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