Weekend outing and gear testing

C

collim1

Joined
Aug 14, 2014
Messages
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This weekend my area had a record setting cold predicted. Where I live anything below 40deg is considered cold, so single digit temperatures is a once in a decade opportunity to test your outdoor skills. My cousin and I packed up and made a 4hr drive to the mountains in the northern most area of the state.

I can hardly call it a bushcrafting trip since we packed in a tent and various other gear, but it was still an opportunity to test our campsite building skills. I brought along a ridiculous array of new tools hoping to test them out. Included were my BK9, Gransfors Wildlife Hatchet, Mora Bushcraft Black, Cold Steel Shovel, Bahco Laplander folding saw, and as always my trusty Vic Farmer.

Once in the woods though the cold and wind left little time for testing and reviewing newly purchased toys or deer hunting. Maintaining the fire and thawing/warming water for drinking and food prep literally took up more than half of the day.

I was super excited about the Cold Steel Special Forces shovel when it arrived last week. I couldn't wait to put it to use. I find a small shovel very handy for setting up camp. Unfortunately I didn't get to review it. The ground was frozen solid when we arrived, and not even the sharpened edges and my full body weight could get that shovel even a millimeter into the ground. I was very disappointed.

The BK9 and the Gransfors hatchet never left the pack. I just didn't have time for unnecessary tasks.

The one tool I did use a lot was the new Mora Bushcraft Black. I was worried it was a little too heavy to be worn around my neck, so I made a neck lanyard for it out of paracord with the strands doubled around the back of my neck to help prevent irritation due to the extra few ounces. I am no stranger to Moras, in fact I am a huge Mora fan, and a No 1 is usually around my neck if I am outside the city limits. I found the Bushcraft Black to perform even better than my beloved No 1 in carbon steel. I was worried the thicker blade geometry would not cut wood as well as the thinner bladed No 1. I did not require any hard use and I'm not a advocate of batoning, but I can say it cuts even dry hard wood like a laser. I hate to say it, but it might replace my my trust No 1 if for nothing else than the added traction and comfort of the grip.

The Bahco saw performed very well, and was actually fun to use and helped warm me up with a little activity. It cuts very fast as it cuts on the draw and the push, but it did bind on the push once and scare me when the blade bent. It didn't snap though and it only did it that one time. It is definitely the best folding saw I have used.

The Farmer is nothing new to me me, but I did notice a huge shortcoming of it this weekend that ensured it stayed in my pocket and was not used at all. You simply cannot open the blades with gloves on. It's never been an issue in the past as weather this cold is rare in my parts, but this weekend was cold enough that even a moment without gloves and you began losing dexterity in your fingers.

Despite being cold we had a great time. Back in my younger days I was an experienced camper and even did a considerable amount of lightweight backpacking when I was a teenager, but cold weather outdoor skills is something I have little experience with.

Two items I brought proved to be invaluable. One was my normal survival kit I keep in my hunting bag and my vehicle. The ferro rod and Vaseline cotton balls I keep in a old medicine bottle made fire starting easy. The wind was so strong matches would have been tricky to use and it was so cold the usually faithful Bic lighter was useless due to the gas pressure being so reduced. Even keeping it in my pocket failed to warm it enough to get a flame that rose above the lighters wind guard.

The other was my propane lantern. It provided light when the headlamp batteries started crapping out, and also warmed up my frozen hands while I was struggling to get the coals from the previous nights fire rebuilt. Getting out of a warm sleeping bag and tent and into the windy 4 degree air was no easy task, both mentally and physically. The gas lantern provided just enough heat to convince me I could get out of my bag and get dressed so I could start working on the fire.

I learned a lot this outing and got to put some skills I have picked up here to thee test as well. I made fire using a ferro rod and Vaseline soaked cotton balls. I was able to stay warm with a relatively small fire and efficient fire by using a tarp as a wind screen on one side and a space blanket in the other to reflect heat from the fire. I wish I had more time to play...Um I mean test my test my new tools, but it was still a productive trip. We managed to stay warm and comfortable throughout the trip despite the cold temperature and brutal wind.

