steel with your choice of handle material. His base models come in 1095 or ATS-34 and so far his heat treat on the Sparrow Special (1095) has been spot on. It holds a great edge and easily sharpens up with basic sharpening equipment (i.e. non-diamond stones.)

The spine on the Boreal is nicely squared and throws massive sparks from a firesteel and the knife came wicked sharp from the maker.

The handle is contoured subtly but the contour makes the handle extremely comfortable and if it's anything like the Sparrow Special it'll be well suited to longer working periods.

I'm genuinely looking forward to putting the Diving Sparrow Boreal through its paces in the coming weeks and months.

Thanks for reading,


B

Dozier and Caldwell at Vintage Knives

Pup's got new blades from Bob Dozier and Matt Caldwell on his site HERE.

I picked up an orange G10 Delta Traveller last night to replace one I lost and one I gave away.

Give them a look.

B

Freeze Warning

Finally!

Goodbye mosquitoes! Good riddance.

We're not growing anything outside this year so the freeze warning didn't have as much impact on us. This is the time you need to bring in potted plants or risk them being killed by the cold. In years past if I'd missed the freeze warning I'd wake to some chiles that would turn black and mushy in a day or two--not good.

Today should be a good day to get out for another hike. The cooler weather (high of 46° today) seems to keep folks off the trails and, being a school day/work day, it should be slim pickin's out there today.

Thanks for reading,


B

Teaching Primitive Skills

I just finished helping out with a class project and giving a brief presentation on Native American skills at the kids' school.

I wasn't originally planning on doing anything more than offering a helping hand to the project leaders but they knew I had some things to show and knowledge to offer to the students. Thus I was allowed to present the braintan buckskin bag I made at Briar Patch last summer as well as the needles, awl, and other tools.

We were making charm pouches today so the kids got the opportunity to see one put together with bone needles and backstrap sinew using braintan versus the felt, thread, and plastic needles they were using. I think it helped them to understand a bit more about what they were doing.

After I finished my first class the project leaders asked me to stick around to help with a second class and I was more than happy to oblige.

Making sure the information being put out was accurate was important to me and the kids have a very good basic understanding of the story behind the various bits of Native American gear they've made (dream catchers last week, charm pouches today, etc.)

I wasn't expecting this morning to generate a post-worthy time but then it did. :)

Hopefully I've turned some members of the next generation on to American History and aboriginal culture today.

Thanks for reading,


B

What a Perfect Day!

Jake and I got out today for several hours and hiked several miles. The temperature was in the 50s with a strong wind and the sun was out.

The leaves have changed, some have fallen, and the remaining leaves on the trees are turning some very surreal colors.

I'll have more to tell tomorrow.

See you then.

Thanks for reading,


B

Out the Door

My pack is packed and I'm headed out. The where is still up in the air, the what is still up in the air, and the why is simple--I need to get outside for a bit.

The weather is supposed to take a sharp cold turn today but it's nice right now so I'll just take another layer in my pack.

I hope to have something to report when I get home.

Thanks for reading,


B

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Today is my Grandfather's 91st Birthday and my parents are there to help him celebrate.

We're off in just a bit to our last soccer games of the season plus two birthday parties and a block party so my Saturday is shot to heck.

We will dedicate our win (I hope) today to you Grandpa. :)

Happy Birthday!

B

The 110 Conibear

I have been a licensed trapper for several years now and this is one of the tools I use--the 110 Conibear. Now I don't run a trap-line on a regular basis but I have used my license and skills a few times to help friends and neighbors remove nuisance animals and, of course, I've removed my own nuisance animals from time to time.

The 110 is probably my favorite of the conibears and would be my first choice were I to have one available to me during a survival situation. The 110 is good for catching squirrels, muskrats, and rabbits and, used creatively, could probably be used for wild turkey (this is wildly illegal but in a survival situation it's no holds barred FYI.)

The 110 measures 4.5" by 4.5" and uses a single spring to power the trap closed. This is more than enough to quickly dispatch your prey. Having been caught by a few 110s in my day I can attest to the power of that single spring. It's not enough to break bones (in my case anyway) but it'll leave you longing for simpler days when a rat trap snapping down was the biggest of your worries.

The trap pictured above is unset and completely safe to carry. This trap is now set and ready to fire.

To set the trap, you squeeze the spring, rotate the jaws together, and set the dog (the notched piece of metal) onto the trigger (with the long wire uprights) on the opposite jaw. At this point you're in business and your trap is ready to fire.

