Primitive Skills/Bushcraft Week in Alabama

bearthedog · Nov 22, 2016

Temperatures were in the low 30s in Alabama over the course of the 5 days I was there. Many great minds full of skill and years of experience. James Gibson and Darrel Patton are some of the best primitive skills guys out there and it was their show.

James Gibson

Darrel Patton

Skills taught: Atlatl, fish nets, pine pitch, various traps, sweat lodge, Bushcraft camp set-ups, burn bowls, fish spears, making char cloth, friction fires, cordage, plant and tree ID, cleaning small game, camp cooking, basic flint knapping, shelter, making arrows, and more

Making my camp

My main tool

Button made of Cedar, by my friendsthanks MUD and Patrick.

Buffalo liver stew and buffalo heart frying.

Squirrel

Insipid Moniker · Nov 22, 2016

Great pics! Sounds like it was a fantastic time, thank you for sharing it with us.

22-rimfire · Nov 22, 2016

Bearthedog, you always make these things look fun. Been a little chilly the last couple of nights. Anyway, the one thing I notice about you is that you are well grounded... you don't go into flashy knives necessarily in the woods. It doesn't get much simpler than a SAK and they work.

BillyJoeBobJim · Nov 23, 2016

What part of Alabama was this? Daytime temps were obviously much higher except for maybe last Sunday. However, along the rock valleys, cliffs, and waterways, nighttime feels awfully cool with the humidity and air movement.

Thanks for the wonderful trip report and great photos as usual.

:thumbup:

HornyToad · Nov 23, 2016

bearthedog said:
IMG]http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk279/Bearthedog_photos/Trips/Alabama%20Bushcraft%202016/PB202601.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Man you are really good at bowl burning.

WILLIAM.M · Nov 24, 2016

Thanks for taking us along

stabman · Nov 24, 2016

Looks like a good time.

bearthedog · Nov 29, 2016

22-rimfire said:
Bearthedog, you always make these things look fun. Been a little chilly the last couple of nights. Anyway, the one thing I notice about you is that you are well grounded... you don't go into flashy knives necessarily in the woods. It doesn't get much simpler than a SAK and they work.

I appreciate it. Well, it is fun.
I'm a simple tools guy. A SAK can do about 100 things, but can't do like two. I like it and gave up on a fixed blade when I pair the SAK up with a tomahawk.

BillyJoeBobJim said:
What part of Alabama was this? Daytime temps were obviously much higher except for maybe last Sunday. However, along the rock valleys, cliffs, and waterways, nighttime feels awfully cool with the humidity and air movement.

Thanks for the wonderful trip report and great photos as usual. :thumbup:

Thank you. It was in Gallant, not far from Gadston.

HornyToad said:
Man you are really good at bowl burning.

I got this and the one hanging in the back from Scandinavia.

WILLIAM.M said:
Thanks for taking us along

You know it bill!

-RB

bearthedog · Nov 29, 2016

22-rimfire said:
Bearthedog, you always make these things look fun. Been a little chilly the last couple of nights. Anyway, the one thing I notice about you is that you are well grounded... you don't go into flashy knives necessarily in the woods. It doesn't get much simpler than a SAK and they work.

I appreciate it. Well, it is fun.
I'm a simple tools guy. A SAK can do about 100 things, but can't do like two. I like it and gave up on a fixed blade when I pair the SAK up with a tomahawk.

BillyJoeBobJim said:
What part of Alabama was this? Daytime temps were obviously much higher except for maybe last Sunday. However, along the rock valleys, cliffs, and waterways, nighttime feels awfully cool with the humidity and air movement.

Thanks for the wonderful trip report and great photos as usual. :thumbup:

Thank you. It was in Gallant, not far from Gaston.

HornyToad said:
Man you are really good at bowl burning.

I got this and the one hanging in the back from Scandinavia.

WILLIAM.M said:
Thanks for taking us along

You know it bill!

-RB

tech25 · Nov 29, 2016

Wow, primitive bushcraft looks like a lot of work but amazingly satisfying!

Mannlicher · Nov 30, 2016

sounds like a well constructed, well taught class. The two fellows sure seem to have their skill set down. We have some local rednecks here in North Central Florida though, that have been doing that stuff all their lives. Did not even know what 'bushcraft' meant when it was 'splaned to them.

22-rimfire · Nov 30, 2016

bearthedog said:
I appreciate it. Well, it is fun.
I'm a simple tools guy. A SAK can do about 100 things, but can't do like two. I like it and gave up on a fixed blade when I pair the SAK up with a tomahawk.

As a SAK guy, I tend to agree with you. Maybe I should give my CRKT Woods Chogan (tomahawk) a try. SAK and something "choppy" is a good functional pair. Add a folding saw and you have many bases covered.

Were you a participant or "leader" on this ESEE boys outing?

bearthedog · Dec 1, 2016

22-rimfire said:
As a SAK guy, I tend to agree with you. Maybe I should give my CRKT Woods Chogan (tomahawk) a try. SAK and something "choppy" is a good functional pair. Add a folding saw and you have many bases covered.

Were you a participant or "leader" on this ESEE boys outing?

Let me know how that Chogan works. It seems ok...for regular knife and light chopping and splitting.

On this outing I was visiting James Gibson, Patrick Rollins and Jeff Randall and there to camp and hang.
It's good to be around it, the art of it.

-RB

22-rimfire · Dec 2, 2016

Bearthedog, you would probably enjoy one of the Becker gatherings at Ethan's property in TN.

Added: For a while, I was buying Becker designs a lot, then as I normally do, I move to something else as I never really liked the black coatings. Yeah, I know I can strip them. Anyway, I don't attend the gatherings as I feel a bit like a traitor as I am not really a "becker guy" any more. I see Ethan at shows and at the one knife store here in TN. But I still like the discontinued BK-15 a lot. I'm just looking to replace it now because ...well, I like knives....

TheMadIndian · Dec 2, 2016

cool post as always sir

bearthedog · Dec 2, 2016

22-rimfire said:
Bearthedog, you would probably enjoy one of the Becker gatherings at Ethan's property in TN.

Added: For a while, I was buying Becker designs a lot, then as I normally do, I move to something else as I never really liked the black coatings. Yeah, I know I can strip them. Anyway, I don't attend the gatherings as I feel a bit like a traitor as I am not really a "becker guy" any more. I see Ethan at shows and at the one knife store here in TN. But I still like the discontinued BK-15 a lot. I'm just looking to replace it now because ...well, I like knives....

Who's ethan?

TheMadIndian said:
cool post as always sir

Thank man.

-RB

22-rimfire · Dec 3, 2016

Ethan Becker, designer of Becker Knives made mostly by Kabar. Take a look at the Becker Forum. He's really a nice guy and very knowledgeable. He's usually at Blade at the Becker/Kabar booth.

"The Joy of Cooking"..... I believe his grandmother wrote that. As I understand it, it is the largest selling cook book of all time.

JV3 · Dec 3, 2016

22-rimfire said:
Ethan Becker, designer of Becker Knives made mostly by Kabar. Take a look at the Becker Forum. He's really a nice guy and very knowledgeable. He's usually at Blade at the Becker/Kabar booth.

"The Joy of Cooking"..... I believe his grandmother wrote that. As I understand it, it is the largest selling cook book of all time.

TheMadIndian · Dec 4, 2016

Haha I was waiting for someone to post a pic haha

Woods Walker · Dec 6, 2016

That looked fun!