Water Purification in Bushcraft

Water Purification in Bushcraft

Water collection is something you will need to do at some stage while on a bushcraft week or weekend, Look for a suitable source, a flowing water source is generally more preferable than a static one, but no matter where you take your water from, be aware of sewage and visible contaminants at source.

Provided your source looks clean and is suitable for collection, i.e. easily accessible and risk free, you have various contaminants which you will need to remove before drinking, If ground water is not workable, think of other methods of water collection, such as vapour collection from plants using a plastic bag or a condensation pit. The main hazard from all water comes in 5 main categories:

1. Water Clarity – Floating particles, sediment, debris and decomposing matter.

2. Parasites – Waterborne organisms that rely on other organisms to survive or feed on, such as worms or protozoa, which can carry diseases harmful to humans

3. Bacteria – Single celled organisms which cause disease. Bacteria are generally classified as either helpful or harmful. Bacteria are found everywhere, and appear on every surface and every part of the human body. The helpful bacteria are commonly found in yogurt and cheeses, and are good for digestion. The other types are harmful bacteria, those that you may be more familiar with are:

A) Streptococcus Progenies responsible for skin infections and sore throats etc

B) E-Coli responsible for gastrointestinal diseases

C) Vibro Cholerae responsible for Cholera

D) Enteritis Salmonella responsible for food poisoning

E) Salmonella Typhi responsible for the deadly Typhoid

4. Viruses – Viruses cause disease in organisms that they infect, they are microscopic and are unable to be filtered out of water, and Viruses are measured in Billions of  micrometers (nano) as opposed to protozoa which are measured in thousands of  micrometers. (A micrometer is a millionth [10(-6)] of a meter.)

Viruses are quite often responsible for Diarrhoea transmitted mainly by water. Hepatitis A and Polio are also among the more serious viruses that can be transmitted in faecal water, which is why if you travel to foreign countries that it is very important to know that any salads or vegetables have been washed with pure clean sterile water prior to consumption.

5. Chemical pollutants – Pesticides or heavy metals are often the result of agriculture, chemical pollution or mining. Dead fish and vegetation are clear signs of serious chemical pollution. Chemical pollution is often not as obvious so you need to be careful; the signs are much more subtle. With a little bit of pre-trip research we can judge if we are visiting an area where chemical pollutants may be an issue (for example will you be near mining or sewage, or is there a lot of agriculture nearby which could pollute nearby water sources.

How to Deal with Water Contaminants

It is unusual to have to deal with all 5 types of contaminants, but as a rule you should remove any particles by filtering first then follow up by boiling. Consider using a water purification pump that combines filtration and chemical treatment.

Remember the first basic principles, keep things as clear as possible, the important points you need to remember are as follows:

1.Coarse filtration will remove turbidity

2.Microfiltration will remove the larger pathogenic organisms (protozoa and some bacteria)

3.Boiling will kill all pathogenic organisms (at any level)

4.Certain types of filtration (activated carbon) can remove some chemical pollutants

5.Some chemical treatments (chlorine, iodine) will kill many pathogenic organisms (in particular bacteria and viruses), while other treatments (chlorine dioxide) will deactivate all of them

Therefore we can deduce a combination of filtration and a suitable chemical treatment or boiling will deal with any or all of the specific contaminants. If you understand these fundamental principles, then you can start to make wise, informed and rational decisions in your scenario.

The presence of waterborne pathogens is often associated with the presence of humans and domesticated animals and often a result of bad sanitary practice. (excrement contaminating the water). In many places where there has been little or no human activity and no livestock or pack animals, then the water can be free of pathogenic organisms and safe to drink. But remember we can’t know for sure without testing the water.

If locals drink the water, remember that there immune system is used to the surrounding conditions, Pre-trip research will also help you determine which waterborne pathogens are possible, likely or endemic in the country or area you are travelling. This type of research is very important and can help with determining which inoculations, if any, you require before a trip.

For a reliable Chemical filtration system visit ; http://www.pre-mac.com/PWP_MWP.HTM

Camp Food

Hi all, having recently come back from some very welcome time in the woods; I wanted to share my thoughts on a topic very close to my heart.....FOOD.

