PINE PITCH FIRE

The wounded bark of a coniferous tree will yield a useful "sap" that in time becomes a thick sticky syrup able to hold a flame very well indeed.
I know of a few trees along paths in my regular hunting area that have been or are under constant attack by hungry Woodpeckers.

The holes bored by these relentless ravenous birds leak sugary drops of semi liquid crystals. These trees provide me with a fairly regular supply of Fat wood - Light wood -Splint wood - Candle wood or Pitch wood whatever you want to call it.....
It's fire on a stick!

A small handful of pine pitch or fat wood should find it's way into your fire kit. When it's wet outside and you need to start that camp fire, nothing aids you as well as this natural resin for your fire. With perhaps some Birch bark to set it off, a handful of resin will burn hot and long enough to give an even damp fire set a good chance at life.
Safe Travels

RJ

Cattail Tinder

Cattails are one of the most easily recognized natural tinders in the wilderness. Their location is predictable and harvesting is simple. Cattail heads can be carried in bulk and stored for future use.
The long fiber of the stalk can be used for cordage when green and pliable (save this for another Blog section) and it's roots are a rich source of starch and carbohydrates.
By far the most common use for the Cattail is tinder.

Safe Travels

RJ

Natural Tinder For Flint And Steel

My route to work each day takes me by a field of weeds,grasses and wild flowers. It is a small overgrown patch of ground most noted for it's abilities to gather blown litter, Realtors signs and the god awful photos of hopeful would be politicians.
One summer day in May, I noticed the bulbous shapes of milkweed pods gleamed in the morning sun as I sped by on my motorcycle and they caught my eye. I made a mental note to return in the fall to harvest the natural tinder within them and add it to my primitive fire making kit.

(FALL Arrived) The rain was on and off (mostly on) this morning really cramping my style (as if I had any) but not so much that I could stay stuck indoors. I remembered the milkweed and got my rain jacket. It was the Fall after all and I promised myself I would pick a bunch.......so off I went.

Natural tinder fibers can be harvested from many sources. Cattail, Mullein, Birch bark, Horses hoof "amadou" but one of my favorite types is the fiber and particularly the ovum of the milkweed pod. The milkweed is a scary looking thing when time and weather has had it's way with it. The pod turns from a firm green almost pickle looking affair to a dark dried and wrinkled almost burned looking explosion of the pod it once was.
The pods at this time of year stick out against the dark browns and tans of the field like a roach on a wedding cake. Their white flags waving in the breeze slowly dispersing and disappearing.
A close look at the pod in fall is something one almost has to force yourself to do. They are a damaged, ripped, train wreck of a thing and if it were not for the beauty of their usefulness, I'm sorry to say I might not give the milkweed a second glance.



The seeds are connected to the silk like fiber which are their means of conveyance, from mother pod to the ground. The silk springs forth from the folds of the weeds ovum.

Here the ovum is seen just under the white strands of fiber.
The prize can be easily separated from the rest of the plant by just gently breaking it away from the stalk and lifting or pealing out the silk. The silk may be collected for various projects as well but today just the ovum was on my shopping list.

The delicate milkweed ovum is almost the color of an acorn squash and lite as a feather. They must be protected while transported or they will easily be torn, once dried they will be even more delicate and paper like. They will readily take the well aimed spark of a carbon steel and glow in a punk like manner. These will be strung on a length of thread and hung in the shed to dry thoroughly, placed in my possibles bag for use later in the year.
Useful stuff the UGLY milkweed pod.

Safe Travels
RJ

WHAT KIND OF CRAP IS THIS? or POOPIN 101

Do you smell that?

Well you shouldn't. If you spend much time in the woods sooner or later you will need to relieve yourself.

As awkward as it might be to discuss such matters, running into a fellow trekker's "leavings" on the trail the other day proved to me at least that some forest walkers still don't know how to deal with their droppings. Sorry Fellas (and Gals!) but stepping off the trail to make stinky is just not good enough. I know for sure that such incidents are committed by second class hikers, no self respecting (or nature respecting) hiker would leave such a mess. So lets take a quick look at what all first class hikers already know.

First and foremost all trekkers should carry sanitation gear. That's really just three items that can be toted in any small pocket of the day pack. A Trowel to excavate a small "cat" hole. These depressions in the earth need not be large, just big enough to receive the contents and be properly covered. The hole should be about ten inches deep and six inches wide (unless you're a really good shot). Any shallower will invite animals to dig up the contents and any deeper will place the contents below the magic layer. The magic layer is those few inches of top soil that contain the highest concentrations of microbial and bacterial life that will brake down the fecal matter.

