Beckerhead Camping and Woodcraft Reviews....

The Warrior said:
Just finished chapter 2, on clothing. It's nice to be able to comment on a chapter at a time, after just reading it.

I was reading about footwear, and he was highly recommending moccasins as a good footwear to use in the woods. "After one's feet have become accustomed to this most rational of all covering they become almost like hands, feeling their way, and avoiding obstacles as though gifted with a special sense. They can bend freely. One can climb in moccasins as in nothing else. So long as they are dry, he can cross narrow logs like a cat, and pass in safety along treacherous slopes where thick-soled shoes
might bring him swiftly to grief. Moccasined feet feel the dry sticks underneath, and glide softly over the telltales without cracking them. They do not stick fast in mud. One can swim with them as if he were barefoot. It is rarely indeed that one hears of a man
spraining his ankle when wearing the Indian footgear."

My wife was commenting on the moccasins she wore a the cabin last visit. They have rawhide soles, and she was saying that she could feel most of what she was walking on. Later she was complaining that they were hurting her feet, obviously because she wasn't conditioned to them yet.

I've never owned a pair of moccasins. Anyone else use, and recommend them?
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Sort of, I use slipper shoes a lot from cushe, before they went out of business. I still have 2 pairs. They use more of a foam sole than a hard rubber sole and are very flexible, like a slipper which is why they call them slipper shoes. They have breathable canvas fabric outers which is a big reason I like them for the summer. I use them a lot for yard work and in the garage if I don't need to worry about toe safety or catching them on fire. There is some padding but I can still feel stick and things under them really well. It's probably about like having 2-3 insoles instead of the insole and outsole of most shoes or boots. They are far more nimble than my work boots.

I think this would be similar to the "barefoot" running trend in endurance athletes too as there is a steep conditioning curve getting used to them but once you're used to them it's a complete different experience and supposedly improves your running form. Plus, it's easy to get really lighweight shoes since you've removed the heaviest part of them.

Highly discourage for wet environments, as mentioned in the reading. The ones I have, because they're breathable, won't keep anything out and the traction isn't the greatest on wet, slimy surfaces like leaves or wet logs (slipperiest substance on earth and the cause of a lot of bicycle crashes). I have been spying out a pair of waterproof slipper shoe things on ebay but I want to find a reputable place to get them. Came across them when looking for some used shit-kickers for bog stomping sine it seems like we've had 1-2 months of straight rain and now snow in the midwest.

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The Warrior said:
Just finished chapter 2, on clothing. It's nice to be able to comment on a chapter at a time, after just reading it.

I was reading about footwear, and he was highly recommending moccasins as a good footwear to use in the woods. "After one's feet have become accustomed to this most rational of all covering they become almost like hands, feeling their way, and avoiding obstacles as though gifted with a special sense. They can bend freely. One can climb in moccasins as in nothing else. So long as they are dry, he can cross narrow logs like a cat, and pass in safety along treacherous slopes where thick-soled shoes
might bring him swiftly to grief. Moccasined feet feel the dry sticks underneath, and glide softly over the telltales without cracking them. They do not stick fast in mud. One can swim with them as if he were barefoot. It is rarely indeed that one hears of a man
spraining his ankle when wearing the Indian footgear."

My wife was commenting on the moccasins she wore a the cabin last visit. They have rawhide soles, and she was saying that she could feel most of what she was walking on. Later she was complaining that they were hurting her feet, obviously because she wasn't conditioned to them yet.

I've never owned a pair of moccasins. Anyone else use, and recommend them?
Click to expand...
I've never owned any moccasins. But after reading what you just wrote I'd sure like a pair :)
 
I went barefoot and wore wore moccasins a lot as a lad and you have to toughen the soles to be comfy. They do “ground” you in a way that other shoes do not.. I surmise that the reason people who habitually wear moccasins infrequently “turn” an ankle is that as your foot conforms to the ground over time and without ankle support, the supporting muscles in your legs become stronger..... Until you get those muscles firmed up you are more likely, I think, to have a problem....The best way I know to prepare yourself for Wilderness travel off road and off trail is to walk a freshly ploughed field for a few days of exercise.....Going bare of foot or Moccasin clad definitely makes you more aware of your surroundings and also slows you down a bit and puts your eyeballs where your foot goes next.....There is much valuable information about your surroundings to be had by “reading” the ground.... Woods loafing while aware is a powerful teacher..... By the way probably the best moccasins I know of are made by Dyers in Friendship,Indiana....A bit pricey but, I have been wearing a pair of their Elk hide Mocs for over fifteen years and they wear like iron.... Mine are double soled and you lose a bit of”feel” but, they ere more protecting of your bottom mitts.....A good compromise, I think.... e

Ps. It is Carl Dyers Original Moccasins.... I just looked them up and “a bit pricey” is, perhaps understating the case. they are a damned good product though. E
 
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Bikeerector makes some good points.... When the woods are wet moccasins suck..... A lot of the old cowboys carried a pair of Mocs for wear around camp and for sneaking about... They were not full timers but great Accessories.. e
 
The Warrior said:
Just finished chapter 2, on clothing. It's nice to be able to comment on a chapter at a time, after just reading it.

