We are moving over to a new blog spot @ www.northernexposurebushcraft.co.uk

NORTHERN EXPOSURE BUSHCRAFT IS MOVING ITS BLOG SITE.

We are moving over to a new built in blog spot on our website @ www.northernexposurebushcraft.co.uk

See you there, and happy posting.

Woodsmans guide to burning wood.

Alder:  Poor heat output and short lasting.  A low quality firewood.  Produces nice charcoal that burn steady and is useful for homemade gunpowder.

 

Apple:  Great fuel that bums slow and steady when dry, with little flame, sparking or spitting. It has a pleasing scent.  It is easier to cut green.  Great for cooking.

 

Ash:  Considered one of the burning wood with steady flame and good heat output.  It will bum when green, but not as well as when dry.  Easily to saw and split.

 

Beech:  Similar to ash, but only burns fair when green. If it has a fault, it may shoot embers out a long ways.  It is easy to chop.

 

Birch:  This has good heat output but burns quickly. The smell is also pleasant.  It will burn unseasoned.  Can cause gum deposits in chimney if used a lot.  Rolled up pitch from bark makes a good firestarter and can be peeled from trees without damaging them.

 

Blackthorn: Burns slowly, with lots of heat and little smoke.

 

Cedar:  This is a great wood that puts out a lot of lasting heat.  It produces a small flame, a nice scent, and lots of crackle and pop.  Great splitting wood.  Best when dry but small pieces can be burned unseasoned.  Good for cooking.

 

Cherry:  A slow burning wood with good heat output.  Has a nice sent. Should be seasoned well.  Slow to start.

 

Chestnut:  A mediocre fuel that produces a small flame and weak heat output.  It also shoots out ambers.

 

Douglas Fir:  A poor fuel that produces little flame or heat.

 

Elder:   A mediocre fuel that burns quickly without much heat output and tends to have thick acrid smoke.  The Hag Goddess is know to reside in the Elder tree and burning it invites death.  Probably best avoided.

 

Elm:  A variable fuel (Dutch elm disease) with a high water content (140%) that may smoke violently and should be dried for two years for best results.  You may need faster burning wood to get elm going.  A large log set on the fire before bed will burn till morn.  Splitting can be difficult and should be done early on.

 

Eucalyptus:  A fast burning wood with a pleasant smell and no spitting.  It is full of sap and oils when fresh and can start a chimney fire if burned unseasoned.  The stringy wood fiber may be hard to split and one option is to slice it into rings and allow to season and self split.  The gum from the tree produces a fresh medicinal smell on burned which may not be the best for cooking with.

 

Hawthorn:  Good firewood. Burns hot and slow.

 

Hazel:  An excellent fast burning fuel but tends to burn up a bit faster than most other hard woods.  Allow to season.

 

Holly:  A good firewood that will burn when green, but best if dried a year.  It is fast burning with a bright flame but little heat.

 

Hornbeam:  Burns almost as good as beech with a hot slow burning fire.

 

Horse Chestnut:  A low quality firewood with a good flame and heating power but spits a lot.

 

Laburnum:  Completely poisonous tree with acrid smoke that taints food and is best never used.

 

Larch:  Crackly, scented, and fairly good for heat.  It needs to be seasoned well and forms an oily soot in chimneys. 

 

Laurel:  Produces a brilliant flame.

 

Lime:  A poor quality fuel with dull flame.  Good for carving

 

Maple:  A good firewood.

 

Oak:  Oak has a sparse flame and the smoke is acrid if not seasoned for two years.  Dry old oak is excellent for heat, burning slowly and steadily until whole log collapses into cigar-like ash.

 

Pear:  Burns with good heat, good scent and no spitting.  Needs to be seasoned well.

 

Pine:  Bums with a splendid flame, but apt to spit. Needs to be seasoned well and is another oily soot in chimney wood.  Smells great and its resinous wood makes great kindling.