I only got a few pictures before everything battery powered began to fail, but here are a few.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e90/collim1/Mobile Uploads/image_zps2274b8bb.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e90/collim1/christmasknife_zpsbd4d3df6.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e90/collim1/Mobile Uploads/image_zps0ed7089d.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e90/collim1/Mobile Uploads/image_zps9c763f69.jpg

I know it's a long post with little actual knife review and testing, but I am quite proud of myself and my partner for not only surviving, but staying comfortable. We were in a beautiful location in conditions that are very rare for my area and it was an experience I will never forget.

If you made it this far thanks for reading. Feel free to share your most recent outing as well.
 
Last edited:
Sounds like you had an interesting time and had some fun. Its always more fun to look back on than it is at the moment when its freezing and your working to get a fire going. The Sak has been left at home for me for years, just too hard to open with gloves. I've been wet and cold more times than I like to remember trying to use one in a camp. I always pack along a box of life boat matches for those times I'm just too tired or frustrated to dick with a ferro rod, add those to your cotton ball vasaline and you can start a fire much faster.
 
collim1 said:
This weekend my area had a record setting cold predicted. Where I live anything below 40deg is considered cold, so single digit temperatures is a once in a decade opportunity to test your outdoor skills. My cousin and I packed up and made a 4hr drive to the mountains in the northern most area of the state.

I can hardly call it a bushcrafting trip since we packed in a tent and various other gear, but it was still an opportunity to test our campsite building skills. I brought along a ridiculous array of new tools hoping to test them out. Included were my BK9, Gransfors Wildlife Hatchet, Mora Bushcraft Black, Cold Steel Shovel, Bahco Laplander folding saw, and as always my trusty Vic Farmer.

Once in the woods though the cold and wind left little time for testing and reviewing newly purchased toys or deer hunting. Maintaining the fire and thawing/warming water for drinking and food prep literally took up more than half of the day.

I was super excited about the Cold Steel Special Forces shovel when it arrived last week. I couldn't wait to put it to use. I find a small shovel very handy for setting up camp. Unfortunately I didn't get to review it. The ground was frozen solid when we arrived, and not even the sharpened edges and my full body weight could get that shovel even a millimeter into the ground. I was very disappointed.

The BK9 and the Gransfors hatchet never left the pack. I just didn't have time for unnecessary tasks.

The one tool I did use a lot was the new Mora Bushcraft Black. I was worried it was a little too heavy to be worn around my neck, so I made a neck lanyard for it out of paracord with the strands doubled around the back of my neck to help prevent irritation due to the extra few ounces. I am no stranger to Moras, in fact I am a huge Mora fan, and a No 1 is usually around my neck if I am outside the city limits. I found the Bushcraft Black to perform even better than my beloved No 1 in carbon steel. I was worried the thicker blade geometry would not cut wood as well as the thinner bladed No 1. I did not require any hard use and I'm not a advocate of batoning, but I can say it cuts even dry hard wood like a laser. I hate to say it, but it might replace my my trust No 1 if for nothing else than the added traction and comfort of the grip.

The Bahco saw performed very well, and was actually fun to use and helped warm me up with a little activity. It cuts very fast as it cuts on the draw and the push, but it did bind on the push once and scare me when the blade bent. It didn't snap though and it only did it that one time. It is definitely the best folding saw I have used.

The Farmer is nothing new to me me, but I did notice a huge shortcoming of it this weekend that ensured it stayed in my pocket and was not used at all. You simply cannot open the blades with gloves on. It's never been an issue in the past as weather this cold is rare in my parts, but this weekend was cold enough that even a moment without gloves and you began losing dexterity in your fingers.

Despite being cold we had a great time. Back in my younger days I was an experienced camper and even did a considerable amount of lightweight backpacking when I was a teenager, but cold weather outdoor skills is something I have little experience with.

