CONTEST: Win A Becker Patrol Machete!!!!

Brian Jones

Brian Jones

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Okay, you woods rompers! Time to earn your blades!

Since shelter is usually the first priority in survival, this is a shelter-building contest. First prize will be a Becker Knife & Tool Patrol Machete. This is one SWEET chopping blade!!! Second and third prizes to be announced.


What: Primitive shelter

Parameters:
Must be all natural materials -- no tarps, etc. Paracord is okay to use for lashings. Shelter can be any style. Entries will be judged on insulation qualities and how well it protects against three of the five heat-loss/gain mechanisms: conduction (loss/gain of heat through conduction to the ground), convection (loss/gain of heat through wind ot lack thereof), radiation (loss/gain of heat upwards into the atmosphere, or solar radiation beating down on you). A second factor in judging will be your ingenuity and efficiency in accomplishing the above. Mention your environment and materials in your entries, and a description of how you built it, and why you chose the particular shelter you did.

You can use one knife, knife-type tool (like the ATAX), hatchet (tomahawk), or multi-tool in construction. The knife can be any size. No large axes, though. Gotta make this a little bit of a challenge! ;)

You must post a pic of your shelter, with the knife used included in the picture.

Contest Duration:
Contest ends at midnight, August 14. All entries must be online by then.

Judges:
Ethan Becker, Ron Hood, and Brian Jones

This is a chance for you all to show your stuff, and win great prizes. If you are new to shelter construction, go for it! It'll be great practice whether you win or not. If you want to read up online about shelters and other survival info, go to http://www.survival.com, and click on the "Library" link. There, you will find a four chapter online book by Ron Hood that covers the heat loss mechanisms, and many other concepts that will assist you.

Good luck, and start building!

Best,

Brian.
 
This is of course the BK&T PATROL MACHETE shown in a recent Terrill Hoffman pic. I will be looking around for second and third prizes and will announce them over the next week or so. Ya'll have fun :)
 
This sounds like a great contest, and I glad the rules of the contest will encourage people take the time to discuss some of their construction methods and any special tips for success.

I do disagree with the rules in one respect. I think contestants should be limited to one brought- in tool they feel comfortable with, not necessarily just one knife. After all the contest rules would prohibit using a Rucksack SAK, which Ron Hood, stated that he would choose over most others if he was limited to one tool. The rules would also presumably prevent using his ATAX, which became available after his aforementioned comment. ;) It would also prevent using a pair of clippers which Christopher Nyerges advocates for safety and effectiveness reasons when building a shelter. Presumably, the rules would allow the use of a machete, as a knife of any length, but this should be clarified. I assume one could use an improvised club to break off branches to use in making the shelter. The rules would also inhibit the use of a stone knife created on the spot, since as that may break, another one might need to be made.

As I knifeknut, I like the idea of using a knife, but if some usually only carries a Leatherman Wave, while hiking, then it should be eligible. Perhaps, at least a shelter made with an alternate tool, could at least be eligible for one of the lesser prizes. I would still probably rule out power tools. ;) I am not sure why I comment, since I doubt that I will participate, but the impetus is survival, and if nothing else, a little clarification is in order. After all the prize is a machete, a great one, and presumably someone might want to use a Camillus Becker Patrol Machete for his or her “knife.”

I look forward to seeing and reading about all those shelters. Just last week I was just discussing this very topic with someone. We were contrasting the techniques used in the jungle, such as in the picture on Jeff Randall’s site, versus materials one might use further north.
 
Donald, thanks for being a good contest critic! I agree 100 percent. Please see the revised rules above (edited post). You can use one tool -- knife, knife-type, hatchet, or multi-tool. Gotta leave the big axe at home though...;)

Thanks again. Glad we have the most intelligent members (if not moderators ;)_ in the wilderness community right here on BFC.


Best,

Brian.
 
Boy am I glad Donald spoke up as I might have committed a faux pas by mistake. I had just about settled on using my ATAX as my knife but reading the above discussion would have made it out of bounds and thus a waste of time and resources. Now that I can.... I am still torn between it and my Anaconda.:D :) ;) Decisions, decisions...:rolleyes: Sometimes its easier to be IN the survival situation, then the choices are crystal clear!!!!:) :) :)
 
Only one comment. Almost an entire month seems like a lot of time to build a shelter. There are a lot of folks that could darned near build a condo in a month. Seems like it should be based on survival timelines.
Stricktly my two lowly cents worth.(And that don't buy much.)
Think I'll use my SAK Locking Hunter. It's been my hiking and mountain knife for going on 15 years. Still locks up strong and has the only knife saw that actually seems to work.
Best
recondoc
 
I appreciate your comments, recondoc1!

Not everyone can get away for a survival trip with this short notice, and may need to schedule a weekend ahead to get the time just to build the shelter. That's why we made it a month long.

Good luck!

Brian.
 
Guys, I just got one of these Patrol Machetes Monday, and have already put it to use clearing some ground foliage, limbing some small trees, and even chopped some large branches that came down in a storm.
I'm really impressed.
One warning: if you get one, be careful wiping the lube off the edge. Got my thumb sliced open within a minute of opening the package:rolleyes: (I was wearing shorts, and now have a bald patch on the outside of both of my calves, too-good factory edge).

I'm taking a 3 day weekend to go camping in a couple of weeks, so maybe it'll get to build a shelter. I'd like another one:p
 
Hunt4ever,

Looks like a Surefire flashlight to me. I would guess something like the E1 model, or perhaps another E (Executive) model.
 
I'm pretty sure it's an E2 Execuative. I'd like to get one of them in silver, like that one. does anone know where they are sold?
 
Ya know, I was pretty darn sure I was gonna be able to get an entry in, but between a new job with overtime, and family obligations, it has not happened.

But, I want to thank Ethan Becker, Ron Hood, Brian Jones and Will Fennell for this really great contest and oppurtunity.

Maybe next time.
 
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