A Work In progress

I decided to go through my gear and update a few items for the upcoming courses that are my goals to do this year. Several things in the past have worked but also haven’t worked. I learn something different every time I do a course. Also what I carry on a training course and what Id carry by myself are two totally different concepts.

Id would now carry something like a TT Essential Pack MKII 9L to 15 ltr Backpack when training. It’ll hold my water bottle, note pad and compass along with any other essentials for the day and have enough room to include cooking pots and eating utensils for of a night, when at either the main camp site or another’s meeting point. However when Im bush by myself I like to go traditional.

I found the water bottle holders with a pouch on the side become too heavy with cups and cooking accessories. So Ive gone to a Badger Claw Outfitters Water bottle holder which just holds the bottle and nothing else. If I require cooking gear I have enough room in my Frost River Haversack to include them. What you do on courses and what you do independently are completely different. If I’m hiking through the bush I don’t need cups, pots spork etc.

I like the system that Dave Ward from Ochoco Bushcraft has done in link below. Canteen on one shoulder, haversack on the other and a possibles belt kit to hold the fire kit. Everything becomes balanced over several body parts. However Im swapping around the haversack to the Frost River. I like the wider shoulder strap.

I must have also gone through every bushcraft haversack kit video on you-tube and it looks like they’ve just stuck as much gear as possible into one bag just to make a video. I like to one spread out the load and two have my fire kit always on my belt and not in a shoulder bag.

Doing courses is also the only time I carry the small silky folding saws. The Frost River can also hold my smaller Boreal collapsible saw. Saws are carried on courses and used all the time but Id only use them for firewood at my own campsite. Your’d be lucky to find any instructors in Australia that would let you carry an axe or a large knife while training.

I keep my ferro rod and Bic lighter always in my pocket along with a piece of paracord to use to tie up a firewood carrier. I base the remainder of the equipment around the 5C’s.

Compass

tinder pouch oilskin bag

bankline oilskin bag

gloves leather

note pad

poncho

canteen 32oz and nesting cup

multi tool backup blade

headlamp

first aid bleed out and snake kit

shemagh

https://www.survivalsuppliesaustralia.com.au/TT-Essential-Pack-MKII-9L-Backpack

(Ive since purchased a TAD Gear Fast pack secondhand to do the job. You need to collect much more tinder on courses to complete prerequisite tasks)

FAST Pack EDC

Ive been looking into getting a Sojourn pack and modifying it to a larger vertical style shoulder haversack. Unpicking the sewing on the sides and removing the straps and placing on a shoulder strap. To have a more traditional look and to sit under the arm better.

Frost River Sojourn

Sojourn Pack