The Ice Man and Nessmuk

Sears was a diminutive man...5'2' or less. Not a great family man, either. As it happens, Kepthart had similar issues with his family.

He was into self-promotion quite a bit. His light weight kit was due in no small part to his stature and health.

That notwithstanding, he packed light because he reasoned out what he used, and subsequently, what he needed.

The axe anecdote serves a number of purposes for him. It gave him a aura of acute sensibilites to the needs of the woodsman, it really is the only piece of personal equipment that he expands upon, other than his light-weight canoes...Sairy Gimp and ?. AND, since he got his income ( and LOTS of free room and board at the Hunting Camp Resorts in the Adirondacks), he may have used some of his reknown as "currency."

He's been kind of diefied by subsequent generations, and certainly deserves a huge amount of credit for spreading the faith of "outing" and minimal impact camping, and woodscraft, things for which I greatly admire him. I spread the faith as often as I can, sending copies of his book out to those whose interests seem to tend in outdoors interests. (I may have infected HD. :) )

But, he was a practical man, not given to excess or expense. His letters served to introduce inexpensive quality time to the working man. He stressed commonplace clothes, tools, and foodstuffs.

At least, that's how I have come to view him.
 
May have???;)

Good take on it Kismet. I forgot the frugal aspect of his book you mention:thumbup:

And yeah I'm now guilty of passing out the book myself. Sort of like a Hare Krishna w/ the Bhagavad Gita:D
 
Personally, I think they're all sitting around hoping that someday Jedidiah Smith, Jim Bridger, T. Fitzpatrick, etc. will let them join their fire:).
 
hollowdweller said:
You think they're both setting together on a cloud with a laptop and surfing BFWS and saying "Look what we started";):thumbup:
Click to expand...

And Otzi (sorry, no umlaut key on this computer) says," And DOC-CANADA is probably the only guy on this forum that ever used Viburnum lantana (Wayfaring tree) to make arrows with. (Otzi's arrow wood)

This is Viburnum lantana.

Viburnumlantana6.jpg



It's not a native plant here, but has been planted ornamentally. I guess the seeds have been spread by birds, so now there's probably 15 - 20 growing in the area I usually hike.

Here's the flower:

Wayfaringtree.jpg


They make very good arrow shafts. Once dried and straightened, they usually stay that way or at least relatively so. Sometimes a little tuning up is in order.

:D Doc :D
 
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