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Woodcraft History Books

From listening to a speech by David Wescott at the GBS, which led me to an article from Woodcraft to LNT by James Morton Turner. This in turn led me to the following two books that predate George Washington Sears AKA Nessmuk.

I never thought Id become a history buff. Adding these two books to my list to read.

Edward Breck’s The Way of the Woods (1908)

https://openlibrary.org/books/OL7239952M/The_way_of_the_woods

This is Edward Breck’s 1908 outdoor sports handbook, ‘The Way of the Woods’. Originally intended for sportsmen in North-eastern Unites States and Canada, it has chapters on hunting cougars, grizzly bears, and other fauna native to that part of the world. It also deals with many other aspects of hunting from photography to trapping, making it ideal for anyone with an interest in the sport. Contents include: ‘Cookery-Cooking-kits’, ‘Making Camp’, ‘Woodcraft’, ‘Nature Protection’, ‘Fishing’, ‘Sporting Firearms’, ‘Deer-hunting’, ‘Caribou-hunting’, ‘The Game of the North-west-Elk, Antelope, Mountain Sheep, Mountain Goat, Grizzle Bear, Cougar’, ‘Game Birds’, ‘Trapping’, ‘Photography’, etc. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, high-quality, modern edition complete with the original text and images.

Elmer Krep’s Camp and Trail Methods (1910)

Camp and Trail Methods: Interesting Information for All Lovers of Nature. What To Take and What To Do

Elmer Harry Kreps – “At a young age Elmer became an avid outdoors-man. He authored three books on outdoor subjects and illustrated each with his own sketches. He worked as an illustrator and commercial artist, with his works appearing in many magazines of the period.

His three books on the outdoors are still very much sought after and read. They are “Science of Trapping” published in 1909, “Camp & Trail Methods” published in 1910, and the book he is most known for, “Woodcraft” published in 1919.

GBS Global Bushcraft Symposium 2022

Videos turned up today in dismornings email. Will be busy for a few days going through all the key note speaker presentations.

• David Delafield – “The Path to Here, and Maybe There”.

• David Wescott – “Ethics and Style”.

• Bruce Zawalsky – “The Magic & Science of the Mors Kochanski Super Shelter”.

• Mattias Norberg – “Forests and Trees”.

• Professor Linda Hurcombe – “Learning to think with your hands: linking past and present”.

• Dave Marrone – “A Wilderness Way of Life”.

• Karie Lee Knoke – “Energy Techniques for Survival Situations”.

• Raven Gray – “Intuitive Tracking: Awakening the Wild Within”.

• Paul Moseley – “Situated Knowledges and Poetics of Dwelling”.

• Dr Chris Eastabrook – “Developing Independence in Learners: Some Considerations”.

• Dr John Leach – “Survival Psychology: Understanding the Won’t to Live”.

• Patrick McGlinchey – “Sticks & Stones: There and Back Again”.

• John Rhyder – “Tracking and Lifelong Learning”.

• Monica Wilde – “The Wilderness Cure”.

• Dan Baird – “In Search Of The Ultimate Wilderness Survival Prioritization System”.

• Dr Manu Tranquard – “Wilderness Survival Science: optimizing the use of fire in survival situations”.

• Jonathan McArthur – “Growing up with Iagoo: The use of stories in teaching and learning”.

• Andrew Thomas Price – “Wellbeing through Bushcraft”.

• Fraser Christian – “One Ocean: Skills for Life”.

• Ray Goodwin – “From Trepidation to Comfort: Learning to Love the Boreal Forest”.

• Dave Watson. – “The Universal Language of Bushcraft”.

• Kielyn Marrone – “A Long Walk Together”.

• Q&A Session with Co-Chairs Paul Kirtley and Dr Lisa Fenton

• Jason Ingamells – “Pracademic”.

• Cat Bigney – “The Hallmark of Our Species”.

• Cody Lundin – “Wilderness Water Wisdom: Looking for water in arid environments”.

• Gordon Dedman – “The fusion of bushcraft and military survival training and how they can both complement each other”.