When you're ready to set the conibear you will need to stabilize it to prevent it from falling over. I like to use sticks picked up from the area where you're setting up and cross them like an "X" over the top of the trap with the bottom legs of the "X" going through the gap between the upright jaws. (Once you've seen a set 110 you'll understand precisely where supports will go to allow the trap to function.)

You can bend the trigger wires to cover more or less area inside the trap to accommodate those tricky animals that can go through your trap without setting it off. I tend to leave mine alone for the most part because I can usually set up my supports and camouflage to force the animal through the trigger.

There is a skunk terrorizing the neighborhood dogs lately and, being declared a nuisance animal by the state, they're fair game any time and any method but I'm going to leave him/her well enough alone unless it becomes a problem for my family or if the folks in the neighborhood ask for my help.

Thanks for reading,


B

Earn Money for Your Writing

Have you written an outdoor skill tutorial? A review? A short story?

Want to make a few bucks for your time and effort?

George Hedgepeth at Briar Patch Outdoor School and the guys at Woodsmonkey are both looking for writers and videographers to provide them with additional content and both sites are paying for articles. George leans toward the budget side of bushcraft/camping/survival (i.e. visqueen versus SilTarp) and Woodsmonkey is looking for folks with experiences outside the normal sphere (i.e. kayakers, mountain bikers, rock climbers, etc.) but both of them would be the final
judge of an article's acceptance.

I don't think you'll get rich writing but every dollar you get for a review means money toward the next bit of kit you can write up for another dollar. See the logic there? :)

Now I think both sites want exclusive rights to the articles so you should double check with them before submitting the same article to both places. That means you get double the opportunity to be creative though.

Good luck,


B

Swanndri Morning

Ah, cooler weather seems like it's here to stay for a while now.

This morning I pulled out my Swanndri Ranger and it seemed the perfect weight for the morning chill.

I look forward to this time of year as I've spent a small fortune acquiring wool and synthetic clothing from some of the finest manufacturers including Filson, Swanndri, and others. I seem to have an inordinate amount of cold-weather clothing compared to the rest of my wardrobe (mostly blue jeans and t-shirts) and that stuff just sits on the shelf or hanger until the weather turns colder.

The smoky smell of my Ranger seems to have gone finally. I'll have to remedy that soon. As wool is much harder to burn I tend to use the Swanndri as an over layer if I'm tending a fire. I've had too many expensive fleeces with burn holes to keep up that method. This means my wool has a nearly constant smoky smell which helps cover my scent as I tread gently through the woods and it helps identify me to those around me as the "outdoorsy" guy. :)

Yesterday I read a post online about Empire Canvas Works and I may have found another company that will get some of my money for cold-weather gear. I really like the looks of their Wool Blanket Shirt, Arctic Anorak, and True North Mittens. Be advised before visiting the link that fans of more traditional outdoor gear may find this an expensive click.

The Arctic Anorak may be a cheaper alternative to the Ventile Anorak I've been eyeing for so many months too...

Thanks for reading,


B

Firesteel Retention Trick

I was recently talking with Dan and Spen at JRE Industries about the new Willett Firesteel Belt Loop (pictured) and the conversation turned to firesteel retention and the problems one could encounter once the diameter or length of the firesteel had been reduced through heavy use.

This, I thought, was a major problem that needed to be addressed because I might use my firesteel so much that it no longer snugly fits into my Willett. Of course I'd have to use my firesteel much more frequently for that wear to be very noticeable and I've never managed to wear out an Army Model Firesteel (by the way, that's a heck of a price at JRE) in all of my years of use. Perhaps that's because I continue to give them away to folks who express an interest in them when I'm describing the many firelighting methods.

So, there's this major problem facing firesteel users...and then Dan and Spen suggest a solution so simple I'm a bit embarrassed that I didn't think of it on my own.

Replace the cord on your firesteel with a piece of shock cord. Then you simply insert your firesteel in the Willett and loop the lanyard around the bottom end of your firesteel. This effectively locks the firesteel into the loop and is easy to remove when you want to use the firesteel.

Complex (not really) problem; simple solution.

Thanks for reading,


B

Thinking About A JetBoil PCS

I'm toying with the idea of getting a JetBoil Personal Cooking System (PCS) after watching a video on YouTube where the presenter suggests that it can bring a Liter of water to a boil in just over two minutes.

It sure would be handy to provide hot chocolate and/or hot tea to the kids after soccer practice or a nice cold walk through the woods without having to dig a pit and build a fire to warm up our water.

