Here is wishing everyone a Happy New Year in 2013! I hope the year finds you happy, healthy, and wise. I also wish for you to go out and enjoy the outdoors as often as you are able, and share it with someone new.
As for the North Woodsman, my goal is more of everything here. Including folks following along and joining in on the conversations.
Stay safe tonight!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
gear fiddlin'
Horace Kephart said it best, " To be sure even though a man rigs up his own outfit, he never gets it quite to suit him. Every season sees the downfall of some cherisshed scheme, the failure of some fond contrivance. Every winter sees you again fussing over your kit, altering this, substituting that, and flogging your wits with the same old problem of how to save weight and bulk without sacrifice of utility. All thoroughbred campers do this as regularly as the birds come back in the spring, and their kind has been doing it since the world began. It is good for us."
long story short, I am fiddling with my gear a lot right now. Anyone else?
long story short, I am fiddling with my gear a lot right now. Anyone else?
From the Chow Hall
Hey all, this is just a quick little post that is food related and thus gets the Chow Hall title. On my Christmas shopping adventures I stopped for lunch at Panera Bread. It's a chain restaraunt, not fast food but quick service. Obviously they make their own bread and pastries but they aslo serve sandwhiches and soups...not a bad place to stop actually but enough chit chat and on to how this applies to the North Woodsman!
We all know that sometimes out in the field when we are fixing chow we want to add some flavor. Handy portable options are always popular and this company has some condiments out that I really like and maybe you will enjoy as well.
Good quality mustard and mayonaise.
One of my favorite lunches to bring out on a day trip is summer sausage, bread,cheese and mustard. Usually I make a sandwhich out of it but sometimes I just dip the cheese or bread or eat right in the mustard and just eat. Carrying a jar of mustard can get pretty heavy and in some cases breakable. carrying a couple of these packets mkes it much easier to add some flavor or use to make some sandwhiches.
the only thing more perfect than these 2 packetsin my opinion are the tiny bottles of tabasco sauce.
We all know that sometimes out in the field when we are fixing chow we want to add some flavor. Handy portable options are always popular and this company has some condiments out that I really like and maybe you will enjoy as well.
Good quality mustard and mayonaise.
One of my favorite lunches to bring out on a day trip is summer sausage, bread,cheese and mustard. Usually I make a sandwhich out of it but sometimes I just dip the cheese or bread or eat right in the mustard and just eat. Carrying a jar of mustard can get pretty heavy and in some cases breakable. carrying a couple of these packets mkes it much easier to add some flavor or use to make some sandwhiches.
the only thing more perfect than these 2 packetsin my opinion are the tiny bottles of tabasco sauce.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Wilderness Survival Baseline
This topic came up on the blades and bushcraft forum as "Fun Wilderness Survival Test" and I really like the idea. This is the testing requirements for the Boy Scout Wilderness Survival Merit Badge. I see it as a really nice baseline for us to measure our skill as woodsmen/busch crafters/ outdoorsmen take your pick. Just looking through the list I see I have some things Ineed to brush up on and even a thing or 2 to learn. Certainly gets my juices flowing.
I really like that it also addresses some mental skills to develope for survival, avoiding panic and keeping up morale and such. I would add a few items here and there but that is just me nit picking.
Take a look and see where your skills fall. Get out and enjoy the outdoors!
Wilderness Survival Merit Badge Requirements:
1.Show that you know first aid for, and how to prevent injuries or illnesses that could occur in backcountry settings, including hypothermia, heat reactions, frostbite, dehydration, blisters, insect stings, tick bites, and snakebites.
2.From memory, list the seven priorities for survival in a backcountry or wilderness location. Explain the importance of each one with your counselor.
3.Discuss ways to avoid panic and maintain a high level of morale when lost, and explain why this is important.
4.Describe the steps you would take to survive in the following conditions:
a. Cold and snowy
b. Wet (forest)
c. Hot and dry (desert)
d. Windy (mountains or plains)
e. Water (ocean, lake, or river)
5.Put together a personal survival kit and explain how each item in it could be useful
6.Using three different methods (other than matches), build and light three fires.
7.Do the following:
a. Show five different ways to attract attention when lost.
b. Demonstrate how to use a signal mirror.
c. Describe from memory five ground-to-air signals and tell what they mean.