• David Wescott – “Flat Sheet Technology”.

• Women In Bushcraft Panel Discussion – With Dr Lisa Fenton, Dr Theresa Emmerich Kamper, Karie Lee Knoke, Cat Bigney and Raven Gray.

• Dr Theresa Emmerich Kamper – “Remembering Forgotten Knowledge: Experimental Archaeology and Skill Acquisition”.

• Dr Žiga Ogorelec – “Living Off the Land in the Wilderness of Central Europe”.

• Professor Zoe Playdon – “A Future for Bushcraft?”

• Dr Andre-Francois Bourbeau – “Survival of humanity? Applying wilderness survival principles to evaluate the fate of mankind”.

PET Balls Part 2

Today’s project. Shaving a block of bees wax to add to the petroleum jelly and cotton wool balls. It tested out my knife skills anyway. Worked better than a grater. Ill test out if adding the bees wax extends the burn time.

will need a warm day to complete

Stop the Bleed

(Firstly get the training. Practice, experience and skills are more important than gear)

I keep pushing tourniquets for remote wilderness use, that’s because we are so far behind in this country when it comes to training. Always carry a tourniquet, pressure bandages and S rolled gauze for junction packing in order to stop serious bleeds..

I have worked around situations where crush injuries from heavy vehicles , car accidents and chainsaw accidents were common occurrences ,when people thought they were adequately trained and the right equipment and training was never prevalent at the time.

8 tips on applying a tourniquet

1. Tourniquets are placed at least 5cm above the wound

2. Never place a tourniquet on a joint

3. Ideally, the tourniquet should be placed directly on the skin if the situation/environment allows it.

4. You can place tourniquets on lower limbs (ie two bones)

5. If one tourniquet isn’t effective, place a second tourniquet flush against the first tourniquet, but with the windless offset, so you are able to tighten

6. Tourniquets should be horizontal to the limb

7. When applying a tourniquet to a male casualty’s upper thigh, ensure the genitals don’t get caught

8. Re-check effectiveness regularly and after every casualty move

by Tacmed Australia

Stop the Bleed full course

Junctional Wound Packing

Tourniquet Application

Staging a Tourniquet

Pressure Bandages

RATS Tourniquet

SWAT T

CAT and SOF T

(RTACC) Rescue Trauma and Casualty Care course by Tacmed Australia

https://training.tacmed.com.au/shop/product-details/productid/509?_kx=kwnFsuphIrvI9IrGKiJchA9IQpXO9OU0g0mNqyqdsg4%3D.NQmVX4

TacMed Training (RTACC)

Course Content:

Safety

Scene Management

Enhanced kinematics and mechanism of injury

Catastrophic bleed management using stepwise approach – Wound Packing, Hemostatics, Tourniquets and Junctional Bleed Management

Airway assessment with enhanced management – adjuncts & supraglottic devices

Spinal assessment, management and immobilisation

Safe and effective Oxygen usage

Respiratory assessment and management

Recognition of Thorax trauma and complications

Abdominal assessment

Circulatory assessment, management, shock

Head injury & disability assessment

Effects of environment and exposure

Cardiac arrest – pit crew resuscitation

Paediatric BLS

Paediatric Anatomy, normal physiology & common medical emergencies

Care of common medical conditions i.e. stroke, diabetes

Care or medical emergencies

Thermal injury with ability to assess severity

Musculoskeletal injury with use of analgesia & fracture reduction

Drowning and immersion

Excitation delirium and overdose

Mass casualty management

Triage

Major civilian disasters

Bombs, blasts, blades and ballistics

CBRNE

Transfer of the critically ill patient

SORD Torrid Hammock

The hammock arrived a few weeks ago, but I placed it on the back-burner for a while. It would take me half a day trying to make it to two trees where I could set it up. Then there’s no way I could climb in with a walker and brace at the moment.

