1k Post / Epic Summer Fiddleback GAW: The Bushcraftiness(?!) User Challenge

[velosa]

Hey Will, "I’m in for the epic summer give away!"

I don't know how exotic this will be, but this is a recent family adventure that I had with the kiddos. I often take the kids hiking and canoeing/fishing on a large piece of property owned by the University that I work for. It's used as a research site for the longleaf pine ecosystem. However, since I do plenty of research out there, I've got access and its a great place to take the family.

Kids with a "rocket", a sapling longleaf. Don't worry, my daughter isn't in pain, that's her rockstar face.



My buddies hiking on some trails through the longleaf savanna.



Their favorite activity. Canoeing!



Me messing around with my new Kephart (Ben's Kephart), a knife which I'm now in love with. This is some fresh sassafras, that would soon become a marshmallow roasting stick. Smells like root beer! Kids love it.



Snack time!



A still life: I call it Ben's Kephart on mulberry.



Anyway, please let me know if this fits the bill as an entry. Again, it's not hardcore bush crafting, but it sure is an adventure for the kids. I've got to get the trained somehow!!!

 

[hasco]

Ok. I have been on a few adventures since the challenge started but I didn't take pictures of my knife use. I was planning to go on an overnight yesterday with some friends because one of my buddies and his wife are about to have a kid. The plan was to camp out somewhere local, but because his wife is so close to having the baby, my friend wanted to be in cell range. We couldn't figure out a good spot so we ended up sleeping out on my other friends deck because his wife was out of town. We all went swimming in the ocean and then headed up to my friend's house. I told my friends about the give away and my dilemma. They said no problem, we got urban adventure for you. Will, let me know if in your book this doesn't count. Here is my outside/urban adventure with some fiddleback action. I am off to the woods tomorrow but won't have internet until the 4th probably so here it goes....

There has been some crazy bait ball action right off shore the last few nights. We watched the pelicans enjoying themselves on the bike ride back from the beach. I took this picture the night before.

After swimming, we headed up to my friends place for dinner. Instead of starting the barbecue with matches or a lighter we decided to get bushcrafty.

My friend had just been given a very large bow drill set, so we decided to give it a go.

We got some smoke, but the notch on the baseboard needed to be a little deeper.

That's better.

Oh, yeah.

The father to be got the honors of turning the coal to flame

More fire practice with something I found in the garage.

Tuna steaks on the grill

Urban camp.

View from the deck.

“I’m in for the epic summer give away!”

 

[schmittie]

Lol! The urban adventure looked awesome. Especially the 3 man bow drill!!!

I hope your buddies little one makes it into this world healthy and well.

 

[viral]

Haha go big or go home with that bow drill. I enjoyed the trip you went on. That pic of you guys sleeping on the deck is something me and my friends would do.

 

[hasco]

Lol! The urban adventure looked awesome. Especially the 3 man bow drill!!!

I hope your buddies little one makes it into this world healthy and well.

Thanks man, we are all hoping the little guy makes the transition smoothly and in good health.

Haha go big or go home with that bow drill. I enjoyed the trip you went on. That pic of you guys sleeping on the deck is something me and my friends would do.

Thanks Viral. That bow drill set is pretty funny.

 

[hasco]

Hey Will, "I’m in for the epic summer give away!"

Looks like you guys had a great time Velosa. I love canoeing too! I'm glad your enjoying the knife for Ben. Going on adventures with friends and family is the best. I am grateful Will gave us an excuse to get out there and have some fun with our knives.

 

[velosa]

Looks like you guys had a great time Velosa. I love canoeing too! I'm glad your enjoying the knife for Ben. Going on adventures with friends and family is the best. I am grateful Will gave us an excuse to get out there and have some fun with our knives.

Thanks Hasco. Dude, that bow drill is something to write home about. Looks like you boys had a great time too!

 

[xxwjtxx]

Man you guys are all AWESOME -- I'm really stoked to see all of the entries rolling in; thank you all for taking the time to share each and every one of these unique fiddleback experiences with forum, and for most importantly using these great tools that Andy & Co. have provided us with!

I'm definitely looking forward to picking the winner this upcoming Friday, so stay tuned for the formal announcement. For those of you who are still undecided, there's still time to submit an entry for the GAW -- so get outside and have that adventure.