Secondly, you will need Toilet paper and the type sold in outdoor equipment stores is best. This thin yet sturdy paper is intentionally designed and formulated to brake down with exposure to water and soil. If you choose not to buy this type of paper the standard paper can be used however, try not to use paper with perfumes or dyes. Some scents may attract critters and some dyes work against the natural biodegradable properties of the paper. Cheap paper is best!

Thirdly a few packs of Hand sanitizer or a small squirt bottle of any alcohol based anti bacterial hand cleanser should be carried. The high alcohol content of these towelettes enable you to drop them into the hole and Carefully set them on fire with a match, this will also set the soiled paper on fire burning most everything into ashes. Thus nothing is left to make the wilderness untidy. Ensure the items are out and no subterranean twigs, roots are burning. Cover the contents with the dirt you removed from the hole and camouflage the site with leaf litter and duff from the forest floor.

Now as the Realtor said, the three most important things are Location, Location and Location.

Always conduct such business in a private area where you will not spoil the view should someone come striding up the trail just as you are taking the dive. Stay well away from all water sources as well as camp or cooking areas.

If you have done your job the casual hiker should be able to pass by the deposit without detecting it.

Now as to technique, do what ever you must to get the job done but at risk of revealing my most private moments, I'll tell you how I do it. Generally, I try to find an appropriate spot near a tree. The tree will provide privacy and back support and the Tannic acid or "Tannin" that most trees lose from it's bark as it rains helps brake down the deposit. Dig your hole about one foot from the base of the tree. Don't relocate the soil any further then necessary from the hole. Remove any bulky clothes such as coats and jackets. Stand facing away from the tree with your feet just ahead and on either side of the hole. Lower your pants to the knee and no further. By spreading your knees you will hold up your pants and make a little shelf for your toilet paper to rest on. Now bend and lean back as if sitting on an imaginary chair with just your back against the tree to support you. Here comes the easy part. Empty your bowls into the hole. if you've done everything right, ground zero should be just under you. Clean up as necessary and drop paper into the hole below you. When you are done stand (without dropping your pants) and sanitize the site as above.

I don't know about you but the wilderness is the place we retreat to to escape daily stress and the crap we have to deal with in the "civilized" world.

Lets not deal with other peoples crap out here too.

Safe Travels

RJ

Long Range Reconnaissance

Maps and Charts

Man I just love looking at maps. As a youth I would make maps of my wooded areas and plot almost anything worth having a map to, fishing areas, favorite hunting grounds even individual Wood Chuck holes. Any time I need (or just want) to spend time in a new area or an area I have not visited in some time, I consult the maps first. This gives me a good idea of what I have to work with and might be up against.

I have both 7.5 and 15 min views of most of my favorite haunts. I study them constantly. If I can't be there on the ground scuffing boot leather then I can at least stay familiar with these regions via map.

These days good quality Topo maps can be hard to find. I once knew three or four good sporting goods stores that a hiker / hunter could obtain USGS maps from. Alas these stores are either out of business (I'm old) or they just don't sell enough to be worth while carrying a full stock of Topos. I understand but still miss searching bins of charts for dusty torn maps.

"Luckily" we now have access to useful chart info no further then our mouse and keyboards.

Programs such as Google Earth and Virtual Earth make previewing wilderness areas so easy it's almost like sight seeing.

Two dimensional maps are great and with practise an accomplished user can visualize the third dimension well enough to recognise what he/she is looking at.

Today with these programs we CAN identify clearings, streams, camp areas, individual trees, large rocks and animal trails in some cases.

(even a specific vehicle parked in your drive way if you're the jealous type)

I almost always start with the "road" map view to quickly locate the area of interest then move in with the satellite views.

Views on these programs can be manipulated and customized to suit your needs. Custom maps with your personal information can be printed.

Virtual pins and markings can be added to identify features.

A very helpful tool when introducing a new person to the area.

Entire trips can be planned via satellite imagery, hunting areas scouted (at least partially) and maybe most importantly this type of map review gives you an actual picture of your area not just a representation with details left to the imagination and interpretation of those in the group.