Two items I brought proved to be invaluable. One was my normal survival kit I keep in my hunting bag and my vehicle. The ferro rod and Vaseline cotton balls I keep in a old medicine bottle made fire starting easy. The wind was so strong matches would have been tricky to use and it was so cold the usually faithful Bic lighter was useless due to the gas pressure being so reduced. Even keeping it in my pocket failed to warm it enough to get a flame that rose above the lighters wind guard.

The other was my propane lantern. It provided light when the headlamp batteries started crapping out, and also warmed up my frozen hands while I was struggling to get the coals from the previous nights fire rebuilt. Getting out of a warm sleeping bag and tent and into the windy 4 degree air was no easy task, both mentally and physically. The gas lantern provided just enough heat to convince me I could get out of my bag and get dressed so I could start working on the fire.

I learned a lot this outing and got to put some skills I have picked up here to thee test as well. I made fire using a ferro rod and Vaseline soaked cotton balls. I was able to stay warm with a relatively small fire and efficient fire by using a tarp as a wind screen on one side and a space blanket in the other to reflect heat from the fire. I wish I had more time to play...Um I mean test my test my new tools, but it was still a productive trip. We managed to stay warm and comfortable throughout the trip despite the cold temperature and brutal wind.

I only got a few pictures before everything battery powered began to fail, but here are a few.

image_zps2274b8bb.jpg


christmasknife_zpsbd4d3df6.jpg


image_zps0ed7089d.jpg


image_zps9c763f69.jpg


I know it's a long post with little actual knife review and testing, but I am quite proud of myself and my partner for not only surviving, but staying comfortable. We were in a beautiful location in conditions that are very rare for my area and it was an experience I will never forget.

If you made it this far thanks for reading. Feel free to share your most recent outing as well.
Click to expand...


Where are these pictures from?

See if these links work.
You put them in withxxx
they need
 
Nice writeup. It's always interesting to see what works in different situations and to enjoy other people's experiences.
 
collim1 said:
This weekend my area had a record setting cold predicted. Where I live anything below 40deg is considered cold, so single digit temperatures is a once in a decade opportunity to test your outdoor skills. My cousin and I packed up and made a 4hr drive to the mountains in the northern most area of the state.....(snip)

.... We were in a beautiful location in conditions that are very rare for my area and it was an experience I will never forget.

If you made it this far thanks for reading. Feel free to share your most recent outing as well.
Click to expand...

Learning is never a waste of time! For many of us it would help if you would put a general location in your profile (top right) or at least in your post. Conditions and terrain vary wildly over the U.S. much less the rest of the world.

I've likewise never been big on extreme weather camping and adventuring. Like yourself my learning has been by trial and error the few times I have been out in extreme cold. It is absolutely a game changer isn't it? Many things we never really consider become critical to not just comfort but survival. Batteries die. Thermometers bottom out. Ink pens freeze. Candles don't want to burn. Same for fuel canister stoves. Bits of kit and clothing that have always been flexible... aren't. Things shatter and break that you never thought would. Inside a shelter frozen condensation from breathing becomes a major factor, coating everything. And minor tasks become major ordeals. Thanks for sharing your experience on this trip. I imagine you'll use what you learned to make such future trips more enjoyable.

Michael
 
Its always nice to get out to put some new gear to work ..that what we get it for right! And great write up thanks for sharing.
 
Great post. Thanks! Unfortunate about the Farmer, but perfectly logical. I grabbed a SS Bushcraft Orange this Christmas and they have a sweet handle and seem beefy enough for heavy use. You won't regret that CS shovel either...when the permafrost melts:D
 
Fuori said:
What kind of space blanket is that? That looks pretty large.
Click to expand...

Just the standard Walmart cheapo one. I reinforced the corners with duct tape and strung it up. After that picture was taken I strung up a larger tarp behind it to act as a larger windbreak and protect the fragile space blanket from tearing in the wind.

It worked really well, I was able to maintain a relatively small and efficient fire and still stay warm.

The rock fire circle I put together was very small so the scale just appears the blanket is larger. This was a popular hiking and camping area (though not this weekend) so I was concerned wood would be scarce. Having a fire that was efficient as possible was priority number 1.
 
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