Starting off, food is very individual to all, so please take my observations with a pinch of salt i am not a doctor (if you excuse the pun)

All food mentioned in this article unless otherwise stated was purchased at a Sainsbury’s Supermarket. Prices are correct as per there website 11/09/12. Calorie information is from the brands own websites.

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In its simplest form we need to breakdown any food requirements in to the following:

How much energy will you be using? 

•  Expending high amounts of energy i.e. Hiking with weight  over 10+km/ shelter building etc
•  Expending medium amounts of energy in physical exertion i.e. hikes without weight <7.5km
•  Expending Low amounts of energy i.e staying static in camp and the surrounding area

The average calorie (kcal) intake for a man per day is 2500kcal . Based on this

• High energy activities –  ~4000kcal/day)*
•  Medium energy activities – ~3250kcal/day
•  Low energy activities – 2500kcal/day

* 4000kcal/day for high energy activities derived from the standard British army 24hr ration pack providing ~4000kcal, thinking of daily energy expenditure of a solider in combat and the number of calories that have been calculated to replenish this
 

From this you can then begin to break this down into the daily consumption of:

•  Breakfast
•  Lunch
•  Dinner
•  Snacks

For the purposes of this article I will be focusing on the low energy activities band as this was my routine. I want to run through the food I bought.

Being static in around camp is something we are all familiar with. Either sitting in front of the fire, going for a stroll through the woods or being stuck in a tent due to bad weather etc.

Breakfast:  Quaker Oats – Oats So Simple Pots – Golden Syrup – 213kcal - £1 

I found using this very tasty and hassle free as there is only your spoon to wash up afterwards

http://www.quaker.co.uk/products/oat-so-simple-pots

Simply just add boiling water to the line and follow the instructions on the back. In 4 mins you have a hot and healthy start to your day.

Very filling, slow release energy to begin the day with and to get you to lunch.

If in a bind you can always keep and reuse the container.

Lunch: Uncle Bens Risotto Pouch - Chicken and Mushroom – 453kcal - £2.29

http://www.unclebens.co.uk/our-products/rice/risotto

I found these pouches in the supermarket and thought i would give them a try. Personally, to eat something this quick and tasty in camp was a real morale boost, and gave me that little pick up that was needed in the afternoon.

Just empty the pouch out into your mess tin, add 100ml of water (a long splash of water in my words) add heat. As it starts to bubble up just stir the risotto around so it absorbs the water. When hot, consume.Also to bulk this out for old times sake i also had a Chicken and mushroom King Pot Noodle 513kcal

Dinner: 250g rump steak 312kcal - £3.00,  Heinz Cheese and Tomato Tortellini  - 229kcal - £1.00

For a little bit of luxury I brought along a steak from the supermarket in my cool bag, this was shared between two, and flame grilled over the open fire on the cooking stick method.

The Heinz pasta comes in a durable plastic pouch, and this was emptied into the mess tin and heated until it started to bubble. Stirring occasionally until hot enough to eat. This was a fantastic purchase, again very tasty and quick to make up. There are also other flavours available.

For desert was a sachet of Cadburys Highlights hot chocolate 115kcal - £0.32  and some marshmallows roasted over the open fire. 

A couple of slices of white bread £0.76/ loaf - 86kcal/ slice were consumed with Lunch and dinner to act as filler.

Final Thought

Taking all the above daily consumption into account, this would have put me in the area for my daily 2500 calories and a whole days food for circa £10.

If space is at a premium, then the breakfast oats can be swapped for the individual sachets of instant oats and the Pot Noodle for a pack of Super Noodles.

I hope this shows that you can get quick, tasty, reasonably priced , low volume food for camping at your local supermarket. Go have a look and see what you can find.

I've not gone into snacks as they are very individual and make up very little of the daily meal. My favourite is http://www.naturevalley.co.uk/index.aspx#/Trail_Mix

Below is a picture of our camp set up for our living, dining and kitchen set up. The Tarp is at about 9ft and gave a real sense of security from the elements. You can make out the camp water container in the lower centre of the picture, the cool bag to the left and the Swedish Army stove to the right.

