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Smart people can learn how to do things. These would certainly include cooking, gardening, and chopping wood. There's a lot of science involved in gardening. Would you prefer someone who can learn the science or someone who has been gardening hit or miss? There are easy ways to chop wood as well as hard ways. Would you prefer the smart individual who figures out the easiest, therefore, the most efficient way, or the one who takes all day because he does it the way his grandfather taught him.
I've only split wood once with an axe and maul. Then I figured out a better way. It later found out there were machines for doing this. You can find it on your own; start with the Last Whole Earth Catalog.
You seem to be a very reasonable person, not one of the resident nut cases, so please think about what I've said.
Really only once? I owned a splitter in my first marriage and my wife stole it and sold it against court orders along with a hell of a lot more.
But i had split a lot of wood before that and since and in the right wood, on the right ground I can can split logs up to 24 inch long and nearly that across faster than a splitter with 2 men working it.
Get in the wrong wood and life is hell
What i do on the right ground and the right ground is hard pan I mean hard pan, is set up a 'C' shape of logs so that if i stand in the center I can whack each log by just turning a tiny bit.
Then I start at one end of the C and hit that log once and move to the next and the next no matter what happens.
When I reach the far end I stop and fix what fell over, fix up what was split to be split again, and if there is a helper (my new bride) she does that and i sit on a log that didn't split to rest.
On soft ground you need to deal with a log on a anvil log and that is time consuming. I just use a std 6 pound maul mainly. Sometimes I use a 4 pounder on lighter logs and in twisty wood I just use a steel wedge and a hammer.
In burls out comes a saw....... I run xp husky saw.. Smaller the better since they weigh less and the fly wheel doesn't gyro me out as much.
I had a Sach's Dolmar 120 Super that gyroed me bad..... That effect is the flywheel fights with your arms trying to turn the saw in mid air before the rpms come down. Waiting for that is time consuming and fighting that effect hurts me.
Smart people can learn how to do things. These would certainly include cooking, gardening, and chopping wood. There's a lot of science involved in gardening. Would you prefer someone who can learn the science or someone who has been gardening hit or miss?
Makes you wonder how all them farmers survived without degrees....
OD
The tarp is a lot like silnylon, but it isn't advertised that way..
Maybe it is, maybe it is too new, as the add was wrong about the color, and the add said it contained bling that isn't there too. Something about a silly number 9 cord tensioner.
What that does or why anyone needs it i have no idea.
I know enough knots i can tie one that works the same a 2 hole slider (taut line hitch), which did come with the tarp and i will probably shortly Also the tarp came with a zippered carry case made of the same material, but I would have preferred a simple stuff sack with a cord and cord lock.
There are 6 fairly nice dirt stakes too. The cord is black and i will change that to olive drab 550 cord which i have a large spool of. I figure 16 feet per corner should do it over all.
With that length I can tie a loop in the center and pull the loop thru a tarp loop as a birds head knot which is on and off fast... Then I have 8 feet of line to 45 degree either way and can make that sliding taut line hitch for tensioning back up from the stakes.
For me less is more.... less junk less weight better living camped out.
What's a ferro rod? I am guessing some form of sparking tool.....
I hand forge files into 'C' shape flint and steel strikers the same as used in the 18th century. I carry that sort of thing along with a BIC. I can and do run a bow drill for fire and or drilling holes in things.
I have almost no use of stainless steel blades.
You seem to have been around the block a time..
Oh yeah what's snivel gear?
Snivel gear is anything that can be construed by others(or your inner drill sergeant) to provide comfort beyond the bare minimum necessities for physical survival. AKA a foam pad to sleep on, some tea and sugar rather than just water, you get the idea. It generally is used to refer to extra clothing like hats, gloves, etc.
A ferro(ferrocerium) rod is a stick of rare eath metals(I think) that gives off a large number of hot sparks at 3,000 degrees when scraped against carbon steel. Sort of like a flint on steroids. Cheap, they last, and makes fire starting a snap when your tinder might be a little less than ideal. (I usually have a zippo and some matches in a watertight container as backups. I never want to be looking around for materials for a bow and drill during a downpour at 40 degrees.)