8.Improvise a natural shelter. For the purpose of this demonstration, use techniques that have little negative impact on the environment. Spend a night in your shelter.
9.Explain how to protect yourself from insects, reptiles, and bears.
10.Demonstrate three ways to treat water found in the outdoors to prepare it for drinking.
11.Show that you know the proper clothing to wear in your area on an overnight in extremely hot weather and in extremely cold weather.
12.Explain why it usually not wise to eat edible wild plants or wildlife in a wilderness survival situation.
I really like that it also addresses some mental skills to develope for survival, avoiding panic and keeping up morale and such. I would add a few items here and there but that is just me nit picking.
Take a look and see where your skills fall. Get out and enjoy the outdoors!
Wilderness Survival Merit Badge Requirements:
1.Show that you know first aid for, and how to prevent injuries or illnesses that could occur in backcountry settings, including hypothermia, heat reactions, frostbite, dehydration, blisters, insect stings, tick bites, and snakebites.
2.From memory, list the seven priorities for survival in a backcountry or wilderness location. Explain the importance of each one with your counselor.
3.Discuss ways to avoid panic and maintain a high level of morale when lost, and explain why this is important.
4.Describe the steps you would take to survive in the following conditions:
a. Cold and snowy
b. Wet (forest)
c. Hot and dry (desert)
d. Windy (mountains or plains)
e. Water (ocean, lake, or river)
5.Put together a personal survival kit and explain how each item in it could be useful
6.Using three different methods (other than matches), build and light three fires.
7.Do the following:
a. Show five different ways to attract attention when lost.
b. Demonstrate how to use a signal mirror.
c. Describe from memory five ground-to-air signals and tell what they mean.
8.Improvise a natural shelter. For the purpose of this demonstration, use techniques that have little negative impact on the environment. Spend a night in your shelter.
9.Explain how to protect yourself from insects, reptiles, and bears.
10.Demonstrate three ways to treat water found in the outdoors to prepare it for drinking.
11.Show that you know the proper clothing to wear in your area on an overnight in extremely hot weather and in extremely cold weather.
12.Explain why it usually not wise to eat edible wild plants or wildlife in a wilderness survival situation.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Hatchet project phase 2
Well today was the day I decided to get off my duff and try to finish refurbishing my Stepfather's old Boy Scout hatchet. A trip to the hardware store for some zipstrip and a good stiff wire brush got thins started.
Once home I applied a good thick coat of zip strip to the head and let it sit for a few minutes. This is powerful stuff. The can clearly states it is poison so be careful and read the can before using. I used the stuff outside and wore rubber kitchen gloves during the whole process.
Next step was to give it a good brushing with a stiff wire brush. Pretty straightforward, i was a little surprised at the dark gray color of the metal underneath the OD paint. In fact I kept brushing it for quite a while not thinking the zip strip was working. I rinsed it off quick and here is the result, obviously it worked.
Got a little in to the work at this point and forgot to photograph a few steps. Here is the axe with the handle on, the wedge hammerd in with a rubber mallet and I sawed off the excess.
The last shot is looking down the eye. Everything looks tight to me and the head doesn't move. Being this is my first refurbish I am worried if I did it right or if there is more I should do I have a metal wedge I could pound in crosswise into the wedge if needed but I am not sure I need to. Any tips or advice?
Once home I applied a good thick coat of zip strip to the head and let it sit for a few minutes. This is powerful stuff. The can clearly states it is poison so be careful and read the can before using. I used the stuff outside and wore rubber kitchen gloves during the whole process.
Next step was to give it a good brushing with a stiff wire brush. Pretty straightforward, i was a little surprised at the dark gray color of the metal underneath the OD paint. In fact I kept brushing it for quite a while not thinking the zip strip was working. I rinsed it off quick and here is the result, obviously it worked.
Got a little in to the work at this point and forgot to photograph a few steps. Here is the axe with the handle on, the wedge hammerd in with a rubber mallet and I sawed off the excess.
The last shot is looking down the eye. Everything looks tight to me and the head doesn't move. Being this is my first refurbish I am worried if I did it right or if there is more I should do I have a metal wedge I could pound in crosswise into the wedge if needed but I am not sure I need to. Any tips or advice?
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