I hope you have found this as interesting as i did trying new camp food. If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask.

Hammer

Titanium Kit from Vargo outdoors

Hi Folks,

Just had a look at the internet and one thing lead to another. Have a look at this kit... I would say its expensive but if you wanted to treat yourself then I think this is the place to have a quick look.

All titanium kit including stoves cooking pots bottles and cus... loads more but the fun is in the looking :)

http://www.vargooutdoors.com/

once in the site click view our catalogue... its spelt the american way but we know what they mean, bless them!!!

It will take some time as I think its a PDF link.......

 

Origonal post by Daddycool 

German Military Issue Trangia with Swiss windshield

Just purchased one of these German Military issue trangias and I am very happy with the product. I had to make one minor adjustment to the windshield, so it would seat the german Trangia properly, but this was easy to do and it now all locks neatly together. Cooking configurations are great, with plenty cooking variations. Check out the video and let me know wht you think. Thanks for watching.

Camping light?, Your choice of lightweight tent or bivi

Tents....
Just putting this out there, as we have discussed this topic often enough. There are hundreds of tents and bivi bags available on the market from the hugely expensive to the budget types, lets see what you have found, and lets hear your views.

Lets look at:
1.The weight and pack size
2.Durability and stability build quality
3.Room for sleeping ie 1,2 or 3man and storage inside including pockets and gear loops
4.Cost of the product, value for money
5.Ease/speed of assembly
6.Pros and cons ... likes and dislikes

If you spot something nice on the internet or in a store, just post the link and we can take a look and discuss.
Ta for now.

small kit

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Silva-Army-Watch-Glow-Compass-Survival-Bushcraft-/360448367804?pt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item53ec659cbc#ht_963wt_952

small glow in the dark compass.made by silva

also
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SURVIVAL-BUSHCRAFT-STASH-KEYRING-IDEAL-FOR-PILLS-EMERGENCY-MONEY-/120931522585?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c28149819#ht_1361wt_952

for pills or money put away some were safe were you may just need it.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Peanut-Lighter-Watertight-Survival-Bushcraft-Camping-/180932701708?pt=UK_Collectables_Tobacciana_Smoking_LE&hash=item2a206dee0c#ht_1441wt_1186

small lighter.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ultralight-hikers-torch-Survival-kit-bushcraft-camping-light-weight-/300752806279?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item460643a187#ht_1014wt_1186

small torch
any other small useful kit ideas..

how fit do you need to be.

well just as a side thought i was talking about what kit to carry and how big a bag in litre size and it hit me.
how fit do you have to be to carry it all and have fun, rather than a pain full weekend or trip away.i suppose it comes down to the type of trip you like to go on.
1) drive the car into the woods or camp site set up stay near by and be happy.
you dont need to be to fit to do this but it will still take some level of fitness so you enjoy it.

2)drive to a starting point and start to walk your planed route and camp were you stop then walk the next day to new site until you return to your car.
you will need to be fitter for this and water and food become big weight and room issues depending on how long you go away.so how many miles do you walk a day to make it fun but not boring for those who want adventure.

so does a regular fitness plan come part of your weekly life or do you have a plan that as you get your kit ready to go away on your trip you do a bit of light fitness to make it easier.while you are out.
so with all this to think about how much should we be thinking of doing so we can enjoy are trips out but not turning fitness into your hobby instead of bushcraft.also what type of fitness do you think would be best to do.
press ups,sit ups,running,weights what types.
so to open this up to all and what you think give some thought to this and post your ideas no matter how little or how much you think you need to do.may be we could work out a bushcraft work out so you can be happy around the camp fire after your walk to site and say staying a few days in the wild...

HAMMER's First Aid Kit

Following on from Shiver's post I'd like to share my First Aid Kit with you all. Firstly I want to say  I am not medically trained. Everything in this bag has either been bought on the high street or on eBay. Most importantly it all serves a purpose. If you don't know to use it or don't need it, it does not belong in your First Aid kit. Right that's the serious bit over.