Reviews seem mixed on REI's site though. There have been complaints about the piezo ignition system failing and nearly as many complaints about stability as compliments. After nearly four years on the market I suspect they've got the kinks nearly worked out but it sounds like the occasional dud still gets out there.

The beauty of REI, of course, is the no questions asked return policy they've always had. I could get this unit, test it, decide whether or not I like it, and then return it if it didn't fit into my style of camping and hiking.

Sure, it goes against my "carry less" mantra but for something to whip out of the car on a cool evening for a super quick brew up it may be the answer to an unasked question. :)

Your thoughts?

Thanks for reading,


B

A Day in the Woods

Laura and I spent the day in the woods reading, sketching, and generally enjoying the nature surrounding us. We found a spot to set up in a slight breeze that kept the mosquitoes at bay with enough sunlight to enjoy the 60° temperatures.

I brought a red space blanket to keep us off the damp ground and we had plenty of room to spread out a few snacks and our books and other gear.

Laura took the time to measure and compare some of the leaves on the ground around us with her edible plants guide. With a little help she determined that we were sitting directly under a black cherry tree. Too bad the fruit seemed to be long gone as it would have been a fantastic reward for a job well done.

She then read from her book and I read from mine (pictured above) for 20 minutes (maybe more) while we listened to the sounds around us. Acorns and small branches fell from overhead and, at one point, directly into Laura's snack box depositing a few ants for extra protein. (She was not as amused as I was though.)

Just a few yards deeper into the woods the breeze disappeared and the mosquitoes came out in force. We found a standing body of water (we do back up to a wetland) and the closer we got to the edge of the water the thicker the mosquitoes became. Laura finally had it with the little pests and headed back to the blanket for safety. I just had to snap a picture of the reflection in the water while I was there.

We continued to wander for a while after that but it was the reading and relaxing we came in for and that was what we returned to as soon as we finished the wander. I finished the Muir passage I started earlier (I'll discuss it a bit later this week) and Laura finished her chapter and we started to pack up so we could get back to the house and cleaned up for dinner.

All in all that was a fantastic day. I got to spend time with Laura, we did it in the woods, and we didn't get interrupted while we were out. I couldn't have asked for more.

Thanks for reading,


B

Busy Day!

Well, it's soccer followed by more soccer and then off to a party followed by another party.

That doesn't leave me much time for getting into the woods but I'm scheduling a trip out tomorrow with a friend to get a little dirty, break out some of the gear that hasn't seen enough tough love, and get away from the everyday...

I just started reading a book by John Muir last night. He's the outdoorsman, environmentalist, and conservationist who helped shape Teddy Roosevelt's National Parks System and, apparently, quite a good writer.

He credits Thoreau with much of his inspiration so I look forward to seeing what parallels I can find between the authors.

When I can't get out and do at least I can still read about doing. :)

Thanks for reading,


B

TNT Survival

I found some funny bushcraft/survival videos on YouTube yesterday from TNT Survival featuring 11 year old presenter Talon.

He boils water in a plastic bottle, eats a bug, ties knots, and talks a bit about the environment around him.




The bloopers at the end of the videos are worth waiting for (especially the bug eating video.) :)


Thanks for reading,


B

Pablo's DD Tarp and Hammock Review

Pablo (Woodlife.co.uk) published two new videos yesterday reviewing the new version of the DD Hammock and Tarp.





The hammock resembles my Claytor Jungle Hammock enough that it's not a strong draw (for me) but the tarp might be just the ticket to replace the basha/hootch I'm having trouble finding.

I find the production values of Pablo's videos just keep getting better and his script flows naturally keeping me interested from beginning to end.

Great work Pablo.

Thanks for reading,


B

EDC Backlash

I carry so much stuff every day in my pockets that I've finally had enough.

I like to go light in the woods but heavy during the day around the house and around town. The Swiss Army Knife (SAK) in my pocket with my Leatherman Micra/Fox 40 Micro, the lighter and cotton balls, the cell phone, bandanas, wallet, and other gear weighs me down, gets used once or twice a day, and is most likely overkill for my day to day routine.

Well I've had enough.

I've got a SwissTool and Light My Fire Army Firesteel on my belt (both in JRE Leather) and with the addition of a wallet and cell phone I should have my bases covered. I'll probably still carry the bandanas as they're so functional in so many ways and take up little room and weigh next to nothing but THAT'S IT!

As the weather cools I find myself with more layers which equals more pockets which equals more opportunity to carry gear I wouldn't otherwise carry and I load each pocket to the max. I'm a walking PSK. :)

Thanks for reading,


B

Natural Camouflage

Yesterday afternoon we spent some time working on firestarting before the kids got bored and ran off to play with the hose and the neighborhood kids. I tended the fire feeding it fallen branches and firewood from the pile.