 

Plane:  Burns pleasantly, but is apt to throw sparks if very dry.

 

Plum:  Wood provides good heat with a nice aromatic sent.

 

Poplar:  A terrible fuel that doesn't burn well and produces a black choking smoke even when seasoned.

 

Rowan:  A good firewood that burns hot and slow.

 

Rhododendron:  Old thick and tough stems burn well. 

 

Robinia (Acacia):  Burns slowly, with good heat, but with acrid smoke. 

 

Spruce:  A poor firewood that burns too quickly and with too many sparks.

 

Sycamore:  Burns with a good flame, with moderate heat. Useless green.

 

Sweet Chestnut:  Burns when seasoned but tends to spits continuously and excessively.

 

Thorn:  One of the best firewood. Burns slowly, with great heat and little smoke.

 

Walnut:  Low to good value to burning.  It a nice aromatic scent.

 

Wellingtonia:  Poor for use as a firewood.

 

Willow:  A poor fire wood that must be dry to use.  Even when seasoned, it burns slowly, with little flame. Apt to spark.

 

Yew:  This burns slowly, with fierce heat. The scent is pleasant.  Another carving favorite.  Note that every part of this plant, except for the fruit contains poisonous taxines.  Death to livestock after ingestion of this plant is well documented and here are reported cases of suicides from ingestion of leaves.  Sawdust is dangerous if ingested or inhaled.  The Romans reported death after ingestion of wine stored in Yew vessels, yet Yew cups, bowls and plates are still very popular - not that this makes them any less poisonous.  Taxines are carried in smoke and the safety of using this wood for cooking or heat is questionable.

 

Rhymes

 

These hardwoods burn well and slowly,

Ash, beech, hawthorn oak and holly.

Softwoods flare up quick and fine,

Birch, fir, hazel, larch and pine.

Elm and willow you'll regret,

Chestnut green and sycamore wet

 

Beechwood fires are bright and clear 

If the logs are kept a year. 

Chestnut's only good, they say, 

If for long 'tis laid away. 

But Ash new or Ash old 

Is fit for a queen with crown of gold.

Birch and fir logs bum too fast 

Blaze up bright and do not last. 

It is by the Irish said 

Hawthom bakes the sweetest bread. 

Elm wood bums like churchyard mould, 

E ' en the very flames are cold. 

But Ash green or Ash brown 

Is fit for a queen with golden crown.

Poplar gives a bitter smoke, 

Fills your eyes and makes you choke. 

Apple wood will scent your room 

With an incense like perfume. 

Oaken logs. if dry and old. 

Keep away the winter's cold. 

But Ash wet or Ash dry 

A king shall warm his slippers by. 

 

Beechwood logs burn bright and clear, 

If the wood is kept a year

Store your Beech for Christmas-tide,

With new-cut holly laid aside

Chestnut's only good, they say

If for years it's stored away

Birch and Fir wood burn too fast,

Blaze too bright, and do not last

Flames from larch will shoot up high,

And dangerously the sparks will fly....

But Ashwood green, 

And Ashwood brown

Are fit for Queen with golden crown.

 

Oak logs will warm you well 

That are old and dry 

Logs of pine will sweetly smell 

But the sparks will fly 

Birch logs will burn too fast 

Chestnut scarce at all sir 

Hawthorn logs are good to last 

That are cut well in the fall sir 

Holly logs will burn like wax 

You could burn them green 

Elm logs burn like smouldering flax 

With no flame to be seen 

Beech logs for winter time 

Yew logs as well sir 

Green elder logs it is a crime 

For any man to sell sir

 

 

Beechwood fires burn bright and clear

If the logs are kept a year

Store your beech for Christmastide

With new holly laid beside

Chestnuts only good they say

If for years tis stayed away

Birch and firwood burn too fast

Blaze too bright and do not last

Flames from larch will shoot up high

Dangerously the sparks will fly

But Ashwood green and Ashwood brown

Are fit for a Queen with a golden crown

Oaken logs, if dry and old

Keep away the winters cold

Poplar gives a bitter smoke

Fills your eyes and makes you choke

Elmwood burns like churchyard mould

Even the very flames burn cold

Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread

So it is in Ireland said

Applewood will scent the room

Pears wood smells like a flower in bloom

But Ashwood wet and Ashwood dry

A King may warm his slippers by.

