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- Jun 3, 2010
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- 1,516
As part of a challenge to get out there and use a knife, the MLL Amazon I went on a two day 20 mile backpack outing. I wanted to hike the harshest terrain around. A place I went through 10 years ago, avoiding doing so again till now. Also wished to use a shelter system which combines a hammock, tarp and hot tent characteristics. With the exception of a few storms and one extreme cold snap it has been an easy winter. Even in the hills there is only the rarest patch of snow hidden away in shadowed nooks. My pack was on the heavy side which was also part of the physical challenge.
Ready to go!
Hard ground started off right way. Not much time to warm up.
I have a full fire kit which has tinder plus 3 modern means of igniting a fire. These include Bic lighters, matches and firesteel. Despite having cotton balls mixed with petroleum jelly tinder why not use what is within nature so to conserve the packed resources for another day when such opportunities are not available or time doesn't allow. Bushcraft skills aren't just for bushcraft outings alone. Let's get some cedar and White birch bark. I tend to gather these resources at the first opportunity as don't know when the next chance will occur.
Cedar. I can take to hanging bark without harm to the tree.
White birch bark from a fallen tree. Ideal however even if alive careful removal of the hanging bark is harmless. In this case it doesn't matter. Can't hurt dead things.
Dusk in the hills is a wondrous time.
This was going to be a long night hike. Lots of small streams with good water. Not worried about filling up but would wait till camp. One pro of a hammock shelter system is the ability to pitch camp in more areas so long as there are properly spaced trees. I don't need a rock/brush/root free or even a level spot though flatter ground is nicer for camping. Something that can be problematic in these woods.
A glacial erratic. I suspect one day the mile deep ice will return moving this boulder yet again.
The terrain started to get harsher.
My pack was bottoming out on the rocks. In spots it would hardly squeeze through some gaps. Other places I didn't have a spot for my next step. It was uglier than I remembered 10 years ago but then again everything is harder in the dark, worst still there was a deep leaf cover which never got degraded over the winter as there was no real snow base. Right in the middle of the action I lost the medium mode on my headlamp. Forgot it was used for a recent blackout. I keep an extra flashlight in an easy to access spot during long night hikes for just such an issue. Initial field testing of a Armytek C1 Prime Pro.
I like the Fenix HL30 headlamp but it's a PITA to change the batteries and more so in the dark. It was too floody to see far enough ahead to work out the best way to scamper down. Normally an extra floody beam is a pro for a headlamp but not always. I used the flashlight's greater throw for a spot light in addition to the headlamp. That said I needed to put the extra flashlight back in my pocket each time after working out the best next 100 feet as needed at least 3 points of contact to avoid falling.
Changing batteries on the fly for both the photo camera and headlamp. Sorry to say my extra set of Rayovac's were dead. Not sure why but had even more batteries within my pack. Might need to toss those.
Still had the hardest terrain ahead.
Finally after what seemed like forever I made it to my planned destination. First order of business was a snack and water.
I found two nicely spaced trees over flat ground. Ideal with the exception of these multiflora roses.
Invasive and downright nasty. Unless literally cut out they would be a constant problem. No joke. These things are nasty and this is a good spot for camp. Not native to the area aka invasive and nasty evil thing. Out yea go!
Your new home. Odds are those nasty things will regrow.
Ok it's not a bow drill set but these are the jobs that have gotta be done or I would need to find another spot which there wasn't any better. With that life and death struggle won, mostly as they did manage to stick a few thorns into my hands I decided to call it a night setting up the hammock. One downside to packing a wood stove is convenience. A pocket rocket and alcohol stove would have been instant gratification. I wasn't in the mood to mess around with much of anything at 1 AM.
Nice sunny day. I slept in!
So how do I fit a tent stove with pipe inside my pack? The pipe rolls up and stove is collapsible. Total weight is under 3 lbs.
The Kifaru Parastove is the smallest box stove I have ever seen. I don't think any smaller would be practical but this works. Yes it does.
The stove is set up and ready to GO! I have the birch and cedar bark as tinder. Quickly gathered and split wood, just enough for breakfast and to warm up. I will work on more wood later.
