I was asked to do close ups of the contents and what I kept in my char tin. Short story long! Char Cloth of course 🙂 🙂
old tobacco tinsail needle in lid rather than on knife sheath, bag of char cloth and tinder wickfrensel lense on base, badest bee fire fuses and rope char Ive been experimenting withI keep an oilskin bag of jute in my haversackexotac nano candle to use as an extendertinder wick needs to be unwoundmake as finer strands as possibletill a small bush of feathersthe ferro rod needs to be placed on the material when striking
I’m getting into the use of extenders. Tinder wicks and candles. If your in the middle of the bush for an extended period with only one Bic Lighter, Id rather save the fuel and use either a candle or a tinder wick when trying to ignite damp material. Rather than use up all the fuel in a tool with a limited life span then to rely solely on primitive means of ignition. The same goes for the frensel lense. On a clear hot day its very easy to use when incorporating charcloth and jute twine.
from left Opinel, silky out back pocket boy 170mm, silky pocket boy 130mm, Laplander
This is the first time Ive had all the pruning saws in one place at the same time to compare.
Opinel in size with 130mm SilkyOutback 170mm next to Laplandersaw cuts 130mm on left outback on rightlaplander cut on far right
I was chatting to Al Ainsworth about the saws I was selling and he mentioned that he found the Outback cut much better than the other saws and this was the first time Ive had all of them together. I had given away the silky pocket boy 130mm to a mate but asked for it back to specifically do this test.
I had purchased the silky 130mm for an edc but never had a use for it and found after cutting next to the other the width of the cut is much thinner. The opinel which I’m selling is nice to use however I need a multi-tool every time I want to open the blade.
Cutting between the Silky outback and the Laplander. Horses for courses. If I was cutting a branch from higher up the pull stroke of the silky and if cutting lower down the Laplander push stroke as I used to a carpenter saw. Ill keep both and keep swapping them around through my kit.
They’ve both ended up in my lock box because the only time I use either one is on a training course. The first saw I grab to cut timber for firewood is a Boreal.
I was watching the Grey Bearded Green Beret and on several of his you-tube clips he mentions preferring a longer ferro rod I think it was on his winter gear dump video. I thought Id give it a go, with the damage in my hands and found it much easier. On one course they taught to tie a piece of paracord to the ferro rod and attach it to your belt. I found it became tangled all the time. So my version was to do a reverse wrap which didn’t tangle but still filled up the pocket. I think Id only use this on certain courses where your always making fires and under a time limit for testing not for real world applications. I also tried wrapping the grip end with Gorilla tape for an emergency fire starter and ended up going with the same paracord wrap I used earlier for the tungsten strikers. in a bright color so I couldn’t loose it if dropped.
Ive been trying to sort out my belt pouch and remove all the unnecessary gear and have a fire making kit only bag. A more streamlined and lighter version.
bagerclaw on left right one I made and top a british version in hard leatherrear view I should have used thicker leather on mine for the belt strapskit contentsgoing to retire the repair items to another bag but Ill keep the DC4only items in the tin are tinder and a soft frensel lense on the baseall my fire lighting kit are in a oilskin bag. I use lawn mower cord for the firebowthe SAK and lighter go in my pocketThe ferro rod isnt in the main pic I was still making the handlesame wrap as the strikers in a previous potI was using the left side versiondifference in sizes
Recently I stopped carrying items either on my belt, because of the sports seats in my Raptor the items would dig into my side. Or in my pockets due to the bulk and weight. My pants kept falling down. I was determined that anything I had in storage that I couldn’t incorporate into my system of carry for all my packs would be either sold or given away. So I started using my Versipack more and it became a habit to grab it every time I went out and I only carry the minimal of gear in it to keep down weight and what I have found I use all the time.
