Currawong
Gold Member
- Joined
- May 19, 2012
- Messages
- 2,258
I've spent many years (about 25) bushwacking remote forest areas hunting for big trees - if possible in places that few (if any) people have seen before. It's just a hobby, but it keeps me fit.
Today I went into a valley only 20 minutes drive from where I live but that for some reason I've never been into before. From what I knew it looked like it had potential for some real monsters. For those who don't know me this is in south eastern Australia, so the forest is eucalyptus and cool temperate rainforest.
My traveling companions were a Bushwacker Mistress and an Infidu. Not too heavy but a very capable combination. I just received the Mistress from a member on these forums - this was its first trip into the field and I was keen to try it out to see what it could do.
Entering the rainforest
There are many giant logs like this one, providing plenty of climbing along the walk. Big ones require a running jump and then you kind of roll over it on your stomach (it is much less graceful than that sounds). You end up somewhat muddy (these logs are wet and rotting).
Another log. I probably could have walked around this one, but I need the exercise
This next log was almost impossible to climb over. I couldn't get a grip anywhere - it doesn't look it but it is wet and very slimy, particularly under the moss. At either end was vegetation that was impenetrable, so I had no choice but to go back or go over. The only purchase was the knob at the bottom, but it was too slippery to stand on and I would have ended up on my head. This is one of the times I'm very happy to be carrying a large field knife. I used the mistress to chop the top off the round knob to make a flat and stable step, and then easily scrambled over.
The mistress was also used to cut the two walking sticks in the shots above, and was used to cut several other (dead) branches that were blocking the way when it was difficult or impossible to walk around them, and also some thinner springy vegetation. It performed exceptionally well at all chopping tasks, I'm very happy with it now that it's been tested. It is much lighter (and thinner) than other Battle Mistresses, so it is a great slicer and fast in hand but I was worried it would lack power. In fact, it hits plenty hard enough for bushwacking tasks.
(Continued...)
Today I went into a valley only 20 minutes drive from where I live but that for some reason I've never been into before. From what I knew it looked like it had potential for some real monsters. For those who don't know me this is in south eastern Australia, so the forest is eucalyptus and cool temperate rainforest.
My traveling companions were a Bushwacker Mistress and an Infidu. Not too heavy but a very capable combination. I just received the Mistress from a member on these forums - this was its first trip into the field and I was keen to try it out to see what it could do.
Entering the rainforest
There are many giant logs like this one, providing plenty of climbing along the walk. Big ones require a running jump and then you kind of roll over it on your stomach (it is much less graceful than that sounds). You end up somewhat muddy (these logs are wet and rotting).
Another log. I probably could have walked around this one, but I need the exercise
This next log was almost impossible to climb over. I couldn't get a grip anywhere - it doesn't look it but it is wet and very slimy, particularly under the moss. At either end was vegetation that was impenetrable, so I had no choice but to go back or go over. The only purchase was the knob at the bottom, but it was too slippery to stand on and I would have ended up on my head. This is one of the times I'm very happy to be carrying a large field knife. I used the mistress to chop the top off the round knob to make a flat and stable step, and then easily scrambled over.
The mistress was also used to cut the two walking sticks in the shots above, and was used to cut several other (dead) branches that were blocking the way when it was difficult or impossible to walk around them, and also some thinner springy vegetation. It performed exceptionally well at all chopping tasks, I'm very happy with it now that it's been tested. It is much lighter (and thinner) than other Battle Mistresses, so it is a great slicer and fast in hand but I was worried it would lack power. In fact, it hits plenty hard enough for bushwacking tasks.
(Continued...)
_-Wamboin-8.jpg)
. BUT! They are great stories that would make any non-native person's eye's go wide with intensity.