Despite having a Bic and packed tinder I will be using a firesteel, knife and natural foraged tinder. Why not use what nature has to offer saving what's inside my pack for another day when such opportunities aren't so readability available.
And we have fire!
Ready to go!
Hard ground started off right way. Not much time to warm up.
I have a full fire kit which has tinder plus 3 modern means of igniting a fire. These include Bic lighters, matches and firesteel. Despite having cotton balls mixed with petroleum jelly tinder why not use what is within nature so to conserve the packed resources for another day when such opportunities are not available or time doesn't allow. Bushcraft skills aren't just for bushcraft outings alone. Let's get some cedar and White birch bark. I tend to gather these resources at the first opportunity as don't know when the next chance will occur.
Cedar. I can take to hanging bark without harm to the tree.
White birch bark from a fallen tree. Ideal however even if alive careful removal of the hanging bark is harmless. In this case it doesn't matter. Can't hurt dead things.
Dusk in the hills is a wondrous time.
This was going to be a long night hike. Lots of small streams with good water. Not worried about filling up but would wait till camp. One pro of a hammock shelter system is the ability to pitch camp in more areas so long as there are properly spaced trees. I don't need a rock/brush/root free or even a level spot though flatter ground is nicer for camping. Something that can be problematic in these woods.
A glacial erratic. I suspect one day the mile deep ice will return moving this boulder yet again.
The terrain started to get harsher.
My pack was bottoming out on the rocks. In spots it would hardly squeeze through some gaps. Other places I didn't have a spot for my next step. It was uglier than I remembered 10 years ago but then again everything is harder in the dark, worst still there was a deep leaf cover which never got degraded over the winter as there was no real snow base. Right in the middle of the action I lost the medium mode on my headlamp. Forgot it was used for a recent blackout. I keep an extra flashlight in an easy to access spot during long night hikes for just such an issue. Initial field testing of a Armytek C1 Prime Pro.
I like the Fenix HL30 headlamp but it's a PITA to change the batteries and more so in the dark. It was too floody to see far enough ahead to work out the best way to scamper down. Normally an extra floody beam is a pro for a headlamp but not always. I used the flashlight's greater throw for a spot light in addition to the headlamp. That said I needed to put the extra flashlight back in my pocket each time after working out the best next 100 feet as needed at least 3 points of contact to avoid falling.
Changing batteries on the fly for both the photo camera and headlamp. Sorry to say my extra set of Rayovac's were dead. Not sure why but had even more batteries within my pack. Might need to toss those.
Still had the hardest terrain ahead.
Finally after what seemed like forever I made it to my planned destination. First order of business was a snack and water.
I found two nicely spaced trees over flat ground. Ideal with the exception of these multiflora roses.
Invasive and downright nasty. Unless literally cut out they would be a constant problem. No joke. These things are nasty and this is a good spot for camp. Not native to the area aka invasive and nasty evil thing. Out yea go!
Your new home. Odds are those nasty things will regrow.
Ok it's not a bow drill set but these are the jobs that have gotta be done or I would need to find another spot which there wasn't any better. With that life and death struggle won, mostly as they did manage to stick a few thorns into my hands I decided to call it a night setting up the hammock. One downside to packing a wood stove is convenience. A pocket rocket and alcohol stove would have been instant gratification. I wasn't in the mood to mess around with much of anything at 1 AM.
Nice sunny day. I slept in!
So how do I fit a tent stove with pipe inside my pack? The pipe rolls up and stove is collapsible. Total weight is under 3 lbs.
The Kifaru Parastove is the smallest box stove I have ever seen. I don't think any smaller would be practical but this works. Yes it does.
The stove is set up and ready to GO! I have the birch and cedar bark as tinder. Quickly gathered and split wood, just enough for breakfast and to warm up. I will work on more wood later.
Despite having a Bic and packed tinder I will be using a firesteel, knife and natural foraged tinder. Why not use what nature has to offer saving what's inside my pack for another day when such opportunities aren't so readability available.
And we have fire!