When we are out in the field our the most common injuries are minor cuts (Plasters), lacerations (Steri Strips and larger dressings/ plasters), Burns (Burn Gel) and infection (add your personal antiseptic here..I like diluted hydrogen peroxide in a dropper bottle). We have all done it at one time and have either cursed at not having anything to hand or said a silent prayer for being smart enough to pack the right kit for the injury in question. My suggestion is cover these first and then build up around what else that could go wrong....just think ..What if...?

Below are pictures of my first aid kt.

In Picture 1 you can see the tables (painkillers and antihistamine), paramedic scissors, tweezers, hydration tablets, pen torch, scalpel, Forceps, Thermometer, emergency whistle, cigarette lighter, Oil of Cloves for tooth ache, saline solution etc
 
In the center section I have a bottle of TCP, Slings, cold and flu tablets  and rubber gloves

In Picture 2 I have 3 bags where I've emptied out the contents to show you. The far right contains bandages, the middle one contains some saline solution, syringes, mini bottle of rum, and some disposable gloves. Finally the far left one contains the foil blankets, plasters, and the burn gel

This is all contained in one of these:

Black Mountain Outdoor Stores on eBay

A DPM PLCE Medic side pouch (contents NOT included) that fits on to my 100ltr Bergen or my 40ltr day sack. This can also be used on its own as it has two carry handles incorporated into the case. Its waterproof, but not crush proof you you still need to be mindful of any dedicates placed in there.

This is A LOT of kit to take. I use this as camp kit when I'm out and a home first aid kit when I'm in the house. From this I can break this down to add to a smaller personal first aid kit when I need it.

If you not going to build your own kit I'd like to recommend Lifesystems First aid Kits. I have used these in the past and they have been great. They come in an abundance of sizes and contents and instructions are included.Well worth the money to have the peace of mind at hand.

I hope you have enjoyed my first post.

Slow match for your tinder box

This is just a quick article on making slow match for your tinder box. Slow match was originally used by musketeers and cannon crew to readily have a hot ember where by they could ignite there weapons at will. Slow match is a thick cord that burns with a hot ember at one end, burning evenly and slowly keeping a hot ember ready at anytime, that is difficult to blow out or extinguish. It is a handy piece of kit where by you can transport a hot ember to your desired ignition source easily, particularly handy if you are moving to a new camp and wish to relight your fire easily.

Slow match can be made using -
1. Cotton cord aprox 8-10mm thick
2. Potassium Nitrate (do not use sodium nitrate where possible, as it absorbs moisture more readily)
3, Vinegar
4. Waterproof container
5. Brick

First mix up 1 regular cup of vinegar and pour it into a suitable container. Next add another 3 cups of warm water to the container followed by 3 heaped tablespoons of potassium nitrate, stir well and make sure all the sodium nitrate has fully dissolved.
Take a long length of cotton cord and slowly feed it into the solution, making sure that the cord does not float and is fully submerged, if necessary, place a small brick or weight on top of the cord to keep it submerged.
Leave the cotton cord to soak up the solution over night, small bubbles will escape from the cord over time as the solution fully saturates the cord.
In the morning remove the cotton cord and find a suitable place to dry it.
Make sure you try and dry your slow match cord flat, so as not to have an uneven burn.
Once the cord has dried it will be able to be used.

I am currently looking for alternative recipes, some include vinegar, ash and coffee in them, I am unsure as to how this helps the burn of the match, but as far as I am aware, the presence of carbon in the solution helps the potassium nitrate to burn easily.I will have to conduct a few experiments to see how it works, but I will post my findings here when I do.

All the ingredients are easily purchased online, I picked up the potassium nitrate on eBay along with the heavy cotton cord. If you are using hemp cordage as was used in some records for making slow match you should add double the amount of Potassium Nitrate stated here, everything eses remains the same volume.
Adding more potassium nitrate speeds up the burn, too much will make your match cord, burn more like a fuse, so there are uses for both.

Good luck making your own slow match, You can buy slow match already made, but it's nice to be aware of how easily it's made, and to be able to make it yourself.
Let me know how you get on, and especially if you have variants on the recipe, I would love to hear about it.