The tarp sounds like a good deal. Sounds like you have gotten out a bit yourself. If you ever think you want to try a stainless knife, I have one I was given as a kid that I could let you borrow. I doubt I'd miss it.
(snip)But i had split a lot of wood before that and since and in the right wood, on the right ground I can can split logs up to 24 inch long and nearly that across faster than a splitter with 2 men working it.
Get in the wrong wood and life is hell
What i do on the right ground and the right ground is hard pan I mean hard pan, is set up a 'C' shape of logs so that if i stand in the center I can whack each log by just turning a tiny bit.
Then I start at one end of the C and hit that log once and move to the next and the next no matter what happens.
When I reach the far end I stop and fix what fell over, fix up what was split to be split again, and if there is a helper (my new bride) she does that and i sit on a log that didn't split to rest.(snip)
Sounds like you have worked some wood. Wrong wood? Try red elm. Lots of fun there... You split wood like I do.
Snivel gear is anything that can be construed by others(or your inner drill sergeant) to provide comfort beyond the bare minimum necessities for physical survival. AKA a foam pad to sleep on, some tea and sugar rather than just water, you get the idea. It generally is used to refer to extra clothing like hats, gloves, etc.
A ferro(ferrocerium) rod is a stick of rare eath metals(I think) that gives off a large number of hot sparks at 3,000 degrees when scraped against carbon steel. Sort of like a flint on steroids. Cheap, they last, and makes fire starting a snap when your tinder might be a little less than ideal. (I usually have a zippo and some matches in a watertight container as backups. I never want to be looking around for materials for a bow and drill during a downpour at 40 degrees.)
The tarp sounds like a good deal. Sounds like you have gotten out a bit yourself. If you ever think you want to try a stainless knife, I have one I was given as a kid that I could let you borrow. I doubt I'd miss it.
If you are very familier with the local flora, you don't need to carry tea. There are several plants in my area that make a very passible tea, mostly decaffinated though
I always carry wool clothing because it will still keep you warm even if wet. Be careful when you buy though because most "wool" clothing sold is a mix of rayon or cotton with less than 20% actual wool.
I dont carry a foam pad, but in my country they work to provide a level of insulation between you and what you are sleeping on.
In the winter I use a layer of fir branches, in the summer, leaves or whatever is handy. Just makes my pack less bulky.
Ferro rods work fine, I always carry a mag match myself, but just like most things will wear out eventually so learning a way to make fire that comes from what you can find is always a good idea.
For over and over use, a fire plunger works well. It is just a piece of wood with a hole drilled in it part way through, and a plunger that fits snugly and is usually greased with vaseline, but animal fat works too.
You put a smal piece of punky wood in the base, slap the plunger down on it hard. and it makes a coal.
It works kind of like a diesel engine using the heat of super compressed air to raise the temperature of the piece of punk to combustion.
They are easy to make, don't take much skill to use, and last for a very long time.
There are lots of ways to start a fire. It mostly depends on what works best for you.
You use what you are comfortable with and you will use that method better than a method you don't like, but knowing several ways to do it will increase your chances of starting a fire when you have to.
Snivel gear is anything that can be construed by others(or your inner drill sergeant) to provide comfort beyond the bare minimum necessities for physical survival. AKA a foam pad to sleep on, some tea and sugar rather than just water, you get the idea. It generally is used to refer to extra clothing like hats, gloves, etc.
A ferro(ferrocerium) rod is a stick of rare eath metals(I think) that gives off a large number of hot sparks at 3,000 degrees when scraped against carbon steel. Sort of like a flint on steroids. Cheap, they last, and makes fire starting a snap when your tinder might be a little less than ideal. (I usually have a zippo and some matches in a watertight container as backups. I never want to be looking around for materials for a bow and drill during a downpour at 40 degrees.)