Maxpedition Gear Octa Versipack
Torch
Bic Lighter
Gerber Multi tool
Spare Reading Glasses
Torniquet – RATS
Wallet – Maxpedition Gear Spartan
Phone
Spare charging cable
Tactical Pen
Knife Benchmade SOCP “There may be cake and for special meat cutting tasks” Coch
Versipack I wear it over my shoulderI always have a RATSelcheapo glasses from chemistglasses stored in a sea to summit soft bag pen stored on top for easy accessfront pouch lighter , torch, multitool, prybarclose up of front pouch contentspry bar and spare key I wont say where that is stroedI got the idea for the sock puppet from Talen Sei. Finally found a use for the top section of the versipack. have a velcro belt retainer as a safety
Councils and the govt want to play games with peoples lives. With no afforable housing solutions and homelessness on the rise.. more and more people are being forced into cars and vans trying to make the best of a horrific situation. Housing minister, if councils are pushing people out, you’re doing nothing about it and have no housing… whats the solution? We have a few.. enough is enough. The hostility needs to end. People need safe spaces and communities.Ive watched security and rangers try to open peoples vehicls whilst they belive no ones watching, onlt target people in vans or cars with sleeping gear and behave aggressively towards them. Ive seen women being cornered by rangers after showering and the rangers not allowing the woman to dress before making her stand and talk to 3 of them.. all men of course.. and much more. Sickened to my core by what’s happening here in perth and around australia. When people need compassion and understanding we are seeing the worse epidemic of entitlement. We will not be silent and stand by. #whendoesitend#6pr#channel9#theproject#australianhousingcrisis#perth#fyp#todaytonight#accurrentaffair#homelessness#housingcrisis#abcperth
A mate sent me the above link. He has been on the road for 8 years and finally been given a Government Housing Commission home for his wife and 6 kids. I was in a government housing for 16 years when I became ill and finally walked off the property after houses around me were being burnt, pools of blood from stabbings were left at my front gate. I could go on and on about neighbors with domestic abuse and drug selling but I wont.
Ive been traveling for 5 years now and just find it interesting that I know people with full time employment that can not get a housing loan, the rental prices are through the roof and caravan parks are at maximum capacity.Van life that was once considered trendy is now becoming a way of life for many that can not afford to live any other way. I sold my caravan and brought the Sprinter because I never wanted to stay in another caravan park again after the last few experiences. I no longer talk to people when traveling when in an area for more than a few days now so as not to attract drama.
So the federal government solution is to make housing unaffordable to purchase and if you can get a loan your paying if off for the rest of your life, the state government makes it so you cant afford to rent even if you can find a place to rent and when your forced to live in your vehicle the local government turfs you out of using and parking around amenity blocks.Social housing is a 10 year wait and usually puts you into another class of hell altogether that becomes hard to escape from once your in it, that many I know can attest to.
On my last trip I barely spoke to anyone for the last month of traveling, especially the normal’s. The few people I did talk to weren’t classed as middle class Australians. I ran out of cash for a while and grabbed some meals from the local housing co-op in Burnie. All nice people and ended up doing a weeks voluntary work there in the gardens. On the ferry home I started talking to a guy two seats up who had a tattooed head and a D-shackle through the nose. One of the nicest people I met on the whole trip.
However the most interesting conversation I have had in a very long time was with a homeless dude in a park. I like to move the van during the day and go back to a good spot of a night so it doesn’t appear your there all the time and moved down the coast to wait for the ferry home at a small parkland. This guy had set up his sleeping bag on a park bench and was saying hello to everyone that passed by. I passed him on my walk to rehab the leg when he spoke to me and we ended up chatting for the next 3 hours.
He talked of his childhood, how he lived now, his camp in the shrubbery a few hundred meters away where no one could see him, how he found food, the drug problems in that state and the areas to stay away from. I gave him one of my spare military surplus blankets. I couldn’t have slept out rough with the sleeping bag he was using. I eventually had to sit down and rest back at the van and decided to take off but returned shortly after. He thought I didn’t want to say goodbye however I brought him a pack on chicken honey and soy kebabs for the bbq that he hanged around getting left overs from picnickers. I hadn’t seen him eat all day and wanted to know he had something in his stomach before I left to go on the ferry a few hours later. That conversation changed my life in many ways.
The one thing that stands out the most was his perception of me. After talking for a short while he said he was a little taken aback when I stopped to talk. As most people either ignored him or would just nod to his greetings. However he said I looked like someone that would walk up and talk to anyone and wasn’t afraid of anything from my demeanor. I cracked up laughing because I told him I was in pain most of the time, could barely walk and had trouble breathing after the pneumonia and had lost 5 kilo when in Tasi. I still smile when I think of it. I hope he is doing well.