I was reading about footwear, and he was highly recommending moccasins as a good footwear to use in the woods. "After one's feet have become accustomed to this most rational of all covering they become almost like hands, feeling their way, and avoiding obstacles as though gifted with a special sense. They can bend freely. One can climb in moccasins as in nothing else. So long as they are dry, he can cross narrow logs like a cat, and pass in safety along treacherous slopes where thick-soled shoes
might bring him swiftly to grief. Moccasined feet feel the dry sticks underneath, and glide softly over the telltales without cracking them. They do not stick fast in mud. One can swim with them as if he were barefoot. It is rarely indeed that one hears of a man
spraining his ankle when wearing the Indian footgear."

My wife was commenting on the moccasins she wore a the cabin last visit. They have rawhide soles, and she was saying that she could feel most of what she was walking on. Later she was complaining that they were hurting her feet, obviously because she wasn't conditioned to them yet.

I've never owned a pair of moccasins. Anyone else use, and recommend them?
Click to expand...
I have a pair of New Balance Minimus shoes that I wear if I have to wear shoes (most of the time I'm in cheapo flip flops) and I call them modern moccasins. If you Google minimalist footwear you can learn how to train your feet and legs to wear em. I dream of making my own moccasins one day, I think that would be super rad.
 
Ethan Becker said:
Ps. It is Carl Dyers Original Moccasins.... I just looked them up and “a bit pricey” is, perhaps understating the case. they are a damned good product though. E
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They are pricey, but, quality costs.

I'll get a pair of moccasins someday me thinks. One problem I have though, is peroneal tendonitis in both ankles.
 
Just finished Chapter 3, whew. Meaty, and a lot to remember. Will be going over that chapter a few more times probably, at a later date. Personal Kits is what it's about. It includes info about the Kephart knife.

Early on, it was talking about bedding. It said many things, including, "An air mattress is luxurious, but expensive, unreliable and cold in zero weather, and useless if punctured; but for summer camping, especially by us middle-aged."

I can relate to this one. I purchased an air mattress, and used it for the first time on a chilly night. Of course, the air chills within the mattress, and it doesn't take long for your bones to start aching. I learned from that experience, however, and later on, I purchased a queen size air mattress for the wife and I. We, actually, the wife, lays heavy bedding on it, and we sleep on top of that, with no issues. Of course, we have layers of blankets on top of us, including a 0° sleeping bag. We wear stocking caps on our heads too. The coldest we've ever camped like that, was 23°, with no issues. No issues until it's time to get out from underneath the blankets, haha. This is camping at a campground though, and not hiking, where you wouldn't be carrying all that bulk.
 
Ethan Becker said:
I went barefoot and wore wore moccasins a lot as a lad and you have to toughen the soles to be comfy. They do “ground” you in a way that other shoes do not.. I surmise that the reason people who habitually wear moccasins infrequently “turn” an ankle is that as your foot conforms to the ground over time and without ankle support, the supporting muscles in your legs become stronger..... Until you get those muscles firmed up you are more likely, I think, to have a problem....The best way I know to prepare yourself for Wilderness travel off road and off trail is to walk a freshly ploughed field for a few days of exercise.....Going bare of foot or Moccasin clad definitely makes you more aware of your surroundings and also slows you down a bit and puts your eyeballs where your foot goes next.....There is much valuable information about your surroundings to be had by “reading” the ground.... Woods loafing while aware is a powerful teacher..... By the way probably the best moccasins I know of are made by Dyers in Friendship,Indiana....A bit pricey but, I have been wearing a pair of their Elk hide Mocs for over fifteen years and they wear like iron.... Mine are double soled and you lose a bit of”feel” but, they ere more protecting of your bottom mitts.....A good compromise, I think.... e

Ps. It is Carl Dyers Original Moccasins.... I just looked them up and “a bit pricey” is, perhaps understating the case. they are a damned good product though. E
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Those are some very nice well made Mocs :thumbsup: they are just a little out of my reach :p. I need to find something more in the range of Crocs :D
 
I actually was given a pair of moccassins when I was taught to hunt ... especially bow hunting ... learned how quite you can be in them ... which actually translates fairly well in how to be silent or nearly silent while moving in the woods ... even in bulky boots you can moving with very little noise ...

and that has allowed me to see many things throughout my time in nature ... and far more than just times hunting.
 
Ethan Becker said:
Closed cell foam pads are your friend...... Unknown in Kephart’s time, I am certain he would have embraced them with alacrity.....
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I've found those a bit thin. Have a few, same result. Maybe if I slept on my back, but I'm more of a side sleeper. Nice to pack though.