The Torrid is manufactured from 70D Zeta material and comes with two 3m lengths of 7/64D AMSTEEL rope. I own a ENO Double Nest Hammock that I suspend using an atlas system but its taken me three weeks of research to catch up on the current hanging methods, trying to figure out how to use Amsteel rope. Its been a long time since I went hammock camping.

stitching looks great

There are essentially 5 ways of hanging hammocks and probably many more – daisy chain webbing, descender rings and tree straps, becket hitch and J knots, lash knot, cinch buckles and webbing, ucrs and whoopie slings, marlin spike and toggles.

In the video below reviewing the Torrid they use a cinch buckle, continuous loop and whoppie sling set up. If I planed on using this hammock full time I would use tree straps and a cinch buckle however Im trying to keep it minimalistic and try to use the components it came with and no hardware.

Therefore ill be testing it out using a no hardware and a knots only hanging system with timber hitch and Siberian hitches.. It was purchased primarily for a lightweight sleep option for in my GHB.

Whoppie Sling Explained

Hammock Knots – Timber Hitch and Siberian Hitch

Whoopie Slings

https://www.wildearth.com.au/buy/dd-whoopie-slings/DD-5996

Atlas Strap Suspension System

http://www.enonation.com.au/hammocks

Cinch Buckles

https://dutchwaregear.com/product/cinch-buckle/

Sord Torrid Hammock

https://www.sordaustralia.com/torrid-jungle-hammock-multicam

T- Hawk Mods

I have owned two Cold Steel Frontier Tomahawks , when I first had my back operations I incorporated them into my rehab. I threw those things all day every day in an effort to move. It made me walk backwards and forwards to the target. I threw those hawks until there wasn’t much left of them. I ended up giving them to a mate that wanted to learn to throw knives.

I have been looking at th CRKT Woods Chogan as a replacement but hadn’t found an excuse to purchase however today I stumbled across an article on the Bushcraft USA Forum on modding a Cold Steel Trail Hawk which got me thinking it was a good excuse to get back into throwing with my leg banged up, for the exercise.

The article below goes on to quote a few modifications. Namely to flatten the top at 90 degrees from the eye to the toe for scraping and also doing the same along the beard to the heel. They also added a notch for scrapping ferro rods, along with removing the paint to add a patina. I also thought I might dress up the handle, along with a re-oil.

(Yes I know the irony, referring to the last article on 90 degree spines, but I get bored and it looks like a fun project.)

When I looked up the Chogan I realized CRKT have brought out a new model called a Chogan Hammer, which I thought I could do the same mods to. The Woods Chogan sells for $115 AUD while the Cold Steel trail Hawk sells for around the $75 price tag. It looks like no one currently has the Chogan Hammer on their books. A quick phone call to Survival Supplies Australia said that the Hammer would be approximately the same pricing as the Woods Chogan.

I’m leaning towards another Trail Hawk. I can afford two of these and used to have a heavily modified version by Vector Hawks.

https://bushcraftusa.com/forum/threads/my-modded-trail-hawk.92912/

https://www.crkt.com/collection/woods-t-hawks.html

https://www.survivalsuppliesaustralia.com.au/CRKT-RMJ-Woods-Chogan-T-Hawk?b7=z1

https://www.extac.com.au/cold-steel-trail-hawk-axe-22-overall-1055-carbon-s

Ferro Rod Scrapping and 90 Degree Spines.

I repeatedly say bushcraft is what you make it. You take bits and pieces of what you like from different sources and make it into your own. I was starting to notice something and Im just as guilty of this. Sharpening the spines of blades. I dont do it on all my knives but there are a few that i want for that particular purpose of being able to strike a ferro rod with the spine. Many of my favorites I leave alone. There is also the advantage of scrapping tinder. Which I probably use the spine for more than striking ferro rods. I just change the knife I’m using if the one Im carrying hasn’t a 90 degree spine. Which is why I carry more than one blade. Usually a small neck knife.

I was watching Chris Tanner on Preparedmind 101 while researching the Tops Bob Fieldcraft. I don’t always agree with Chris but if I only watched channels I agreed with all the time I wouldn’t learn anything.

Chris is also having a hard time with several bushcraft trends. He just uses his leatherman saw if he requires a sharp spine for striking a ferro rod. (see links below).