With views like these and the ability to scan 360' it is almost impossible to get lost. Much useful information can be gleaned from the comfort of your home. Used along with your GPS and SPOT messenger system (via Google maps link) we can really get the big picture.

I use these programs often and really enjoy the birds eye prospective. They are simple to use and can only help the wilderness traveler take full advantage of the terrain.

Safe Travels

RJ

A Cup A Cup A Cup A Cup A Cup

You may sip from your Canteen or Pack Hydration Badder. You might guzzle from your Can or gulp from a Bottle. Wine Skins are cool if that's what you're into and of course you might chance a sip directly from the source (dangerous) but if you camp sooner or later, you'll need a Cup.

How stupid does that advice sound? Bring a cup.

Well there are Cups and then there are Cups. In survival school, students often are required to make their own Bowls and Cups, not to mention Spoons and a Fork now and then. Luckily we don't need to do all that (although it is a very cool project) we can bring suitable Cupage on our treks.

But what kind?

One of the most common and useful cups for camping is of course the old enameled steel "cowboy" cup. These chipped workhorses of the back country dinning room have been around for centuries.

With good reason, they are rugged and smart looking. I think the inevitable chipping just adds to their eye appeal.

Here is a modern version of the classic, instead of blue with white speckle it is black and has an unpainted rim. It reminds me of the night sky and I think it is a sharp looking cup. Many seasoned trekkers know that although heavy, these cups offer their owner some interesting features. For instants, the cup cools quickly. This might sound like a disadvantage but the contrary is true. These things get HOT. The warmth is transferred to the hands and if you've ever watched a cowboy movie you know what I'm talking about. The old saddle trap, collar up hat down sitting around the fire, huddled over a cup warming his hands, face as well as his insides. It's a drinking experience.









The purpose made "Camp" cup is handy in size and weight. It's aluminium composition makes it a joy to carry.

Along the same lines, the plastic camp cup is lite and even graduated in some examples such as this one. This can be handy when preparing meals that require measurement of water or other ingredients.

The "new" standard is of course the stamped "wire" handle camp cup. Generous and tough these cups are great for just about any use, even as a small cook pot. I can't tell you how many meals of soup or noodles I've whipped up in these. The bail style wire handle keeps it manageable when hot.

The military had a similar idea and has produced "canteen" cups for the troops that have folding wire or in this case stamped metal handles. Nice size, well made, very heavy.

Not to be out done the military Mess Monkeys over seas made a design that IS more frying pan then cup but does a bang up job.

The "D" rings on the handle enable the cook to add a stick of wood to extend reach or avoid burning hands.

Some cups suffer an identity crisis, they don't know if they are cups or pots or frying pans. what this usually means is they are hardly adequate at any of those jobs. Such is the cup on the Svea 123 stove.

It's a sad little cup just trying to fit in. The handle is removable.

Suspiciously missing from my list of camp cups is of course the classic Sierra cup. This cup is a bit strange to me, it's design is wide at the top and narrow at the base. To me this seems a bit tipsy having so small a footprint and the ultra wide mouth cools the drink off so fast I find it counter productive. If you've ever seen a nautical mug used on ships at sea, you understand how and why they work. The wide base keeps them from tipping and the narrow chimney style opening keeps the steamy brew from cooling to fast. Why would any one want a cup with reverse features? The Sierra cups do look cool and make a neat micro fry pan but I think the idea was under thunk.
So many cups to chose from one might wonder what cup is the chosen vessel for you. Only you know what would work best however. Strong, lite and packable cups make the best drinking buddies.
You might ask what the tiny cowboy cup is used for.

So let us lift a glass to the cup.

Bottoms up.

Safe travels
RJ

FILTER MODIFACATION

Katadyn Hiker
Conversion - Modification, The "HIKER" is an excellent filter. Many wilderness travelers know and trust the HIKER and it's next generation incarnation the HIKER "PRO".
The "PRO" has a number of quick attachment points that make it convenient to affix to almost any water bottle/hydrator but its most important feature is a "pre-Filter" wrapped around the primary glass filter. This allows you to separate larger contaminates from the system before they reach the main filter body.
A very cool idea.
So cool in fact, I copied it and here is how I do it.
The filter of the Katadyn is rated to be 0.3 microns or as I refer to it THREE MICRONS we all know about the zero point sizing. Katadyn makes no reference as to the micron value of their pre-filter, only that it saves the main filter some exposure and clean up time.
I make a pre-filter in the 0.7 micron or SEVEN MICRON size that knocks down the exposure of contaminants to the primary filter CONSIDERABLY!

