Autumn Outing, Southeast Tennessee

[Mistwalker]

I wanted to get out of the house a while yesterday and go check out the Autumn colors so I rode up to Davis pond to spend the day. It was relaxing just walking around and sitting by the pond for a while enjoying the serenity.

Having not eaten Breakfast before I left...knowing I was going to eat pretty well later... it wasn't long till my stomach started growling. Time to gather firewood and get the food going. I used the Fiddleback machete to down the dead top of a small Maple. Man that was some hard wood and chopping at eye level is a pain.

but the machete sure did a fine job of sectioning what I couldn't easily break.

I wanted to check out the little TOPS neck knife I've been carrying around for a dew days in fire craft. It's a little knife called a Ferret. It has a 2 inch blade and a three inch handle. It is a three finger knife but handles pretty well, made some nice fuzzies.

Didn't take long to get a nice fire going, and get the first part of the meal cooking.

As the little Cornish hen cooked I walked around the immediate area checking out the Autumn colors.

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[Mistwalker]

I found a nice appetizer.

After an hour and a half or so the hen had been steaming a good while...

...it was time to go put on the rest of the meal, some Uncle Ben's Rice in a pouch. Just heat it up good and simmer a bit and it's done. I like how the Eat n tool is stainless and I can stir hot foods in a pot sitting on coals without melting my tool scraping the bottom of the pan.

Soon everything was done and time to eat.

The little eat n tool made a good serving spoon.

I threw a little more wood on the fire and enjoyed my meal in the great outdoors under an azure blue sky, listening to the leaves rustle in the breeze and falling to the forest floor, the birds calling around me, the crackle of the fire, and the smack of the occasional fish jumping in the pond.

I definitely need to do this more often...pity Autumn comes but once a year.

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[tonym]

Great pics Mist! :thumbup:



But, I have to ask, what in the hell is that monstrosity?

and does it do anything well?

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[tknife]

That is some good eating on a hike! Looks delicious and the scenery sure is nice, I bet it was tough to leave :thumbup:

 

[KuRUpTD]

How well did that hen cook up using that method Mist?

 

[ChapmanPreferred]

Very cool pics!

 

[TTT]

Great photos and that meal looks yummy!

 

[Moosez45]

Good stuffe, Mist. It got a little dirt time in Saturday myself, nothing big, or as pretty as that, but hey, at least I was out. Moose

 

[TheGame]

Makes me want to eat some chicken... too bad I am having venison today

Thanks for sharing Mist, nice to see more food being cooked in the out of doors. :thumbup:

 

[beanbag]

Nice pictures Mist. Very artistic reflection shots. Clearly they don't have a monopoly on Foliage up in New England.

 

[ROCK6]

Great pics Mist! :thumbup:

But, I have to ask, what in the hell is that monstrosity?

and does it do anything well?

Hey Tony, Brian did a good review of it here:

TOPS Max the Mini Axe Review

I see it more as an urban tool, however the masterful Brian can make a sharp edge perform quite well just about anywhere

Looks like a great day out Brian!!! Fall time is my favorite...I'll get some dirt time this weekend finally up in NC...looking forward to cool nights and 70's during the day...plus a little flyfishing as well:thumbup:

Lunch sure does look good

ROCK6

 

[Mistwalker]

Great pics Mist! :thumbup:

But, I have to ask, what in the hell is that monstrosity?

and does it do anything well?

Thanks Tony, glad you enjoyed the pics bro, couldn't let you northerners monopolize the Autumn scene

That is Max the mini axe. It fills the role I wanted it for very well Compact, discrete, heavy-duty tool that fits in a 9.5" x 9.5" pocket on the pack I keep planned as my grab-and-go bag. Yes it is a compromise of elements and I get that. In actuality that is exactly what I wanted it for. While I prefer the bush and would much rather be in the bush than in the city the reality is that the city is where I spend a lot of time. I may be in the city when an event happens...or even worse I may have to go into the city to retrieve a member of my family. Sooo...I study survival from both urban and wilderness perspective. 25 years in the commercial construction industry gives me some insight into the types of tools I may need in an urban environment. It combines elements I really like...small, heavily made for durability and taking abuse, wickedly efficient when employed right in a confrontation in a tight space. Makes a good nut cracker too :thumbup:

That is some good eating on a hike! Looks delicious and the scenery sure is nice, I bet it was tough to leave :thumbup:

Wasn't really eating on the hike...it was more of a short hike in one direction...then setting the food cooking while I was gone for a somewhat circular hike around the general area. I was parked about 50 meters from the fire pit and never got more than 100 meters or so from the pit while the food cooked.

But yes...it was really tough to leave...

How well did that hen cook up using that method Mist?

Did fine. They say about 1.5 hours in 350 degree oven so I waited about 1.5 hours after it started boiling and then put the rice on so it cooked about 1.8 hours. I wouldn't have cooked quite that long though had it been completely thawed when I put it on. It was frozen when i left home and didn't thaw as quickly as I thought it would.

