Photos TGLB helped me get out of the rainforest

[Currawong]

I went on an exploratory walk into an old growth forest and rainforest area in south east Australia. It was bushwhacking all the way through some pretty hard country.

A large part of the walk was through saw grass and shrubs interwoven with a vine called Smilax that grows to about 3 metres high. Much of it is impassible, and most of the hike is spent trying to find a clear path through. Everything cuts or scratches you in this environment.

Smilax.

A series of thunderstorms came through early on. It's eerie being alone in a forest like this hearing thunder echoing around the trees and off the cliffs. It rained for the entire walk.

My companion was a TGLB. I spent so much time burrowing through bushes and vines that I didn't carry a pack, it ends up getting caught too often. I just carried a knife scout-style on my belt at my back and a small hunting 'bum pack' with some first aid, torches, compass, etc. sitting over the top of the knife.

An old growth tree with a TGLB for scale.

Descending the hill slopes

I reached the stream at the bottom and started rock scrambling my way down the valley.

(Continued...)

 

[Currawong]

Walking down the stream.

Lots of logs and pools. The vegetation was so thick on the sides so I spent most of the time walking down the middle of the stream.

Leeches

A large frog.

It was Australia Day, so I was wearing my Australia Day cap

(Cont...)

 

[TheMtnMan]

Wow, what a story, what a nice pics, what a blade lol
Thanks for sharing

 

[JJ_Colt45]

Some great photos thanks for sharing!

 

[duramax]

Great pics !! Thank you for sharing

 

[Currawong]

I left the stream and walked deeper into the rainforest

I pushed through an area of extraordinarily dense ferns to find this large pool of water. It was at the bottom of a depression and covered in green water plants. It wasn't connected to the stream, and it seemed out of place, kind of strange and illogical to be there. I've never come across a pool like this in these forests before.

I found the longest stick I could find (a fallen tree branch) and poked it in, but I couldn't find the bottom. I dropped it and it disappeared and the plants closed up over it.

I was so still and quiet there, and very peaceful. I had the strong temptation to jump in and swim around, but caution got the better of me.

(cont...)

 

[Minnesota Man]

Go easy on me boys but what does TGLB stand for?

 

[Yonose]

I left the stream and walked deeper into the rainforest

I pushed through an area of extraordinarily dense ferns to find this large pool of water. It was at the bottom of a depression and covered in green water plants. It wasn't connected to the stream, and it seemed out of place, kind of strange and illogical to be there. I've never come across a pool like this in these forests before.

I found the longest stick I could find (a fallen tree branch) and poked it in, but I couldn't find the bottom. I dropped it and it disappeared and the plants closed up over it.

I was so still and quiet there, and very peaceful. I had the strong temptation to jump in and swim around, but caution got the better of me.

(cont...)

I think I would use my knife to try and stay! Looks beautiful by the waterfall. If there’s a salt croc there kill him and take over his spot! Might need a Moabolo for that task though?

 

[Apocryphiliac]

Wow, gorgeous pictures! Thanks for sharing, Currawong! Jealous of your beautiful environment. And of course, nice TGLB!

 

[Currawong]

Heading out, I had to walk up some very steep slopes through a network of vines and rainforest shrubs. It was extremely hard going and I was pretty tired by then (it was about seven hours in, with a few to go).

Eventually I hit a slope so steep I couldn't get up it, no matter how hard I tried. Because it was raining everything was slippery. I crawled up this section of the hill and reached a point where I kept sliding back down. I couldn't get a foot hold. I went up and slid helplessly back down about five or six times before thinking, there is no way I'm getting up this hill. Trouble was, to go back would add an hour or two and I was just too tired to do it. This was the only way up, but I was stuck.

I sat there for a while, not going up or down and eventually, out of sheer desperation, pulled out my TGLB and started ramming it into the ground and using it to pull myself up.

I found I could hold the handle with one hand and the top of the blade with my other and pull myself up the slope. Slowly and precariously, but it worked.

I went up maybe 30 or 50 metres this way (I lost track). I was sticking the knife in about every foot or less. I probably stuck it into the soil about 50 times or more. I had my full body weight on it whenever my feet lost traction (which was most of the time).

Here's a pic at the top of the slope. It's hard to tell from this photo just how steep it was.

What the ground looked like: it was almost pure rock in many places.

So this was an act of desperation and of course I didn't want to do it. I thought I was basically going to wreck the knife. But I just didn't care at that point. It was shoved hard into soil and rocks about 50 times and then levered hard... I just knew it was going to be bad.

This is what it looked like once I got to the top of the steep section.

It was blunted a little on the tip. No edge damage further down and no chipping anywhere. It actually wasn't that sharp on the point to begin with, so this was not even blunted very much. Man was I relieved! It's so good to know that a tool can handle this kind of abuse. Busse's come with thick spines and an obtuse geometry and this is why!

After another couple of hours I got back to the car. On the drive out I spotted these folks broken down. They asked if I could help them fix the car but I was too rude to stop LOL.

Back home, I cleaned it up and this is what it looked like. I washed it in hot soapy water and scrubbed it pretty hard, but couldn't get all the dirt off, it was so impacted on.

The only way to know for sure you can count on a knife is to field test it. I'm sure about this one now . Thankyou Mr Busse!

Hope you enjoyed this hike in the forest

 

[fbusmc]

Go easy on me boys but what does TGLB stand for?

Team Gemini light brigade

 

[Mike Pierson]

Love seeing into your world. Great knife to take along!

 

[cashville]

Awesome read and great pictures!

 

[Apocryphiliac]

Hard. Core.

 

[Private Klink]

Interesting journey, and I'm glad you made it back OK!

 

[zombieassassin]

That is SO Freakin Awesome!
Thanks for the sweet pics.

 

[THelambda]

funny date with your tglb in jungle

 

[Aias]

Great pics and one heck of an adventure! Best you did not venture into that pool of water--who know what bacteria/ Protozoa are in there! TGLB's are amazing knives--my son has claimed mine... but he's only 8, so I still have a bit of time to use mine.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[gk4ever2]

Awesome adventure and spectacular photos - thank you for sharing!

 

[RobStanley]

Awesome hike man!! Thanks for the wicked pics.

We have a bunch of that smilax (or similar) vine on our place. Rips you up good if you get it tangled around your legs. Pretty much immune to any weedkillers I've tried too. Gotta dig it out and burn it.