Ta for now
Shiver

First aid kit for bushcraft

Hi there guys, I have been meaning to take a look at this topic and would love your Input, we talked about this a little before, and I managed to find a list of what to bring. Please have a look when you get time and add your ideas and extra kit to the list, we can use this to create a first aid check list for our own personnel kit.

Let's look at what could be in a bushcraft First Aid Kit:-

• A waterproof container, sturdy and something that can take a bit of abuse. This will be used to store your first aid kit in and to keep the contents in good condition.
• A good compact Backpackers First Aid book.

Over counter medications:Your preferred pain relief tablets or capsules.

• Antibiotic Ointment or powder.
• Antihistamine to control mild allergic reactions.
  
• Antiseptic - like Betadine individually wrapped swabs as you can either wipe a wound over or squeeze the swab so droplets can be applied to a wound and they take up such little space.
  
• Burn gel with Aloe Vera is our preference. Aloe Vera aids in healing, pain relief, has anti-inflammatory properties, helps prevent blistering and scarring.
  
• Hydro-cortisone cream for skin inflammation and rashes.
  
• Stings and Bites cream - I prefer one with a local anaesthetic especially for kids and secretly for myself. My son scratches his bites when he is asleep and ends up with bleeding and weeping sores so reducing the itchiness of bites before he goes to sleep helps to keep the sheets blood free.
  
• Cold sore cream - if you are prone to cold sores sunlight and sunburn can trigger them so take some cold sore cream. Zorvirax is our preference.
  
• Electrolyte replacement powder or dissoluble tablets - for when you are walking in humid temperatures and sweating out your bodies salts and minerals. Or if you suffer from vomiting and diarrhoea.
  
• Diarrhoea tablets for those stomach upsets!
• Antiseptic wipes or gel - for cleaning your hands before touching open wounds.

Other contents to add to a Backpacking First Aid Kit:

• Plastic gloves - couple of pairs. They do not take up much room in the first aid kit
  
• Band Aids - a variety of shapes and sizes for cuts . We find the long strips of fabric tape with the padding already in place is great because you can cut it to any length then seal it down with adhesive tape if needed.
  
• Adhesive Tape - I prefer paper tape as you do not have to have scissors to cut it as it will tear by just using your fingers - Get a good quality tape that will not get brittle with age or lose it's stickiness. It is useless when that occurs.
  
• Steri-strips (Butter-fly sutures, Adhesive Sutures, Adhesive Closures) - used to pull a small gaping cut or wound together.
  I have also used adhesive paper tape for the same purpose if steri-strips are not available as it is clean when it comes off the roll. Do not place your fingers on the sticky side where it will be covering the cut
  
• Gauze and non-stick dressing pads - preferably sterile. They come in all sizes. One option if you are trying to save space is to get a bigger size dressing as you can cut to size as needed. It will save space.
  
• Elastic and crepe bandages - a few different widths.
  
• Triangular Bandage - For stings padding, strapping limbs to splints if a fracture is suspected. Safety pins various.
  
• Two tongue depressors or ice block sticks for finger splints.
  
• Normal saline 10ml vials for the double use as an eye wash or wound cleansing.
  
• Tweezers - A good pair of tweezers has easy-to-grip handles and can be used for splinter removal and other first aid procedures.
  
• Curved Scissors - Scissors come in handy and have many uses. Curved medical ones are great as they don't have sharp points. In an emergency you might need to cut clothes away from an injury site and it is easy to poke through something and cause further injury when you are in a hurry or under stress.
  
• Instant Cold Pack/s - These are so useful with bruising, swelling and sprains. They are single use, so if you have space grab a couple for your kit.
  
• Torch - wind up or the shake type so you do not need to carry batteries.
  
• Knife - A multi purpose must-have tool that serves so many uses.
  
• Insect repellent.
  
• Safety Pins - We use tape to do most of the jobs that safety pins do although tape fails if your pants zipper breaks, tape just does not hold it together. Safety pins win here. So a good idea to pack a few.
  
• Duct tape - this has many uses. The standard roll of duck tape takes up a lot of room in a pack so find something small to re-wrap it onto like a pen but be careful, if the edges roll up and stick to the next layer it will be very difficult to unwrap when you need it.
  