Beyond the pre-filter card, I also take steps to pre-filter the intake line as well. Katadyn supplies a screen type cylinder as a catch for it's intake line. This works but after some time needs to be cleaned. In particularly slimy water it may need immediate attention before it can be used again.

So I found that wrapping the intake line with material that can be cleaned or changed made the job easier. The pantie hose works like a charm. Bring on the swamp water.

Three of these pantie hose covers usually will last me a year of regular use.
As if the Hiker was not enough, in my paranoia I chemically treat the raw intake with Aerobic Oxygen, Iodine and or Bleach before I pump it through the filter.

This I am confident provides me with safe, fresh tasting "sterile" H2O while in the bush.

Lugol's iodine solution was once used as a disinfectant but tastes like s*@& as does Halazone but is stable in the long term. If you like the smell and taste of month old pool water then Halazone is the treatment for you. The HIKER and HIKER PRO will clean up the taste.

We learn by listening and watching, experimenting and testing but above all by sharing. A good idea is worth stealing anytime.

Safe travels

RJ

Cool and Rainy Day

TEA
That's what I needed, (and an excuse to play with a Stove) With the rain soaking my prospects for an "outdoor" adventure, I settled for a hot brew in the shed. It had been a long time since the smell of wood smoke had wafted into my nose so the plan was to burn some.

On the "stove" shelf in my shed is one or two (Six) home made wood and or alcohol burners I constructed while under the incurable shakes of cabin fever.

I opted to use a coffee can variety today seeing how I had plenty of wood and precious little alcohol, plus I love the way smoke lingers and settles on rainy days so all in all it was a first class plan.

Being inside without a cross breeze to evacuate the smoke produced by the can stove, I used a small window fan to draw out the smoke. If this had been a "Wood gas" stove, the efficiency of the preheated air and recirculated smoke would have made this spot of tea almost smokeless.

The advantages of fueling a stove with indigenous fuel is of course the weight factor. Bottled and canned fuel is heavy and costly. Wood, Pine Cones, Bark and other natural materials abound and are light wight and lets not forget free.

Of course the standard cry of the gas bottle camper will be : What if it's raining and everything is wet? Good point, but counting on wood as your fuel for cooking, light, and warmth is always a challenge. Those that know how to find-gather-light damp wood will always find a way, those that cannot need to learn or move down a rung on the food chain.

A can stove is so user friendly only those incapable of starting a fire will be at odds with it. They burn hot and very clean. What ashes they do produce are slight and easy to redistribute into the environment again (cool and safely of course) without detection.

The real secret is in the preparation. Wood needs to be pencil sized or there about and roughly the size of the receptacle (burning chamber of the can). I use a fixed blade knife and baton (stout stick) to split my can stove fuel. Although time consuming, I find it pleasurable and therapeutic. I'm always impressed by how much LESS wood I burn in the can stove as apposed to in a campfire. The concentrated and controlled heat does the job so much better and the embers last a bit longer. The ambiance is lacking but hey, what can I say? The lack of bright fire light will make star gazing that much easier.

Dry wood can almost always be found even in the dampest forest if you know where to look. Thankfully this stove uses so little that a hand full or two will be all that is necessary to produce a hot meal and steaming brew.

The "WoodGas" stove is one of the best trail stoves you can use and I plan to pack one on my next trip, but the Hobo can stove is a cheap lite weight alternative as well. Enough plans for these exist on the Internet for you to find a model that suits your needs and creative ability. Try it instead of the gas bottle stove some time, prepare a meal or two in the yard or on your patio to get the feel of how much wood will be needed and what it takes to tend one. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Safe Travels

RJ

OLD FRIENDS

HOLY CRAP!

The Vibram Gods only know how many miles my boot heels have seen over the years. Although many of these steps were lone introspective trips that challenge no one but me, at times the crunching sound of foot steps in front or behind me was a comfort. Over the years I have shared tent and trail with many very interesting people. My traveling companions were an eclectic mix of funky forest philosophers more akin to Tolkien's fellowship then average trekkers. At times we had much in common, at other times we were as different as stones on a beach but the one commonality that always seemed to be evident was kind regard, respect and concern for each other. I felt safe and at total ease with these guys and could be myself.

