Urban Bushcrafting...a surefire way to get funyy looks

Mistwalker

Mistwalker

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Dec 22, 2007
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Here are a few shots of the city I live in. Not the largest in the world by any means but sure not the smallest either.

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This is the park that is down town.

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Looking at some of the new police cars we seem to be going more and more green. I guess that really started when we moved away from industry and toward tourism....and then developed a major industrial park outside of town where, among others, Volks Wagon is building a factory.

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Today, after tending to my business down town, I was ready for a good cup of coffee and a walk. Time to head to Rembrandts and then along the river walk.

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There were a few types of berries along the way, I need to try to get these identified.

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The pears are pretty small, but coming along..

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It rained almost all night last night, but I noticed that the branches in the Cedar tree were a good bit dryer than the trunks...

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so...I decided to experiment. I decided to try Cedar bark and a fire steel for the first time. This is where the funny looks come in. First I collected some strips of bark and laid them in the sun to dry a little more.

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As you can see I'm not exactly in the woods....

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....but interestingly enough the funny looks had nothing to do with the knife as no-one ever saw it (but had to get knife pics in here somewhere didn't I). The funny looks were all about me taking pictures of the berries, and this.....and my trying to light it.

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As much as I'd like to had I had great success....alas that would be a lie. I let it dry while I drank my coffee and took pictures, and then crumbled it up. Then I tried several times...I'm a fairly persistant person...but no joy. I was going to wait a while and try again but then I saw a team of bike cops in the distance and decided I was ready for another cup of coffee. So... no success, but the walk and the coffee were no less enjoyable because of it.
 
Just hum this song and you will be accepted.
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Great pics by the way.
 
Nice humblind experience.... Thanks for sharing it.

It's amazing how people give looks for the us doing the most simple things, like appreciating mother nature.
 
Thanks man, glad you liked them.

Lol, I may have traveled a lot in my day but I was born here and actually have hummed that song a few times. Especially when I take Lisa to the Choo Choo Hotel to stay for Valentines, or to their Garden Inn restaurant for dinner and walk through the old railroad platforms.
 
I used to go through there quite often. I can't help but get that song stuck in my head when I do. Beautiful area.
 
myright said:
Nice humblind experience.... Thanks for sharing it.

It's amazing how people give looks for the us doing the most simple things, like appreciating mother nature.
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Yeah...stop to look at the buildings and it's almost normal...stop to look at a tree and...



protourist said:
I used to go through there quite often. I can't help but get that song stuck in my head when I do. Beautiful area.
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Yeah, it is beautiful here...why I stay here. Just outside of town there are miles and miles of trails through several different woods.
 
Great pics Mistwalker, I hope you find what them berries are. I am wondering now LOL.
Too bad about the bark not lighting up for ya.
say do you have any birch trees in that park or in that area? That stuff lights up so awesome from the sparks of from a firesteel.
How many people in your town roughly?
That pic with the small moutain in back with all them trees is just awesome.
Very cool looking knife :D

Bryan
 
Good pics, and a good thread, Mist. It seems to be easier to find good tinder out here: everything's dry.
 
sicily02 said:
Great pics Mistwalker, I hope you find what them berries are. I am wondering now LOL.
Too bad about the bark not lighting up for ya.
say do you have any birch trees in that park or in that area? That stuff lights up so awesome from the sparks of from a firesteel.
Very cool looking knife :D

Bryan
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Thanks Bryan

We have some types of Birch, like Black Birch...but I haven't seen any Paper Bark Birch, though there are asome paper bark trees in Coolidge Park I need to try..

Now do you see why I want a smaller one?
 
dawsonbob said:
Good pics, and a good thread, Mist. It seems to be easier to find good tinder out here: everything's dry.
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Thanks Bob, glad you enjoyed the pics.

Well...we had a dry few weeks in the upper nineties but we have had days of rain lately
 
mistwalker said:
Well...we had a dry few weeks in the upper nineties but we have had days of rain lately
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Man, I wish you could send some of that blessed rain out here. We only average about 10 inches per year, and this year we're well below that. Looking at your pics of how green it is back there makes me jealous.

Best,

Bob
 
dawsonbob said:
Man, I wish you could send some of that blessed rain out here. We only average about 10 inches per year, and this year we're well below that. Looking at your pics of how green it is back there makes me jealous.

Best,

Bob
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Wish I could send you some too Bob. Things got all dry and droopy here for a while. But then we've had days of rain, the storms last night shook the house.
 
mistwalker said:
Wish I could send you some too Bob. Things got all dry and droopy here for a while. But then we've had days of rain, the storms last night shook the house.
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I guess I could go stand in the shower, close my eyes and pretend.
 
Yep I can see why the smaller one would be a better option to take with you when out and about in the city there. It is in the works though;):D.

Yep even if it is not the paper birch all the birches that I have tried you can still peel some bark ( some easyer than others) off and light it up with firesteel. Yep I have to go the parks to get the birch barks too.
I have never seen any growing in the wild here. As long as you do not look like you are destroying the trees you should be able to harvest some bark with no problems. Heck sometimes I am able to just pic it up off the ground to around the trees. depending on what park I am in.

Bryan
 
sicily02 said:
Yep I can see why the smaller one would be a better option to take with you when out and about in the city there. It is in the works though;):D.

Yep even if it is not the paper birch all the birches that I have tried you can still peel some bark ( some easyer than others) off and light it up with firesteel. Yep I have to go the parks to get the birch barks too.
I have never seen any growing in the wild here. As long as you do not look like you are destroying the trees you should be able to harvest some bark with no problems. Heck sometimes I am able to just pic it up off the ground to around the trees. depending on what park I am in.

Bryan
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Cool, I can't wait!

Well...the Black Birch has bark like an Ash or Oak....I didn't even know it was a Birch at first. It's the same here, I could usually get the bark off the ground...just never tried any with a fire steel.
 
I wonder what the people would have thought had you gotten the tinder to light? Would they have been freaked out? Or would it have been normal?
 
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