While I was sitting there, smelling of smoke, I decided to see if natural camouflage was as effective as the high-dollar gear available at the outdoor stores today. The back yard was muddy because of the running hose and there was plenty of charcoal and ash from the firepit so I went to work getting dirty.

I crushed charcoal in my hand and then rubbed my hands together and randomly applied it to my face, arms, hands, and legs and then scooped up a couple of fingers of mud at a time and hit other random spots. I must have looked quite the mess sitting there.

I began to understand the Tom Brown theory that the more natural material you put on the more you will blend in with your surroundings. I moved into the cluster of trees at the back of my property to see if my new camouflage job would work and, sure enough, within minutes I had a squirrel hop right past me while looking for acorns.

Around dusk, the mosquitoes came out strong and heavy. I've seen folks use charcoal and/or mud to protect themselves from biting insects in the past so I thought I'd see how my natural covering would work out.

Maybe I did it wrong to prevent bug bites but I've got maybe a dozen bites on my legs and I know I had one or two on my hands that I treated on the spot with some broadleaf Plantain.

Adding a shower to the mud room on the new house was part of the plan for just the kind of day I had today. The stuff I had to rinse off last night when I came in would have caused more than a little pain for me had I trekked it through the house. :)

Thanks for reading,


B

The BlastMatch

Laura has asked to work on firestarting today and she specifically requested my well-used Ultimate Survival BlastMatch as her ignition source.

While the one-handed operation of the BlastMatch is nice I don't think it'll replace my firesteel for regular carry any time soon. It's got a bigger firesteel rod but the case is also quite a bit bigger than my Light My Fire Army Firesteel. There have also been some complaints about the fragility of the BlastMatch case and I've personally seen a rod separate from the casing during normal use. I have never personally had any problems with the BlastMatch I own and use.

Laura likes the BlastMatch because all the components are self-contained and she doesn't have to use a hacksaw blade or knife as a striker. Gripping the handle tight enough to strike the firesteel is a bit difficult for her and certainly is not a one-handed operation. This may be due to the heavy use the BlastMatch has seen and the reduced diameter of the rod over time or it may simply be that the BlastMatch was not designed for 7-year-old hands. Either way, she will get it to work but she needs two hands to do it.

One thing I've noticed about the BlastMatch is that it spares the bottom .75" or so of firesteel. You can see the band of coated firesteel in the picture. That has never been touched by the striker. I don't know if that's by design or operator error but that little bit of extra material allows me to use the rod like a regular firesteel if I choose.

Hopefully I'll get some pictures of our practice today.

Thanks for reading,


B

FFBM Spoon Carving Update

Carving a spoon with a knife this big and thick is not easy but it's getting done. I've taken two days off but today the sun was out and gave me an opportunity to snap a picture for you.

You can see the pencil lines on my spoon blank where I still need work but you can also get a sense of how this monster chopper has worked at shaping the handle and bowl so far. I choke way up and use the tip of the blade in the palm of my hand for most of the detail work. The humps on the spine of the knife are a right royal pain and I would grind them down if I didn't have a custom fitted sheath from Survival Sheath Systems for it already.

The blade thickness (.32") is also a difficulty but that much spine in the palm makes it a bit easier to get leverage for power cuts when needed. The edge has been heavily modified from the factory edge but it will still require more work to really get the most out of this blade. The convexed edge is extremely sharp but transitions too quickly into the massively thick blade. One of these days I'll strip the coating and grind back the edge a bit to improve this knife's performance even more.

I will use a spoon knife/hook knife to shape the inside of the bowl when it comes time but I'm waiting to do that until I don't mess up the blank. :)

Thanks for reading,


B

Freezer Bag Cooking Videos

I've mentioned FreezerBagCooking's site several times in the past and realized today that Sarah has videos on YouTube on hiking, cooking, and more.

You can find them HERE.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I am.

Thanks for reading,


B

Fighting (My) Nature

As the temperature cools my body is craving gooey fats as something inside is telling me that it's time to start packing on calories to make it through the winter.

Unfortunately for those cravings, I'm trying hard to lose weight (fat specifically) and not gain it. I have a permanent shelter, warm clothes, and a constantly burning fire that will keep me warm all winter.

Getting to the gym is easy, finding the motivation to work out is not. Somewhere deep inside is a voice telling me that burning calories at the gym goes against the basic survival instinct that "remembers" (somehow) that food gets scarce during the cold months and that the body will require more calories every day just to keep me alive (my Basal Metabolic Rate.)

