Backpacking this weekend: Fishspears, tent setups, squirting blood, oh my!

[Joezilla]

I had to escape this weekend from all the craziness going on and review some gear, somehow! Luckily, in the new area where I am moving, wilderness areas are only 30 minutes away. I got to try out my REI Half Dome using just the rain fly and the ground cloth in their standard “minimalist” set up, and had a good time with that. Reviewed some other knives for the magazine, and I also got to make this little fish spear out of black locust and a small sapling. The chipmunks abound and I found a nice little spot about 6 miles in right on a game trail to set up camp. Had a few visits from snorting deer during the nights, but nothing else. I also played with some false tinder fungus, birch bark, and quite a few species of salamanders. First time: I put my knee on a black locust thorn bunch, and when I pulled one of the spines out, I squirted a small bit of blood in a stream. It is safe to say that was a first for me. Yee haw!

 

[Joezilla]

 

[Joezilla]

Sadly though, My camera died in the middle of the hike, and I had to revert to using the video camera function.

 

[theonew]

Thanks for the pics :thumbup:
Any idea if those are chicken mushrooms.

 

[WILLIAM.M]

Great photos!!!!

 

[j williams]

hellz yeah Joe....You cant beat a little solo time. :thumbup:

 

[bearthedog]

Good stuff Joe looks like my kind of place!

-RB

 

[tonym]

That looks like a lot of fun Joe!

That lil pic of yourself is pretty funny.

Nice job on the spear. Which plant did you get the thirns from?

 

[the gimp]

That spear looks pretty serious. You should have shot a vid of it being used on one of the chipmunks you saw around camp!

 

[ejes]

How'd your spear with the locust thorns work for you? Looks like an intriguing design that might be good for frogs or other things as well.

Also, in the photo with the yellow fungus in there, is that in a patch of sassafras? The close plant in the bottom right kind of looks like it.

 

[hung-solo]

good stuff joe..

 

[trestle]

Is that a Cabela's sleeping bag? Any thoughts?

 

[TheGame]

Looks like you had a great time. Were the nights comfortable?

 

[fishshooter]

Nice spear Joe, did you get an opportunity to try it out? Cool pics all around.

 

[kgd]

Looks like a good time. That phat sleeping mat looks comfy!

 

[Joezilla]

I think they were chicken mushrooms, I was going to check them out but got distracted by a butterfly

The sleeping pad is a big agnes, and is the most compact one I have, even more so than my half size REI pad. I really like this "cold" weather big agnes for just about everything.

The sleeping bag is a Cabelas XPG, I'm testing it for backpacker magazine (not writing for them though), and the thorns came from a black locust tree! Evil looking tree with spines that are really pointy and evil. I didn't try the spear out, but I do know that this design works from past experiences and PATIENCE!!!!!!

 

[LupaWolf]

Fantastic pictures as always.
Looks like a great area.

 

[omniviking]

very nice stuff Joe, really like the spear head. :thumbup: Pat

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Niiiiice spear! Looks pretty straight-forward too! How are the thorns held in other than with tension?

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Joe, what were you using for tick prevention?

BTW, the picture of the tripod was to show what you didn't use in the picture before?

Doc