Bushcraft
 

Anything goes relating to bushcraft skills, travel, your thoughts, and interests

Back in the day I was doing lots of camping, we had a fairly large boat that we would go out fishing on the many lakes and by ways in Louisiana. I got to wondering how I would do if I got stranded out somewhere and needed to save my own a$$, so to speak. So one day one of my saner friends and I made plans to give it a week end try to see how we would do. We only allowed to take one set of clothes as well as weather related wear along with one hunting knife. We told people where we would be for safety sake as on when we should be back then to send out the posse if need be. The worse part was the mosquitoes, it's a wonder we didn't come down with some awful disease from as many bites we had.. next time I gave up my hunting knife for mosquito netting and bug spray. They don't call them things the state bird for nothing.

OK...

This thread is NOT what I was expecting it to be....

I was thinking heart shapes for Valentine's day or something...lol

This is much more appealing to me...minus the hunk of moo on a rock...

What's your favorite way..
 

of starting a fire without matches or lighter?

I prefer a ferro rod and char cloth or other tender, but I also like starting a fire with a bow drill.

Jesse
 

I would love to learn how to use a bow drill correctly, I've not had much luck
with one. I usually use a magnifying glass...carrying fire around can be a bit problematic...I found this and wondered if it would work..definitely trying it this spring!

Both the plastic bottle of water and the plastic baggy filled with water will work in a pinch, but it is much easier with a magnifying glass. I have done it with water, never with urine, though it is good to know that will work in an emergency. :)

For me, learning to use a bow drill took a lot of time and patience and then frustration when I ran out of patience. ;) It's kind of like riding a bike, once you achieve and the muscle memory is learned it gets much easier to do. Somewhere in my files, I have a page that shows the color and condition of the dust and what it should and shouldn't look like in order to get a coal. I will look for it and post it here when I find it.

this is cool..
 

his campsite is top notch, imo..he's organized! But you have to be in Alaska or you're dead.

I have used a bow drill, a lens from a camera, the reflecting of light to and from a head light to tender to start a fire. Being an occasional smoker I always can find a lighter somewhere in my car or about any jacket I have, even one that just has a sparking flint will help in starting a fire.

Never considered a camera lens, great idea! and yes I always seem to have a lighter or two around, but what I love about bushcraft is that it's about your skillset and being able to use your environment to provide for yourself. One of my goals in the next year is to go out with just the basics, a knife, an axe, etc and make it in the woods for a few days...The perfect place to do this would probably be Alaska or possibly the Cascades towards Autumn..Ive done a lot of camping but with all the paraphernalia. I would like to take a couple of survival classes to make sure I have enough skills to make it..I have plans :)

Made one of these this summer. It rocked. If you love building fires this one is worth knowing.

(a)Rocket Stove
 

I have one of these Tonteldoos tinderboxes that I made, but I use lantern wicks in mine. I find they burn slower and leave a nice char on the end that catches sparks easily. The Tonteldoos is simple to make and works well.

I also always keep a solo flat 1"x6" lantern wick in my EDC kit and have charred one end of it. I like it because it rolls up to take up little space, it's lightweight and it catches sparks well.

acorn bread
 

Well I must say, my mind went to a totally other place when I read the title of this thread, LOLOL.

But I have found it to be interesting reading. I used to love to camp in various "primitive" campsites in Michigan in my younger days. I loved and still love cooking over an open fire or beautiful coals.

Have fun!
Smooches,
Keri

This video has been disabled for other sites but you can still access on youtube by clicking the title above the video! There are four parts to it..pretty interesting....if you like this sort of thing :goodluck:

I walk out my door, and I am next to a large lagoon, and nature reserve, where hunting is not allowed. I would fish, but not kill my deer friends here. I watch my bird and animal friends everyday survive here.. They fish and drink from the lagoon and rain puddles. They eat grains growing off stalks of wheat, and acorns, and know where the best and freshest grass, wildflowers, nuts, and leaves are. When it gets too hot or cold, they dig holes, or crawl under big logs and piles of brush. If the bugs bother them they roll in mud, the same way soldiers are taught. I would want to purify my drinking water though, which leads me back to the quest for fire. I think a small rocket stove would be the best idea for cooking in snow and rain. Love them. I have plenty of stuff to start a fire with, but I really would need to learn patience, and practice the cross bow method for long-term survival.

Knots!
 

Knowing how to tie a variety of knots and when to tie which knot is an important outdoor survival skill whether on land or water. Fishing, camping, climbing, Bushcraft, or even if a sudden rainstorm pops up during a hike and you just want to throw up a quick ridge line for a tarp tent, you will need a knot of some sort.

Some of the more commonly used knots for Bushcraft are listed below, but there are literally hundreds to choose from.

• lashing
• clove hitch
• timber hitch

Tent stakes/various odds & ends around camp:

• tautline hitch
• figure-eight retrace
• bowline
• bowline on a bight
• jam knot
• larkshead
• trucker's hitch
• fisherman's knot
• half hitch

When you need to tie a couple ropes together that vary in size:

• the sheetbend

Below are a couple of good animated knot tying sites that show how to tie knots and what things that particular knot is useful for. At least one of them(Grog's) also has an Apple and android app you can download to your phone, but there is a small charge for the app.

Grog's Animated Knots

Net Knots

Happy Tying! :)

I'm coming a little late to the fire starting party...but...

I have reading glasses...the store bought magnifying kind. I read that those in particular make a good fire starter in a pinch. But I have at least 3 sources for fire in my pack at all times. Just in case. Fire can mean life in a bad situation.

Folks, please read up on what plants and mushrooms are poisonous in your area before you start out. For instance, Poke Salad grows in abundance here, but the little red berries are extremely poisonous. The animals here eat the leaves, but leave those tiny, red, berries alone.