• Moleskin - great for blisters and chaffing skin. Moleskins are artificial skin that you can cut to shape and stick to your own skin. Moleskin can be purchased in most drug stores/pharmacies in a variety of brands and features.
  
• Snake bite kit - This is only necessary if the location to which you are going to has venomous snakes. There are different schools of thought about snake kit contents. So check out where you are going and what snakes are present there. If you take one know how to use it.
  
• Sunscreen - prevention of sunburn and long term skin damage.
  
• Clip-lock bags - I like these as they come in different sizes and take up such little room in your pack. They can be used for carrying so many things from wet swimmers to a few band aids in the outside pocket of your backpack. Then you can grab them easily when you need them.
  
• Mobile phone - charged. You will also need to check whether service will be available in the area you are going to be in.
  
• Be sure to take any personal medication.

Building your own canoe

Here is a link where you can build your own canoe in 4 days in the lake district the video shows what is involved and what you will be building. Would make part of a great 2 weeks holiday in the lakes camping.
Make your own canoe, lake district

Tarp patterns from DD

Thought this might be of use, shows various tarp patterns and pitching variations. There are quite a few of these online, if you find any more, post it and lets see em! www.ddhammocks.com/tips/tarp-tutorial

Corracle - how to make and use one

Just spotted this link on how to make a corracle for fishing and general river, lake crossing ... Looks like fun! www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcAzWOBAfo8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Stoves and stove building

Here is a link you must see Just been sent this link for all you stove builders out there, this site is a cracking site if you enjoy making your own stoves for the trail. Big ones small ones simple ones and tech ones .... Knock yourselves out and give em a go" http://zenstoves.net/Stoves.htm

Choosing the right Bushcraft Knife

A bushcraft knife is a very individual thing, we all have our preferences, but when we look at a bushcraft knife there are a few pointers that I think most people will agree on.. Iit’s important to carefully consider what jobs you’ll need your knife for, and there are knives made specifically for certain jobs, for example skinning and filleting. For Bushmen who rely heavily on their knives as all-purpose tools, there are a few things to look for in an all pourpouse bushcraft knife. A Bushcraft knife is generally suited for light and medium duties, such as skinning game, general food preparation, carving wood, cooking, making feather sticks, shaving tinder and so on. You can choose these in either fixed blade or a folder, but generally a fixed blade is best for endurance and for reliability.as your knife needs to be able to withstand splitting heavy wood, chopping through  branches, prepping material to make a shelter, splitting wood for the fire

KEY FEATURES:

BLADES
Bushcraft knives are generally about 4 to 5 inches long, which is a good compromise between size and dexterity. As we talked about, you’ll want a knivs for finer work so a small or medium sized blade allows you to do finer work than a large blade.  I still refrain from buying anything larger than 6-8 inches, but again this is a personal preference, partially determined by your environment. There are exceptions where you choose a machette or perang over an axe for chopping

ALLOY
There are many types of alloys which are used to make the blades. Most often you’ll have to choose between stainless steel for your blade, or carbon steel. As a rule of thumb, carbon steel is harder than stainless steel and will stay sharp longer. Most people prefer carbon steel for this very reason, as having to resharpen your blades continuously is rather inconvenient to say the least. The downside is once carbon steel is dull, it’s more difficult to resharpen. Stainless steel also tends to cost more, because it’s more complicated to manufacture than other types of steel. A warning to the wise, some people believe stainless steel is impervious to rust. This is not true, so caring for your knife, wether you choose stainless or carbon steel, properly is important regardless.

GRIND
One last thing we need to know about blades is the grind. This is the shape of the sharp edge. The two most common are the Scandinavian grind or scandi grind, and the Flat grind. The scandi grind is used on thinner blades that require a very sharp, keen edge, where the flat grind is usually found on thicker blades. The flat grind will not dull quite as fast, but the tradeoff is it’s not as sharp, but only mildly so. Neither are difficult to resharpen.