EDIT Come think of it, I have never used my second one. It's wider, and a higher quality than my first. My first was a Wally special, haha.
 
Just finished chapter 4, Tents and Tools. Interesting read. Of course, tents have come miles from his time, but much of it still applies. Hard to put this book down.

I enjoy Mr. Kepharts humor. "Two small tents are easier to transport and to pitch than one large one, and they have the supreme
advantage that the snorers can then be segregated in a limbo of their own."

There's been an ongoing debate about tent colors. I've always preferred the earth tones that blend, but many say they should have bright colors, to let others know you're in the area. This is what the book says, "It is an advantage to have a tent dyed to a light
green or tan color. This moderates the glare of the sun, makes the tent less attractive to flies, and renders it less conspicuous in
the woods, which latter is worth considering in some localities where undesirable visitors may drop in." I concur.

He was also talking about the benefits of leaving the tent door open, etc, to allow air in, for better health, less condensation, etc. "Napoleon declared that his troops kept in better health when bivouacking under the stars than when sleeping in tents. It is far better to leave the front of the tent wide open, even in cold weather, than to close it up and sleep in a damp, stuffy atmosphere." I know tents have come a long way since then, but condensation, etc still remains a problem today.

Just liked this quote, "You may loan your last dollar to a friend; but never loan him your axe, unless you are certain that he knows how to use it."
 
Ethan Becker said:
I went barefoot and wore wore moccasins a lot as a lad and you have to toughen the soles to be comfy. They do “ground” you in a way that other shoes do not.. I surmise that the reason people who habitually wear moccasins infrequently “turn” an ankle is that as your foot conforms to the ground over time and without ankle support, the supporting muscles in your legs become stronger..... Until you get those muscles firmed up you are more likely, I think, to have a problem....The best way I know to prepare yourself for Wilderness travel off road and off trail is to walk a freshly ploughed field for a few days of exercise.....Going bare of foot or Moccasin clad definitely makes you more aware of your surroundings and also slows you down a bit and puts your eyeballs where your foot goes next.....There is much valuable information about your surroundings to be had by “reading” the ground.... Woods loafing while aware is a powerful teacher..... By the way probably the best moccasins I know of are made by Dyers in Friendship,Indiana....A bit pricey but, I have been wearing a pair of their Elk hide Mocs for over fifteen years and they wear like iron.... Mine are double soled and you lose a bit of”feel” but, they ere more protecting of your bottom mitts.....A good compromise, I think.... e

Ps. It is Carl Dyers Original Moccasins.... I just looked them up and “a bit pricey” is, perhaps understating the case. they are a damned good product though. E
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I’m not sure if it is true and I don’t remember specifically which outdoors teacher showed me this:

Apparently when trying to move silently some natives had a certain special footstep. When stepping forward one slowly puts their forward foot down landing on the outside of the heel. All weight is kept on the back foot at this point. Then you slowly distribute the weight by rolling it slowly forward around the outside of your forward foot.

Sure enough it works even if it makes one walk slowly. With practice one can walk across even dry fallen leaves hardly making a noise.
 
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Very much the way I was taught ... and to look ahead pick your steps far before you move looking for anything that would cause inwanted noise.
 
Lapedog said:
uuujj

I’m not sure if it is true and I don’t remember specifically which outdoors teacher showed me this:

Apparently when trying to move silently some natives had a certain special footstep. When stepping forward one slowly puts their forward foot down landing on the outside of the heel. All weight is kept on the back foot at this point. Then you slowly distribute the weight by rolling it slowly forward around the outside of your forward foot.

Sure enough it works even if it makes one walk slowly. With practice one can walk across even dry fallen leaves hardly making a noise.
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Digitigrade, vs plantigrade.
 
The Warrior said:
Digitigrade, vs plantigrade.
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No it’s the opposite sort of. Digitigrade is walking on your toes.

This step has you stepping forward onto your heel then slowly rolling the weight around the outside of your forward foot with the last part of a forward step being one slowly rolling their weight from their baby toe to their big toe.

Basically if one was stepping forward with the right foot they would land on about the 5:00 o clock position of the right foot then slowly lower their weight counterclockwise around the outside finishing that step around the 11:00 position where their big toe is.

For a left foot step it would be the exact opposite.
 
Lapedog said:
uuujj

I’m not sure if it is true and I don’t remember specifically which outdoors teacher showed me this:

Apparently when trying to move silently some natives had a certain special footstep. When stepping forward one slowly puts their forward foot down landing on the outside of the heel. All weight is kept on the back foot at this point. Then you slowly distribute the weight by rolling it slowly forward around the outside of your forward foot.

Sure enough it works even if it makes one walk slowly. With practice one can walk across even dry fallen leaves hardly making a noise.
Click to expand...

Lapedog said:
Similar to this but I was taught the heel hits the ground first.

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My bad, I just reread what you had posted. I was on the phone with my son, and trying to read while listening, and posting when I should have waited.
 
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