 

[xxwjtxx]

Thanks Hasco. Dude, that bow drill is something to write home about. Looks like you boys had a great time too!

Yes agreed, thus far that is the most epic bowdrill I have seen -- win/lose/draw that one get's and honorable mention!

 

[RRaconteur]

It's Sunday evening, so I guess everyone else is pulling their pics off their cameras too...

First of all: Thanks to Will, not only for hosting this generous GAW, but for the infinite and amazing ways you contribute to this forum every week.

On with the picture show....

So I was really pumped about being able to even ENTER this GAW. McVeyMac graciously sent me a kephart to try out for a bit and help me decide on the Fiddleback model I want to reward myself with (for meeting my weight loss challenge, see my other thread). Because of my workflow this time of year, I knew I had only one chance for an overnight with the kids before the deadline....

The vultures should have been a warning....

Before I get too far into this, I do have to warn that my official photographer was six.

The Fiddleback: a Kephart, graciously loaned to me by McVeyMac (Thanks again, Walt!), who thought this challenge would be a great way for me to "kick the tires" on the Kephart.

I planned to use the FB for all the general camp chores, from food prep to fire duty. But for this challenge, I had something special in mind: fire by friction. My plan: a bow drill. Something I had never before attempted.

All the while this is blowing in....

And then THIS happens....driving us inside. Luckily, we got a new tent this season which is watertight and has a great storm-weathering structure.

The storm came suddenly enough that everything outside the tent got completely drenched. But it made for some amazing sunsets between the stormfronts.

But like I said, the tent was watertight...

And I brought along my old Coleman stove, so we were't a complete loss for food.

And the rains moved out enough in the morning to do a bit of hiking, where we saw some beautiful flowers

We saw a lot of these turkeys...

And I had a lot of fun with THESE turkeys!

Thanks again for the excuse to get out, as well as the chance. Things didn't go as I had planned (much like life), but it was certainly an adventure.

Michael

 

[velosa]

Awesome Michael! Nothing like a family outing in the great outdoors.

 

[RRaconteur]

Awesome Michael! Nothing like a family outing in the great outdoors.

True that.

 

[McVeyMac]

Too bad the wood got wet, but it looks like you had a great time. Plus, you got to enter the 1K GAW. Great post Michael.

 

[SA Condor]

Nice guys! Fun stuff. Unless by some miracle a fiddleback arrives by Friday, I'm out. But I have enjoyed seeing all your posts.

 

[SA Condor]

Man you guys are all AWESOME -- I'm really stoked to see all of the entries rolling in; thank you all for taking the time to share each and every one of these unique fiddleback experiences with forum, and for most importantly using these great tools that Andy & Co. have provided us with!

I'm definitely looking forward to picking the winner this upcoming Friday, so stay tuned for the formal announcement. For those of you who are still undecided, there's still time to submit an entry for the GAW -- so get outside and have that adventure.

Up to what time will we be allowed to post on Friday? I'm still holding out with hopes that by some miracle I'll have a box in the mail by Thursday!

Sorry! Just went back and read the first post. I've got till 10am Friday the 4th!

 

[velosa]

I've got till 10am Friday the 4th!

Hey man, I think you read something wrong. Will's first post said, "Post your complete response (pics and synopsis) in this thread no later than 23:59GMT 03 July 2014, to be eligible to win the give away."

If you convert GMT to Bolivia time, that should be 7:59 pm on Thursday July 3rd.

 

[catalystman80]

Man, great entries everyone! Would love to participate, and I finally think I can take couple days off for a solo trip. However, it's looking like it's going to be from this Wed to Friday morning, so I'll be at least a half day too late to enter.

Good luck to all the participants, and kudos again to Will for his generosity and a great idea to have the members share their time with FBs!

 

[trestle]

As a father of a pair of turkeys myself, there's nothing finer than going camping with your daughters. Thanks for posting those great pics RRaconteur! Good luck in the GAWand with your challenge!

 

[RRaconteur]

As a father of a pair of turkeys myself, there's nothing finer than going camping with your daughters. Thanks for posting those great pics RRaconteur! Good luck in the GAWand with your challenge!

Thanks, man!


Michael

 

[winger51]

That Coleman is truly a classic, much older than even the first one I owned. I've had three Colemans over the past 30 years, each one eventually develops a leak somewhere so they had to be replaced with new ones. The basic design remains the same though.