HANDLE
The Tang is the part of the blade that sticks into the handle. This is where the handle attaches to the blade. This is one area where you should not compromise because it greatly affects the strength and durability of your knife. Look for what is called a Full Tang. The blade and tang are one solid piece of steel. A full tang is the same size as the handles, and the handle is often visible around the edge of the handle. Generally the handle is two pieces sandwiched around the tang. Some knives have a hidden full tang, so it’s not as apparent, but always check, if you’re not sure.
Stay away from those “survival knives” with the hollow handle full of useless tools. This greatly compromises strength and is not suitable for serious outdoor work.

As far as handles go for your bushcraft knife, you’ll want one that fits comfortably in your hand and offers a grip that will not be slippery, especially when wet. There are hundreds of knives that look stunning with a fancy, designer handle, but in the back country, your outdoors knife needs function over form first. Stag bone, seems to be a popular choice. Ask around for the best bushcraft knife recommendations from someone you trust, try some out, borrow from friends if you can. Your knives will get wet, so you may want to see how it performs under different conditions, you dont want it slipping out of your hands! You will know if the handle is for you after working with it for a few hours.

FURTHER INFORMATION
For more information on Knives and the specialists that make them, there are two great sites/forums where you can learn everything there is to know about knives. You can even purchase custom built knives there too.
They are UK Blades forum and European Blades forum.

Kind regards
Shiver

The 4 Fundamentals of Bushcraft

There are 4 basic fundamentals that you need to follow for survival or bushcraft, they are as follows, in order of importance.

1.Shelter
2.Water
3.Fire
4.Food

1. Shelter, If you believe to be in a survival situation shelter is the most important preparation, without it you are exposed to the elements and things go from bad to worse without one. Protection from sun will help preserve valuable water content in your body, prevent hypothermia in cold climates and keeps spirits up, if you are dry and warm/cool depending on climate you will function better. A shelter will keep you and your gear dry, making fire lighting easier and helping you to plan out your next move. Remember, you can become hypothermic even in summer months, all it takes is for you to get caught in the rain and the temperature to drop and a breeze to pick up and prety soon you will be in difficulty. Always spend the time and make a good shelter first off, hopefully you wont need to make another one for a while, so build it while you have good strength and are fit to carry out the work. If food becomes a problem you dont want to waste valuable food energy rebuilding one later on. Remember choosing your shelters location can be as important as building one. Choose an area thats not prone to flooding or that is in an exposed or dangerous area.

2. Water, hydration is very important, you will need to find and purify your water, by boiling, chemical sterilisation, filtration or all of the fore mentioned. You will find that your body constantly uses water when you eat food and when you work hard, through sweat, building shelters or collect wood etc. Secure a safe area, contamination free, for water collection and a means of collecting it. A condom packed in a survival tin can be used to carry water, plastic bags can be used to get water from plants and for collecting dew, rivers and lakes are the obvious choice, but water will need to be boiled, so secure the items needed for collection and boiling.which leads us on to the next point, which is third in our priority list (fire for sterilisation of water)

3. Fire, creates warmth and the ability to cook food forraged from your surroundings. The ability to steralise your drinking water is of great importance killing off most bugs and bacteria found naturally in water. Don't forget that a fire also creates smoke to reveal your position should you need to be found in a rescue situation, smoke can be easily seen from the air during daytime and it also gives you light. During the night it will  keep away unwanted visitors in the night such as wild animals. Fire is man's friend and has always entertained people giving them a sense of security and a sense of home a base to work from .... believe me, all the little comforts will make the difference when you are in the wild for a long time.

4. Food, once you have the 3 main tasks complete, you can start to forrage or hunt for food, you will be hungry by now and food will be an important task from here on in. Catching fish by line fishing, tickling fish by hand or spearing, netting, are all viable ways to take food from a lake or river. snares for open rabbit runs or bird traps, these can be left and checked every 8-12 hours. if you have time you may wish to make spears or bows to help hunt rather than trap, it will take your mind of things a bit and help you focus on something positive. If you are bushcrafting, rather than surviving out of necessity, you may have a firearm with you for hunting which will greatly increase your chances for killing eddible game.

These are the 4 basic necessities you should secure first and in the correct order, following these guidelines will make life a whole lot easier for you. feel free to share your ideas and pictures of your camps and shelters, we would love to hear from you and how you set up your living areas for survival or bushcraft.

Stay safe and be prepared.
Shiver