Very cool pics!

Thanks man, glad you enjoyed them!

Great photos and that meal looks yummy!

Thanks man, yeah it was pretty darn good. Great ambiance!!

Good stuffe, Mist. It got a little dirt time in Saturday myself, nothing big, or as pretty as that, but hey, at least I was out. Moose

Thanks bro, yeah it had been a while since I actually cooked over a fire. I don't always have time for that when I'm out...just have to take what time we can when we can...

Makes me want to eat some chicken... too bad I am having venison today

Thanks for sharing Mist, nice to see more food being cooked in the out of doors. :thumbup:

Yeah yeah, you poor thing...sounds absolutely terrible!

Thanks man, everything tastes better cooked out doors.

Nice pictures Mist. Very artistic reflection shots. Clearly they don't have a monopoly on Foliage up in New England.

Thanks man, glad you enjoyed the photos. They do have some pretty Autumn views up there but not the only ones :thumbup:

Hey Tony, Brian did a good review of it here:

TOPS Max the Mini Axe Review

I see it more as an urban tool, however the masterful Brian can make a sharp edge perform quite well just about anywhere

Looks like a great day out Brian!!! Fall time is my favorite...I'll get some dirt time this weekend finally up in NC...looking forward to cool nights and 70's during the day...plus a little flyfishing as well:thumbup:

Lunch sure does look good

ROCK6

I see it as more of an urban tool myself...I just needed to know how it would do in a wilderness environment.

Thanks Rock, it was a great day out. Autumn is definitely my favorite time of the year! I love being able to sit by a fire at night and enjoy the warmth.

I assume there will be some pics from this adventure you speak of?

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[ROCK6]

I assume there will be some pics from this adventure you speak of?
.

Absolutely! We're leaving Friday morning and should be back Sunday (and I'm taking Monday off for "recovery")...hence the reason I couldn't attend Moose's get-together.

Just as a side note, I landed a Max/Mini Axe and getting a shoulder rig for it (Survival Sheath Systems). This is the perfect sized tool for when I travel (checked-in baggage of course). I took it with me to Austin, TX last week...with a decent shoulder rig, it should easily disappear under an ACU shirt. Looking foward to wearing it at work when the shoulder rig comes in...

ROCK6

 

[Mistwalker]

Absolutely! We're leaving Friday morning and should be back Sunday (and I'm taking Monday off for "recovery")...hence the reason I couldn't attend Moose's get-together.

Just as a side note, I landed a Max/Mini Axe and getting a shoulder rig for it (Survival Sheath Systems). This is the perfect sized tool for when I travel (checked-in baggage of course). I took it with me to Austin, TX last week...with a decent shoulder rig, it should easily disappear under an ACU shirt. Looking foward to wearing it at work when the shoulder rig comes in...

ROCK6

Cool looking forward to them.

I can't attend because now is the time when I have access to John's shop... and more importantly John's input... for making the knife for the Bushcraft knife conteset. I got the blank roughed out today, going to start on the grinds tomorrow.

I knew somebody would get why I like that thing

 

[s7brad]

Nice pics as usual, but damn mow I'm hungry again

 

[pitdog]

Great stuff as always buddy !

I thought the little Cornish hen was a big chicken when I saw it in the first pan pic, when I saw it again next to the army cup I thought WTH....LOL !!!!

 

[s7brad]

Oh like the eatin tool as well, been wanting to try one out to replace my old hobo in my lunchbox at work

 

[Don M]

That looks good.

There is a Hickory tree in my back yard that gives a good crop every year. They are quite tasty, but they sure are a lot of work to get any quantity of meat.

 

[tonym]

Thanks Tony, glad you enjoyed the pics bro, couldn't let you northerners monopolize the Autumn scene

That is Max the mini axe. It fills the role I wanted it for very well Compact, discrete, heavy-duty tool that fits in a 9.5" x 9.5" pocket on the pack I keep planned as my grab-and-go bag. Yes it is a compromise of elements and I get that. In actuality that is exactly what I wanted it for. While I prefer the bush and would much rather be in the bush than in the city the reality is that the city is where I spend a lot of time. I may be in the city when an event happens...or even worse I may have to go into the city to retrieve a member of my family. Sooo...I study survival from both urban and wilderness perspective. 25 years in the commercial construction industry gives me some insight into the types of tools I may need in an urban environment. It combines elements I really like...small, heavily made for durability and taking abuse, wickedly efficient when employed right in a confrontation in a tight space. Makes a good nut cracker too :thumbup:

.

Thanks Mist and Rock. When you explain like that, it makes it seam pretty useful.

Enjoy brother:thumbup:

 

[Shotgun]

Very cool post. Makes me hungry as all get out though.