 

Pear logs and apple logs 

They will scent your room 

And cherry logs across the dogs 

They smell like flowers of broom 

But Ash logs smooth and grey 

Buy them green or old, sir 

And buy up all that come your way 

They're worth their weight in gold sir

 

 

Logs to Burn, Logs to burn, Logs to burn,

Logs to save the coal a turn,

Here's a word to make you wise,

When you hear the woodman's cries.

Never heed his usual tale,

That he has good logs for sale,

But read these lines and really learn,

The proper kind of logs to burn.

Oak logs will warm you well,

If they're old and dry.

Larch logs of pine will smell,

But the sparks will fly.

Beech logs for Christmas time,

Yew logs heat well.

"Scotch" logs it is a crime,

For anyone to sell.

Birch logs will burn too fast,

Chestnut scarce at all.

Hawthorn logs are good to last,

If you cut them in the fall.

Holly logs will burn like wax,

You should burn them green,

Elm logs like smouldering flax,

No flame to be seen.

Pear logs and apple logs,

They will scent your room,

Cherry logs across the dogs,

Smell like flowers in bloom

But ash logs, all smooth and grey,

Burn them green or old;

Buy up all that come your way,

They're worth their weight in gold.

Paul Kirtley - video on safe water

For most of you Paul Kirtley is a legend in bushcraft and bushcraft education, check out some of his new videos on YouTube , his safe water video can be found at this link and is essential if you need to source water in the back country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtkPb3OqizU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

for some great articles please take a look at his site at www.paulkirtley.co.uk

Self -build Prospector canoe

For some time now, I have been looking into building a Prospector style canoe. There seems to be two methods of build. The first method is the most desireable, the strip build canoe, using Cedar. I have found that Cedar strips for this type of build are expensive, and also if you live in N.Ireland, very hard to purchase, without excess handling charges and shipping fees. All said and done it does make for a beautiful canoe. I contacted The Newfound Canoe building workshop in the USA, and was able to purchase the instruction video and plans. they were very helpful and answered any questions on building the project. you can easily find there website, the contact is Michael Vermouth.

The second method I found was the stitch and glue method, using marine grade ply, or wbp Grade ply. The overall end product is very sturdy, and like the cedar strip method, gains it's strength and rigidity from the fibreglass encapsulation. Although the ply method is more easy to construct, and much cheaper, it does not have the same smooth appearance of the cedar strip canoe. The ply version, is more angular in the hull shape, but if done well can look quite nice. Plans for the prospector ply canoe, can be bought from the selway fisher website, again easily found online. selway fisher, have been going for a long time and the designer has many projects to choose from. Plans and instructions can be bought online. For anyone who wants to build there own canoe, the links are as follows.

http://www.newfound.com

http://www.selway-fisher.com/

As far as epoxies go, MAS Epoxies seem to have the best reviews.

http://www.masepoxies.co.uk/

Make sure you take suitable precautions when using any epoxies, it can be hazardous stuff to work with, some getting allergic reactions or skin irritations, so read up on the safety notice supplied, or check out the FAQ's on working with fibreglass epoxies online.

I hope this helps

Shiver

Tensile tent or new hammock concept you decide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqImIChxJ-E&sns=em

New tensile tent designed by an architect, really sweet idea, your comments please.

Hulafors and traditional swedish budget Bushcraft knifes

Just spotted two knives and thought I would share,

Traditional style bushcraft knife

http://www.militarymart.co.uk/index.php?_a=product&product_id=1838

Hulafors heavy duty bushcraft knife

http://www.axminster.co.uk/hultafors-craftmans-knife-heavy-duty-gk-prod900499/

Pretty good bargain for about £5 .... Would be good as a budget knife, or as a spare in your pack for rough work. 