I'm not worried though. I still have plenty of what Ron Hood calls "Survival Muscle" to keep me going when times get tight. :)

Thanks for reading,


B

Ugh!

We had some work done in the yard and the workers have managed to cut both the cable and the phone line effectively cutting me off from the Internet and the outside world.

Fortunately I can run the laptop at the local Starbucks to get online long enough to answer a few emails but setting up with my camera and other gear is out of the question so updating the blog has fallen away.

I've just had the cable repaired so I can get back online from home for the first time in two days.

Good times good times...

Thanks for reading,


B

Cooking in Cans

Sometimes it's nice to bring along non-dried foods to enjoy on the trail and I am a big fan of canned goods for at least some of my meals/sides if I'm out for a few days or longer and they're even convenient for a day hike.

I like to cook right in the can for most things and try to bring along cans that'll fit inside my billy can so I can simply vent the can, immerse it in the water, and bring the water to a boil. The water then boils until the food in the can is up to temperature and I have, on occasion, then used the boiled water for tea or coffee as it's been purified while bringing my food up to temperature and to waste it seems less than frugal.

I'm doing some lunch today using this method and, with a little hot sauce, should make quite a tasty bit of eating.

I have been carrying a tea kettle lately so I can just pour the hot water through the strainer and steep while I dig in.

I save the cans once I'm done as they can be used for many projects back at home or even out in the woods. The lids can make useable blades for soft-material cutting and, with my Swisstool, the can can be re-tasked as anything I can imagine. :)

Thanks for reading,


B

New Spoon Carving

I've decided to start carving a new spoon.

To make it interesting I'm going to try carving as much as I can with a Busse Fat Fusion Battle Mistress (not a carver by any stretch of the imagination.)

At .32" thick it will be a challenge but it has worked fantastically this morning for hogging off wood to rough out the shape and my convex sharpening is good enough to carve the detail around the bowl of the spoon.

I'm carving well-seasoned wood so cracking, checking, or splitting should be a non-issue.

I probably have 20 minutes into this project so far and will update you as I progress.

Thanks for reading,


B

Mantracker

I read a post on Bladeforums the other day that mentioned the show Mantracker on OLN Canada and I had to go see what all the fuss was about...

Here's a clip from the Second Season Finale:


I cannot believe how much time I wasted yesterday watching episode after episode of this series.

Apparently they allow stronger language on Canadian television so be advised there is sometimes frequent use of foul language (also known as hunt/fish camp language.) ;)

I am truly hooked on this show--as though I needed another distraction from getting outdoors.

Take a look. If you like what you see in this randomly selected clip you can search for "Mantracker" on YouTube and you should come up with plenty of results.

I'll apologize in advance if you end up losing an entire day to Mantracker. ;)

Thanks for reading,


B

State of the Yard

With temperatures hovering around 40° last night we've nearly seen the end of the mosquitoes (we saw just two last night at soccer practice and neither of them had any interest in us.) The chipmunks and squirrels are busily storing acorns for the winter and they seem to be tearing up the yard at an alarming rate. The bucks who were everywhere eating acorns seem to have holed up for the colder weather.

With the dropping nighttime temperatures we've started closing up the house and I find the lack of fresh air (even frigid fresh air) to be a little too stifling and sleeping through the night is difficult if not impossible.

Tonight I'm pulling out the wool blankets and I'm going to sleep on the porch. I've had the blankets hung up in the basement for about a month to get some of the stuffy basement storage smell out of them so they should be ready to go.

I'd take it all the way outside but tonight's forecast calls for 40° and rain--hypothermia weather and the uncontrollable shivering would ruin the good night's sleep I'm seeking. :)

Thanks for reading,


B

A Tip from Cody Lundin

I'm re-reading Cody's book 98.6 Degrees and found this tip that I must've missed the last time:

Pack some Alka-Seltzer in your pack when headed out.

Once you've purified your water just drop one in and it'll provide you with trace amounts of Sodium and essential carbonation that'll push the fluids through the pyloric sphincter (the muscle at the bottom of your stomach) and toward your large intestine where it will do the most good.

He suggests the generic variety "without added Aspirin." I see the original Alka-Seltzer contains 325 mg of Aspirin so I'll have to keep looking for an Aspirin-free version.

I'm going to see if this is a fast cure for a dehydration headache the next time I get too busy to take regular drinks of water.

I'll be looking into this subject further over the next few days...

Thanks for reading,


B