Are you using a single Bushcraft knife to replace those items? If so which one?
I'm pretty confident in the chopping ability of the Esse 4 in my GHB, but I also keep a wire saw in there just in case, only because it's so lightweight.
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What have you done this week to prep?
- Thread starter DHolder
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Are you using a single Bushcraft knife to replace those items? If so which one?
I'm pretty confident in the chopping ability of the Esse 4 in my GHB, but I also keep a wire saw in there just in case, only because it's so lightweight.
I replaced them with a pair of Mechanics gloves, tomahawk, and hand chainsaw. I was able to collect and cut enough wood with those items. Longer branches I would hit a couple of times with the tomahawk then snap them in between a couple of trees that were in a v shape or really close together. It was so much easier the sawing or hacking away forever. I'd cut down dead thinner trees with the hand chainsaw then break them down the same way.
This is the hand chainsaw I have.
https://www.amazon.com/Sportsman-Po...hand+chainsaw&qid=1559413428&s=gateway&sr=8-3
Thanks. I hadn't seen a compact saw quite like that before.
I have one of those as well as one that is called a saw in a can. Haven't tried them on big stuff, but the smaller items seem to slice up nicely.
Have always been warned that wire saws don't last any time at all. I think I still have one in a plumbing box for cutting PVC in odd places.
Have always been warned that wire saws don't last any time at all. I think I still have one in a plumbing box for cutting PVC in odd places.
Fire making practice again today. I did another one stick fire attempt with a piece of red birch. Even though I split it and made most of my shavings from the inside, it was still a little damp because of the weather. Instead of my big ferro rod (6 in long X 0.5 in. diameter), today I used the short ferro rod I carry with me all the time. I was reminded how much easier it it to use a bigger ferrocerium! When I scraped it to make sparks, it was tough to not bump the pile of shavings with my knife each time. After some trying, I used a piece of white birch bark (paper birch) that my coach had provided earlier to I could experiment with it. I scraped the inside of with the back of my knife to fluff it up and it ignited very easily. Initially the pile of shavings had an open flame, but then it died as I was gently putting more shavings on it. Instead of giving up, I kept blowing on the smouldering part of the pile with a fuzz stick's curls sitting on the embers and after a few minutes of effort, got the open flame back to the point were it was consuming the small twigs.
I got to try the Pathfinder Knife Shop knife a friend gave me a couple of years ago. It's 3/16" thick at the spine with a fairly short scandi grind, so I assumed it would be a great wood splitter, but not a great carver. I verified that it's a wood splitting beast and I doubt if I could break it. It worked great when batoning. I also verified that while it will carve wood, it's not great at it when compared to a thinner blade. The para cord rap I did for a handle did well too. I think it will make a great dedicated splitting tool for small jobs when I have the luxury of having multiple tools available.
Today's takeaways: I can make the smaller ferro rod work, but it's significantly harder without flash tinder that's super easier to ignite; white birch bark is awesome; my inherent tendency to refuse to quit served me well; I still need more practice carving wood curls.
I got to try the Pathfinder Knife Shop knife a friend gave me a couple of years ago. It's 3/16" thick at the spine with a fairly short scandi grind, so I assumed it would be a great wood splitter, but not a great carver. I verified that it's a wood splitting beast and I doubt if I could break it. It worked great when batoning. I also verified that while it will carve wood, it's not great at it when compared to a thinner blade. The para cord rap I did for a handle did well too. I think it will make a great dedicated splitting tool for small jobs when I have the luxury of having multiple tools available.
Today's takeaways: I can make the smaller ferro rod work, but it's significantly harder without flash tinder that's super easier to ignite; white birch bark is awesome; my inherent tendency to refuse to quit served me well; I still need more practice carving wood curls.
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I have done nothing in 2 weeks. No advancements. Nothing changed for the better. I am so ashamed.
If you took the time to read the information and experience others have shared, I wouldn't call that nothing. If you've learned anything, that's advancing and bettering yourself.
Maybe I'll see you at the 1500 again tomorrow. The wife wants to hit the reptile expo so I'm going to try and talk her into stopping by the 1500.
The hand chain saws have their place. Biggest downside is that it's a series of links made by the lowest Chinese bidder. My EDC pocket knife has a saw blade. It's not the easiest one to use for a big job, but a saw blade is very handy and the back edge of it is 90 for a ferro rod.
Showed my nephew how to take fatwood and a Mora fire knife and turn it into a blazing fire. A 4 ounce knife/ferro rod combo makes a heck of a combination. Got my other nephew sized up for hammocks for an upcoming overnight backpacking trip I'm taking him on that'll be his first ever.
Messed up the weight cut over the weekend. Paying the price for it this week.