The tarp sounds like a good deal. Sounds like you have gotten out a bit yourself. If you ever think you want to try a stainless knife, I have one I was given as a kid that I could let you borrow. I doubt I'd miss it.
Today i have just come in from hiking past dark. Went to Champney Fall NH. If you search that add winter to the search tag.
Since i didn't spend the night and want to play with the tarp tomorrow (Sunday) I decided to make snow stakes which are not stakes at all. I had some very old gaiters and no real use for them to of all of them i sacrificed one and removed the zipper to cut the remained to as close as i can 4 about equal pieces.
Then i got lost a while looking up trails, then i checked e-mail and got a notice from a buddy something is up here. After i figure out whats up, I will add apx 30 inches of para cord with a loop tied in the centers to the squares, at 2 cords per unit. These will be stiffed into the snow here to act in the same way tent stakes do in dirt.
I understand the fire stick thing now i guess. I will stick to my 18th century ways...
I can't use a stainless blade really, but if you happen to be near any outcropping of flint for knapping and fire, and or obsidian for blades only I could use some of that.
Beautiful place, that Champney Falls. I am stingy with the obsidian. We don't see it here much. Going out west this summer, though, might get to bring some back. Let me know how your snow stakes work out, especially in windy environments like Mount Washington. Uphill both ways, huh? In the snow? To do it right, you have to be barefoot. Sheesh, nobody knows anything these days...
I live in a subdivision near a mid-size city. My true SHTF plan is to pack everything that will fit into my 4WD SUV and try to make it about 250 miles to my parents' house along with the rest of my family. Very rural area, well off the main highway, ponds stocked with fish, fresh water, land for farming/hunting, stocks of weapons and ammo, etc.
If I realize I can't make it that far the short-term plan would be to make it to one of two friend's houses on the top of nearby mountains who are preppers.
If you are very familier with the local flora, you don't need to carry tea. There are several plants in my area that make a very passible tea, mostly decaffinated though
I always carry wool clothing because it will still keep you warm even if wet. Be careful when you buy though because most "wool" clothing sold is a mix of rayon or cotton with less than 20% actual wool.
I dont carry a foam pad, but in my country they work to provide a level of insulation between you and what you are sleeping on.
In the winter I use a layer of fir branches, in the summer, leaves or whatever is handy. Just makes my pack less bulky.
Ferro rods work fine, I always carry a mag match myself, but just like most things will wear out eventually so learning a way to make fire that comes from what you can find is always a good idea.
For over and over use, a fire plunger works well. It is just a piece of wood with a hole drilled in it part way through, and a plunger that fits snugly and is usually greased with vaseline, but animal fat works too.
You put a smal piece of punky wood in the base, slap the plunger down on it hard. and it makes a coal.
It works kind of like a diesel engine using the heat of super compressed air to raise the temperature of the piece of punk to combustion.
They are easy to make, don't take much skill to use, and last for a very long time.
There are lots of ways to start a fire. It mostly depends on what works best for you.
You use what you are comfortable with and you will use that method better than a method you don't like, but knowing several ways to do it will increase your chances of starting a fire when you have to.
I will be checking out that fire plunger. I can't believe I haven't heard of it before now. What a great concept. Done flint and steel, bow/drill, magnifying glass, etc., but that is a neat idea. Generally, folks in this area need a box of matches and a 5-gallon can of gasoline to start a fire. So much for the self-sufficient Ozark hillbilly!
I don't carry tea. (I like cocoa better when the snow is on.) Water is good for the summer.
Foam pad is good here in the winter, not many evergreens in a lot of places. No snow, a debris hut is the ticket. Plenty of leaves to work with in these hardwood forests. Wool clothing is all Filson or Smartwool, although the Minus 33 is a nice base layer for less money. Filson is top dollar, but is the best quality clothing I have seen. Stuff lasts FOREVER!
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) Water is good for the summer.
