"I knew that".

D

DOC-CANADA

Joined
Apr 14, 2006
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I don't know how many of you have read Fur, Fish and Game but at the beginning of each issue, they have a column called, " I knew that." It's a collection of little tips, tricks, and techniques used by the readers to accomplish different tasks. I always enjoy this column and quite often, manage to pick up some useful idea or other.

They're are a lot of people on this forum, who, over the years, have developed their own "I knew that"s, so I thought it might be interesting to start some threads of this kind.

For example: a lot of people carry and use 550 cord -

When using 550 cord for bootlaces, melt the ends of the cord and while it is still hot/burning, swing it around in a circle to cool it off - it also helps to 'point' the cord rather than having the little ball at the end, which makes it easier to lace your boots. (This works much better with the white nylon camping cord, that is sold everywhere).

Learn the Marlinspike hitch knot. If you are required to haul on a piece of 550 and you have your Mini Mag handy, you can quickly tie the Marlinspike hitch and pull on your Mini Mag, preventing the 550 from cutting into your hands. It can be untied by simply pulling the Mini Mag out of the knot. A stick can also be used.

Well, you get the idea. Any thoughts?

Doc
 
Doc? Thats bad advice . I lit the tips of the laces on fire like you said and then swung them
around ............. The boot kept on hitting me on the head . :grumpy:
 
You are supposed to do this while the cord is still attached to the chute!:D

I don't know how you would point the ends while swinging the cord, but I just roll the cord between finger and thumb to point it while it is still hot, but not flaming. In fact I try not to burn the cord at all, but simply melt the end into a small blob, trapping both the core and all the wrapping strands in the blob before rolling it to a point. I leave it round if I am not going to thread it through something. Wet your fingers first to keep the hot melted cord from sticking to them. I must tell you though, I have been doing this for years, and my skin is tough from doing construction work. If you have "baby soft" hands, don't try it. You could wind up with a bad burn from molten nylon, not a good thing.

A hunting hint from a Codger: If you hunt deer with any regularity, eventually you will jump one from it's bed. A running deer, or even one walking quickly behind obstructions like thick brush or a stand of trees is hard as heck to hit. I keep a spent .30-30 cartridge handy, and blow across the neck to produce a whistle that seldom fails to stop a deer. You have to be ready though to take your shot. Deer are curious and will pause to try and identify the noise, but they are not stupid, and if they see you move, you are busted and they are gone.

Codger
 
Kevin, did you take your foot out of the boot first? ;)

Here's another boot trick I learned once while videotaping a ski-doo race on an icy lake. I was wearing vibram-lug boots and kept slipping and sliding and falling with the camera. One official took pity and showed me what he was wearing: vibram boots, but he had taken small hex-head screws and screwed them into the lugs. Instant ice creepers. Years later, when we had an ice storm, our iced-up sloping front yard and driveway were impossible to navigate. I remembered I had a box of small hex-heads in the shop and screwed them into our boots. Worked like a charm. Just don't wear them into the house, they will scratch up tiles and snag on carpets ;)
 
There are a few a I've picked up here that long-term posters will recognize.

Carry a small pencil sharpener. Twisting a dry stick in it will produce a handful of finely shaved tinder in short order.

Petroleum jelly treated cotton. It costs nothing and is one of the most reliable, long-term storable, ready-made tinders available.

Paint your ferro rods with clear nailpolish to keep them from rusting.

An inflated platypus bag makes a great pillow.

If you can't survive on what you can pack into an Altoids tin, buy bigger candy. Mac
 
Codger_64 said:
I don't know how you would point the ends while swinging the cord.......Codger
Click to expand...

When swinging the cord (2-3 foot length), the centrifugal force forces the molten nylon out into a point, but as I said, it works much better with white camping cord. With the white nylon camping cord, sometimes you get a long tapered point 1/2" long. You have to be careful not to hit yourself with the hot end, though (experience talking here).

Another: To protect the lens in a Mini Mag, use the cap from an empty 1 lb. Propane cylinder. It slides right over but is snug enough to stay in place.

Doc
 
pict said:
Petroleum jelly treated cotton. It costs nothing and is one of the most reliable, long-term storable, ready-made tinders available.
Click to expand...

Keep those Cotton balls and Vasoline in a 35mm film canister. They're almost indestructable, and easily hold 5-7 cotton balls. Remember to get "100% REAL cotton" cotton balls.. They do make synthetic ones, and they will not work.

A wise man once told me.. "Vary your sources, and practice your methods."
 
Some people call 'em zip strips. They come in tiny sizes up to ones big enough to use for handcuffs.

I seldom see them listed in survival kits and whatnot, but I won't go into the woods without 'em. They're dirt cheap, strong and more handy than I can say. If you can't build it with some paracord, cable ties and a sharp knife, you don't need it :D

Rescue Mike said:
Keep those Cotton balls and Vasoline in a 35mm film canister.
Click to expand...

I use a match case with a few matches in it as well, same idea. I've tried a BUNCH of firestarters, commercial and homemade, and I agree these are about the best, overall.
 
Geeze... I just lick my fingers then roll the heat softened nylon end of the parachute cord into the right size and shape. (Don't blame me for burnt fingers, I didn't twist your arm).
Enjoy!
 