On my upcoming list is to confirm zero on all rifles that's an annual event for me.
Showed my nephew how to take fatwood and a Mora fire knife and turn it into a blazing fire. A 4 ounce knife/ferro rod combo makes a heck of a combination. Got my other nephew sized up for hammocks for an upcoming overnight backpacking trip I'm taking him on that'll be his first ever.
Messed up the weight cut over the weekend. Paying the price for it this week.
On my upcoming list is to confirm zero on all rifles that's an annual event for me.
I do read every post in here. I gain info/knowledge from most of them. Some things we already know and practice but even that can be modified and adjusted over time.
With the recent Tornado hits in and around Dayton Ohio (my sil family is there) it has put the kids in high gear to be ready. Plans are being discussed as best way to do his.
It's too bad that events like that are what it takes to get people's ears to perk up, but hopefully the lesson sinks in. I have family in OH that are now housing their in-laws from one of the places where tornado hit Ohio. They lost a house and barn, but lived to tell the tale. Until a person has seen a disaster with their own eyes, it's hard to learn the importance of preparing academically from an example out of a book.
To add to that, I feel the need to remind our group to keep reminding people we know that preparing for personal financial disasters is just as if not more important than prepping for loss of power, damage to our homes, bad weather, earthquakes, etc. Many people are squared away with water, food, and their bugout gear, but too few are prepared for losing their jobs and being unemployed for more than six months or having a huge, unexpected bill that devastates financial health.
My kids are preppers but not at our level. They spent the weekend in Dayton helping out and came home with a new perspective.
The discussions are around bug out tactics and what an be done about it. The woman folk are out looking at more totes today.
I agree on the financial preparedness. 99% of disasters people go through could have been avoided by having a bigger cash emergency fund tucked away. That's easier to say than to do though too.
I forgot to mention earlier, I rebuilt the garden raised beds so now just adding more fresh garden soil to them and I'll be planting a garden late this year.
Along those lines, I think the farmers are going to be experiencing a financial crisis this year. From what I've heard a very low number of them have gotten anything planted with all the rain and many are likely to take a financial beating this year.
I forgot to mention earlier, I rebuilt the garden raised beds so now just adding more fresh garden soil to them and I'll be planting a garden late this year.
Along those lines, I think the farmers are going to be experiencing a financial crisis this year. From what I've heard a very low number of them have gotten anything planted with all the rain and many are likely to take a financial beating this year.
So true. Financial stability is my immediate focus now that I'm about to start my new job. Budgeting and building an emergency fund is priority #1. Going through nearly 9 months of under employment and a divorce left me starting from scratch.
I am proud to say, I was only forced to sell of one gun during that time, and that was to buy a new computer to assist in the job search. Fortunately I have a very understanding and generous family network I have been able to lean on.
Regarding financial emergencies. If you have money, if it can be fixed with money, you don't have an emergency.
What did I do the past week to make myself and other harder to kill? Bought more ammo. Put in some tomatoes, peppers and lettuce. Distributed some MREs to my network/mutual aid group members. Rotated some gas out and restored/stabilled the rest.
Worked out 5 days. Weights, running, heavy bag, stairs. Did a full weighted "Murph" on Monday.
Hit the range yesterday for some solid work. Pistol fundamentals. Drawstroke to headshots. Then ran transition drills with AR and G19 (MISS meltdown), then 2 mags through the Makarov fast n dirty, moving and shooting, from cover etc. Then did snap firing positions, and flash sight picture shooting out to 100 on steel with my primary AK.
What did I do the past week to make myself and other harder to kill? Bought more ammo. Put in some tomatoes, peppers and lettuce. Distributed some MREs to my network/mutual aid group members. Rotated some gas out and restored/stabilled the rest.
Worked out 5 days. Weights, running, heavy bag, stairs. Did a full weighted "Murph" on Monday.
Hit the range yesterday for some solid work. Pistol fundamentals. Drawstroke to headshots. Then ran transition drills with AR and G19 (MISS meltdown), then 2 mags through the Makarov fast n dirty, moving and shooting, from cover etc. Then did snap firing positions, and flash sight picture shooting out to 100 on steel with my primary AK.
We did get the garden in the ground so I guess my post of miserable failure is not the truth.
Been working with a cousin for a bit, trying to get her to realize that prepping isn't just for end of world crazies.
Her job boosted her pay by a buck an hour. She started living high on the hog, like the grasshopper. Then she got called for jury duty for two days. Her job doesn't reimburse and the vacation money didn't come in. Losing those two days kicked her back side financially.
I reminded her about our lengthy talks on prepping. She recalls, but I doubt she puts any of it to use. I am reminded also about leading a horse to water and all that.
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