Anyone looking for a good quality leather belt pouch for their SAK (Swiss Army Knife), try Aussie Bush Leather. I have one for my Leatherman aswell. They fit well and good stitching.
the large suits the Trekkergood quality stitchingfits wellattention to detail with logo
High Speed Steel is a tool steel used to make cutting tool material such as lathe and mill bits to withstand greater temperatures without loosing its temper, allowing it to cut faster hence the name.The Heat treatment is generally above 60 Rockwell. This steel is usually made from Tungsten or cobalt. I looked into it for ferro rod strikers, finding an 200 x 14 x 3mm piece was $80 AUD locally, $20 from Amazon and $6 each from Ali-express. So I grabbed 5 pieces to get free shipping. I’m planning on scoring with at 100mm with a grinder and breaking them in half and doing a Strider wrap over two inches to form a handle. I have tested the steel on my ferro rod . Works great and the size gives me greater purchase for my hands than the smaller strikers that come with many of the ferro rods that are bent tin looking things. Should make good Christmas presents for my bushcrafty mates.
cut to 100mm piecesstuffed up this one burnt end not covered by cordage had to rebind it. I also moved the cord from 50/50 to 60/40mm3mm paracord vs 550 cordjust have to seal the tails and make loops
Made a batch up. If I were doing it again I would use 2mm steel instead of three and stick to 3mm paracord and get some more colours. Id also cut the length to 65mm, smaller to fit in the pocket or altoid tins. I’m just using up left over pieces I had on hand.Filled in an afternoon for something different. Ill keep a couple for myself and the rest are giveaways to mates.
I was scanning sites looking for tungsten ferro rod strikers and came across the below company selling ceramic bearing blocks and had to grab one to try out. I’m amazed no one has thought of it before.
Description from seller (walkingbirdoz) on Eprey AU Here is a double fired and glazed ceramic palm stone / bearing block for use in a fire bow drill set. This SINGLE palm stone is APPROX 35 mm across (larger size also available) Back of stone that contacts hand is unglazed and slightly textured for easy handling. Very hard wearing and durable.
current collection of bearing blocks from steel to micartaglazed sideunglazed for grip texture
One lesson I learned while in Tasmania was to carry a day pack even on a 15 minute hike. Here on the mainland I can ride for 15 minutes and if I had an accident its just a matter of time before someone came along or I could call an ambulance or a taxi. Just 5 minutes off a main road and your in deep bush in Tasmania with no internet coverage. In winter I wouldn’t see another vehicle for 2 hours sometimes even several days if stopping to camp.
One hike in particular where I had trouble. The signage wasn’t marked well. Arrows pointing in all directions but no pathways. It was alright walking down hill but turn around and look back and the track disappeared into the light. It was after seeing Dave Canterbury’s post on a minimal survival kit based on the 5C’s I started to put this together in my head.
My version is not so bushcrafty but more survival based around having an injury. Its hard enough on a good day to brush together enough bracken or pine needles into a bin liner let alone with a injury. Im not going to boil water, collect undergrowth for insulation, cutting timber for a fire is eaier with a small saw. Tinder is a big one for Tasmania. Everything was wet. On the ground in the trees, everywhere. So Id add man made tinder.
I was also finding a posted 15 minute hike was taking me 30 minutes to get to the destination and another 30 to 40 minutes to return.
You may also notice two tarps mentioned. That is to use a system involving two tarps one reflective for the fire and the other to form a secondary wall which is an A-frame design with a gap at the roof for letting out smoke. If your injured then firewood is what you can collect within a 5 meter circumference.
Pack: Sord day pack Pics forth coming
Water bottles plastic x 2
Grayl Water filter
SOL Breathable Bivi
SSA Reflective Blanket
Snugpak tarp
Ridgeline
Bank Line 50m
Plastic tent Stakes x 6 also for fire starting
Poncho : weight depending on weather.Swagman roll or a gortex.
Ferro Rod
Bic Lighter wrapped in gorilla tape
Tinder
Knife Tops Tanimboca
Saw Silky Pocket Boy 170mm
Platatac Gonk mat instead of a plastic bin liner to also use as a seat pad