As much as Sam is my Son and Russel my Brother these trekkers were my crew. No leaders or followers, no egos or competition. As far as we knew all of our penises were the same size or so we thought and no display from "Alpha" males was necessary or tolerated.

I missed that trusted unspoken type of camaraderie. I don't crew trek anymore.

We grew up and walked different paths (and trails) the only evidence left to recall these days were some photos buried in a box deep in my closet.

Until just the other day.

Happenstance reunited two of us that had not spent time together in fifteen plus years. Tom and myself have jobs that occasionally allow us to bump into each other every ten years. It was always good to see him but we were working and no time could be carved out to really visit. On our last chance encounter he mentioned that Mike, another member of the "old" crew was in the area visiting family.

Mike had moved away twenty years or so earlier without asking permission and relocated in far off places known only to level six members of the witness protection program and Dick Chaney. But now Mike had returned to challenge a local white water river while on vacation. We did the smoke signal thing and made tentative plans to group up and do something together for old time sake.

The plan was Kaaterskill Falls........

It was very good to see my old friends again. Time had changed them only slightly. Tom and I both had fancy new medical devices. My pace makers due to genetic predisposition and lack of exercise and Tom's bad knees due to an unfortunate direct high velocity cranial impact with a rouge south bound apple pie. Mike had a steamer trunk with an enviable amount of travel stickers plastered on it to prove he was not afraid to wonder.

Just like old times we set straight to work. Plan "A" pizza and beer!We didn't let the fact that Trusty Rusty broke down or the fatal motor vehicle accident or the twenty two mile detour stop us. After a stop for lunch to kill time (none of us really needed to eat) we planned our assault on New York State's highest waterfall.

I was forced to live with an Itty Bitty Espresso.........unfair

The high steep region of the Catskills is undeniably beautiful. The trees were just showing a blush and the sky was that ultra bright blue that begged to be white. The air was cool, crisp and seemingly clean. The detour was picturesque as it rolled along the ravines and saddles of unnamed mountains ever climbing. The roads were narrow with little to no shoulders and I just had to stop to shoot a pic or to.
A look down over the side of the road found what looked like an El Camino that lost control on this narrow road some years ago. I could only hope it's driver survived the crash and I was briefly reminded of the loss of life the made this detour necessary. Life can be so short, it is important that we take full measure of our blessings.........

On to the hike. I just knew the accident would keep the hiking traffic down and we would have much of the Gorge and the falls to ourselves.................NOT!











The crowd under the falls milled about snapping shots of the hissing water. We met with other like minded nature lovers and compared cameras while exchanging well memorized lines from Eastwood's Eiger Sanction (guys with grey hair know these sort of things) as we watched a couple rappel the upper falls.
Tom wisely opted to wait under the lower falls while Mike and I climbed. His knee was playing hell with him and he needed to work the grave yard shift this night. So after being frisked for unregistered ballistic pastries, we left for the main cascade.
Places like this are really magic, the low angle light of afternoon caused a rainbow to dance across the pool under the falls.

The rock was warm and cool both at the same time depending on the sun's track. Lush greenery clung to rock that seemed to cling to nothing, the thermals shifted around as we squinted in the bright light. Everything was alive and beautiful. I was impressed by the noticeable lack of litter, testimony to the character of those who walked the rocks with us although I must say we did seem to find many abandoned articles of clothing here and about. I can only imagine the sensation of skinny dipping in such a place. The waterfall and the bright star light must have been a life changing experience to someone (or two) again the Pantheist in me calls.


While I took time for a SPOT check in, I wondered the smooth rock and admired the strange patterns in the stone.


I sent three OK messages out of the gorge, when I check later that day only two had be received. With the high escarpment behind me I was not surprised the satellite geometry was impaired. Never the less, I would have been rescued as a short matter of course. SPOT rules!







On our way back out of the gorge we had the pleasure to be introduced to Mr. Ted Hill, Flower stick champion of Salinas California. Ted did not have a juggling assistant (he could have used one) but he did have a great promoter. A rather interestingly dress women in long skirts and clogs who went out of her way to ensure we got Mr. Hill's name right.
See you on Letterman Ted.






























Finding each other again after all these years was a gift. I am pleased to see my friends are reasonably healthy, happy and still doing some of the things we once did.
Just when one starts to feel old, things can happen to rejuvenate the soul.
Thanks Guys. Lets do this again real soon.

The Safest of Travels.
RJ