I notice particularly with knots. They’re the same knots passed down from one instructor to another and no one has had an original idea in a while. Thats one of the reasons I started my knot tying articles.

Its good to have a backup in case you loose a striker,( redundancies) but I have been carrying a striker made by Beaver Bushcraft and Leather in 01 steel. I find this much easier to use than a blade spine. I have it attached to my ferro rod with paracord in a reverse twist braid that’s long enough to attach to my belt and fit into my pocket.

Otherwise I usually have an Esse CR2.5 hanging around my neck that does have a sharp spine.

The other option that I’m looking at are necklaces specifically designed as strikers. One in particular I like is from Norseman at Survival Hardware.

On courses your constantly lighting fires for training however in real life , how many times ?Once a day!

mjolnir

Reverse twist ferro rod strap

Preparedmind 101

7:24

Ferro Rod Strikers

Beaver bushcraft and leather

https://www.beaverbushcraft.co.uk/ourshop/prod_7548989-Combo-Fire-Striker-Ferro-Rod-Traditional-Flint-Steel-Fire-Striker-Plain-Steel-8517511-EDC.html

Necklaces

Ridge depot

https://ridgedepot.com/products/bsgb-paracord-fire-starter-necklace-mini-ferro-rod-flint-and-rectangle-tungsten-steel-necklace-compact-fire-steel-striker-for-camping-backpacking-outdoor-survival

Emberlit

Beaver bushcraft necklaces

https://www.beaverbushcraft.co.uk/ourshop/cat_1486493-PENDANT-Strikers.html

Old Growth Artisians

Bison bushcraft

Survival Hardware

https://www.survivalhardwarellc.com/fire-strikers

Nature Literacy

“I really wanted to share this article by Mike Douglas, it really struck a cord with me.”

What does “Nature Literacy” really mean? Understanding biology, ecology, botany, ornithology, silvaculture; is that what Nature Literacy is? Is it something you get when you check off all the birds on your life list? Is it when you get Survival Merit Badge, or your first deer?

I’ve met folks who are more “Nature Literate” than me. When they walk through an area the birds don’t get alarmed. You can’t hear their foot steps and they aren’t even trying to be quiet. The “Nature Literate” usually know what plant to use, but they take their time. They might wander the landscape- following some intuitive sense until they find just the right place to harvest from, and choose just the right part of that individual plant. Sleeping outside is preferred, but a window open at night keeps peace with the “Nature Literates” loved ones. The landscape seems to benefit from the “Nature Literate” person. The majority of these people seem to enjoy a long and enriching life outdoors as a result.

Can you imagine if we were all “Nature Literate”? We would have communities whose health would be reflected in the health and diversity of their landscape. Self-actualization would be the norm. To know yourself and be at peace with who you are would be easy. The constant immersion and interaction with a healthy and diverse landscape would nourish your body, mind, and spirit. For countless generations, wherever we hunted and foraged, humanity would be considered, like many apex species, an indicator of the health of that landscape.

If a biome is rich enough it could support an assortment of apex species. The carrying capacity of the landscape would limit the numbers of all but one of those species. Uniquely, we have the ability to encourge, diversify, and increase the carrying capacity of the land. This ability, once removed from a mulitgenerational interdependent ecological view, expresses itself in a variety of ways. Many are marvels to behold, but they tend to be unstable, sharpening the peaks and troughs of populations within our affected area.

Health and diversity are driving natural forces. They create an interdependence among organisms and literally shape the individual life forms to better interact with each other. Birds and flowers evolve a symbiosis that insects take advantage of. The movement of mites from flower to foul encourages the evolution of predatory insects and their form and behaviors. The tapestry is at once complex and profoundly simple. Imagining the reasons the landscape expressed us is to examine human interactions with everything from the soil to the sky, and to do so in a natural setting, tracking the trends as far back as we are able. In short, “Nature Literacy” is nothing less than getting connected to the landscape until it becomes part of your identity and than making the agreement to grow from there exponentially.

by Mike Douglas

https://www.primitiveskills.com/blog-2/

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