Hammock makers  ... pay attention!

Hi guys, just found a good supplier for stainless steel rings and stainless - galvanised gear and im posting the details for you. He has an ebay shop and he supplies stainless wielded rings in small or large quantities  ... check it out !

Stainless fittings and fixtures

EBAY STORE -  Itsareal1@ebay.co.uk  (Stainless and Galvanised Fixtures and Fittings)
tirbach@btinternet.com
Marine grade Stainless

Link 50mm stainless ring marine grade
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5mm-x-50mm-Marine-Stainless-Steel-Round-Ring-316-A4-Webbing-Harness-Strap-/390584595449?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_BoatEquipment_Accessories_SM&hash=item5af0a7f3f9

Chris and Jan Taylor

Tirbach. Y Ffor
Pwllheli
Gwynedd
Wales
LL53 6RF


Also check out the Ebay shop:

Buckles and webbing emporium

Ebay Username - Scamps75

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/bucklesandwebbingemporium

This guy scamps75 has all kinds of nylon catches, slider catches nylon rings and beeners heaps of shock cord and bungee cord, webbing for kit and extra wide 2 inch starps for tree huggers, a hammock makers paradise!

Ripstop Nylon in various colours

Here is a link I found - ripstop polly roll at the 60inch wide 10 meters -

2 rolls of this is about enough for x3 hammocks (double skinned)

CAMO - 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10mts-60-waterproof-camouflage-rip-stop-nylon-fabric-/140960410674?pt=UK_Crafts_Fabric&hash=item20d1e52c32

GREEN -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10m-60-waterproof-BREATHABLE-heavy-OLIVE-nylon-fabric-/140960306994?pt=UK_Crafts_Fabric&hash=item20d1e39732

I have used camo ripstop on the inside of one of my hammocks and a plain Black or green on the outside, making it reversible to blend in to my surroundings.

Chat soon

Shiver

Ash Disease Found across the UK and N.Ireland

For some time now the Chalara ash dieback disease, caused by the fungus Chalara fraxinea, was found in imported ash saplings in counties Down and Antrim, as well as throughout the United Kingdom and the South of Ireland.

Northern Exposure Bush-craft in Northern Ireland is urging all bush-crafters to check with there local forestry commission and with your local department for the environment, before wild camping.
Observe any restrictions put in place by your forestry commission. There are still plenty of places to wild camp, but care must be taken not to carry any foreign debris from site to site, or take plant material, such as you would collect for tinder etc from infected areas, washing footwear and gear will help limit the spread of infection, as will sticking to more familiar routes. If you are able to identify the disease found among ash trees, inform your local authority of its whereabouts, do not travel to virgin areas of woodland without disinfecting your footwear and kit to prevent further spread.

National Trust land at Runkerry on the north coast is one area affected, and is best avoided until the disease is brought under control. Samples sent for laboratory analysis revealed the disease.

Symptoms to look for can include brown leaves, lesions, fungi and darkened wood.Continue reading the main story“Start QuoteMichelle O'Neill (Agriculture Minister) has said that ”We must remain vigilant as this disease still poses a very serious threat”

Notices have been served on the owners of the plantations requiring affected plants to be destroyed.
The Department of Agriculture and and Rural Development said it was also looking into a number of other sites planted with imported ash for signs of infection.

Michelle continued by saying, 'immediate steps were being taken to remove the plants and prevent the disease'. furthermore,"The saplings and debris will be destroyed by burning and this work has already commenced. We have alerted our colleagues in the south and are continuing to work closely with them," she said. "Legislation was introduced north and south last month banning the import and movement of ash plants for planting from infected areas. "However, we must remain vigilant as this disease still poses a very serious threat."

Please be aware and sensible about this.
Shiver

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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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