GibsonFan said:
Some people call 'em zip strips. They come in tiny sizes up to ones big enough to use for handcuffs
I seldom see them listed in survival kits and whatnot, but I won't go into the woods without 'em. They're dirt cheap, strong and more handy than I can say. If you can't build it with some paracord, cable ties and a sharp knife, you don't need it :D..
Click to expand...
I carry them as well and they are a part of all my kits.:D (Zip-Ties)
 
May I just say there are many grades of cable ties/materials and manufacturers .
They can be as strong as can be or weaker than a kitten . Sometimes with no discernible differences . Assure yourselves of the material strength , the ability of the retention system to hold the tie closed and most importantly some cable ties are brittle when cold .

If you get the hang of using them to build I guess they may be easy to build with when your hands are cold .You could also pull them closed with leatherman pliers .
 
Okay, so you need to hoist food up, climb a tree, secure a widowmaker before cutting... whatever. You need to get a rope over a tree limb quickly.

Wrap the rope around a thick, dead stick a few times. Throw the stick, rope attached, over the limb. The wrapping will unravel, and you'll have a good supply of rope on the other side to secure a hold of it.
 
To secure a piece of para cord to a tarp bunch the tarp around an acorn sized rock (or an acorn) then tie it with a slip not.
Enjoy!
 
Watchful said:
Okay, so you need to hoist food up, climb a tree, secure a widowmaker before cutting... whatever. You need to get a rope over a tree limb quickly.

Wrap the rope around a thick, dead stick a few times. Throw the stick, rope attached, over the limb. The wrapping will unravel, and you'll have a good supply of rope on the other side to secure a hold of it.
Click to expand...

After many years of trying to get the rope over the branch, and of course the branch is never like is pictured in all those outdoor books, I finally settled with a modified slingshot that shoots arrows.
357e6331.jpg

I attach a light string to the arrow (usually an unfletched shoot found at the site), shoot it over the branch, join on my 'hanging' rope and pull it up. While it's one more thing to take with you, I find that it more than makes up for it in saved time and lessened stress level. And, of course, if for some reason, you find yourself stuck out there, you can always remove the nylon adapter and use the slingshot, as intended.

Doc
 
You're out in the woods, and you're gathering shoots for arrows, or whatever, and you find that you forgot your cordage. Strips of the outer layer of Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) can be used like cordage, as is, with no processing (later summer and fall). Can also be used for lashing all manner of things - shelters, etc. A buddy and I once 3-braided some green Milkweed and used it successfully for a bow drill fire. It was fairly worn out at the end, though, no more fires left in it, but it did work.

Doc
(Master of the Creative Comma :eek: )
 
Codger_64 said:
You are supposed to do this while the cord is still attached to the chute!:D

I don't know how you would point the ends while swinging the cord, but I just roll the cord between finger and thumb to point it while it is still hot, but not flaming. In fact I try not to burn the cord at all, but simply melt the end into a small blob, trapping both the core and all the wrapping strands in the blob before rolling it to a point. I leave it round if I am not going to thread it through something. Wet your fingers first to keep the hot melted cord from sticking to them. I must tell you though, I have been doing this for years, and my skin is tough from doing construction work. If you have "baby soft" hands, don't try it. You could wind up with a bad burn from molten nylon, not a good thing.

A hunting hint from a Codger: If you hunt deer with any regularity, eventually you will jump one from it's bed. A running deer, or even one walking quickly behind obstructions like thick brush or a stand of trees is hard as heck to hit. I keep a spent .30-30 cartridge handy, and blow across the neck to produce a whistle that seldom fails to stop a deer. You have to be ready though to take your shot. Deer are curious and will pause to try and identify the noise, but they are not stupid, and if they see you move, you are busted and they are gone.

Codger
Click to expand...

As a kid when I'd go huntin' with my dad, he had an unusual high pitch whistle he could make with his lips, when ever we'd come up on the deer grazing(my dad liked to track instead of wait in the tree for the deer to come) when they were jittery he'd let out this shrill high pitch whistle the deer would stand tall and listen and that was my dad's clean shot.

Another one he always told me was when takin' a match safe into the woods(and I still do) flip 1/2 the matches the other way, if ya have an accidental lighting only half the matches will burn,(30 year ago this happened to me while bear hunting in Big Moose upstate NY it could've saved my butt, I still had matches to start a fire but had they gotten wet at least the strike anywhere matches that hadn't burned would've started my fire) plus you can fit more matches.
 
DOC-CANADA said:
...and of course the branch is never like is pictured in all those outdoor books...
Click to expand...

Man, that is so true! LOL.

Kevin the grey said:
May I just say there are many grades of cable ties/materials and manufacturers .
Click to expand...

That's true, I did get a package once that were really flimsy... wish I remembered the brand so I could avoid 'em.


If you get the hang of using them to build I guess they may be easy to build with when your hands are cold .You could also pull them closed with leatherman pliers .
Click to expand...

Mind you, I'm not talking about a log cabin here... more like lashing poles together for a small shelter and stuff like that. For something load-bearing, I would use paracord and plenty of it. But most times the cable ties work as well and are a heck of a lot faster than wrapping/tying everything. *NOTE: someone suggested to me they could be used to hold a large bandage on, but that idea makes me WAY nervous... too easy to get those things too tight. But for general jury-rigging, they're my favorite. Plus you can get 'em in black for tactical applications, lol.
 
Watchful said:
Okay, so you need to hoist food up, climb a tree, secure a widowmaker before cutting... whatever. You need to get a rope over a tree limb quickly.

Wrap the rope around a thick, dead stick a few times. Throw the stick, rope attached, over the limb. The wrapping will unravel, and you'll have a good supply of rope on the other side to secure a hold of it.
Click to expand...

Instead of a stick, a medium sized rock placed inside a spare sock works great, and presents a much more familar throwing motion. Can't find a big enough rock? Several smaller ones will work just as well.
 
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