Teach a man to Fish and he eats for a life time.

April first is just around the corner and that has me thinking about fishing.

But of course, survival fishing is something very different. There is no sport involved in survival fishing, its all about filling the stomach.
Pack or pocket survival fishing kits can be purchased almost anywhere fishing tackle is sold, but like first aid kits, I prefer to assemble my own. I know what species of fish I am likely to encounter or target and I know what lures will serve me best.
It is important to consider seasonal travel when putting together a survival fishing kit. As an example, top water lures (those types that float on the surface) are very effective in fall, spinners and spoons are more affective in warmer weather.

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Most of the time you will be using mother natures tackle box. Bait is the number one technique for collecting fish. I am a sport fisherman and a fly fisher at that, meaning I never use bait! As a purist it goes against the code of conduct but as a wilderness traveler, I will use bait whenever possible to attract and collect fish.
Lures are attractants you carry with you and with that in mind, you need to carry the lure that works in the fullest spectrum of conditions. For me the Jig is that lure. The Jig can be fished in so many ways and in so many different bodies of water that it is right at the top (for me at least) of the lure list. Depending how you use it, it can represent insects, small bait fish, crayfish, leaches almost anything that crawls or swims. To be as thorough as possible, I carry light-dark and "curiosity" colors.

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The Frog spear (Gig or Gaff) is another technique that will save your bacon. Although illegal in most states here in the US, it is recognized as a affective gathering tool. If conditions are in your favor (low-slow water) the spear is a powerful tool. Not only does the "hunting" of aquatics fill the belly, it fills the time. Having something to focus on and actively pursue, gives a survivor or wilderness traveler a feeling of self worth and accomplishment.This is a very valuable confidence builder.

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A small selection of hooks and sinkers as well as a bobber (plastic or cork float) should round out your kit. The time tested technique of wrapping line around a can works very well as a casting "reel", hold the can in your weak hand with the bottom facing the direction you are throwing and cast out the lure with your dominant hand allowing line to pay out off the end of the can. Re-wrap the line back onto the can to reel in line. vary your pace to give "action" to your lure. If bait casting, place your can (cans) on sticks firmly planted in the ground and allow the can to spin as the fish nibbles your offering. Just like placing animal snares, the more lines in the water the better your chances, Just be sure to grab that can before old scaly sides pulls it into the water.
The tension in which you hold the can acts as your drag giving play to the fish and tiring him out so you might bring him to hand.
Using a strong but flexible stick as your fishing rod allows you to dab your lure into calm dark water from a hidden bank side spot and can be very affective.
Look under logs and rocks for worms, grubs and the prised Hellgrammite. These larval stage Dobsonflies are irresistible to almost everything that swims.
The few items you might carry in something as small as your pocket could make the difference between watching fish and tasting them. Fishing like Huck Finn is more then nostalgic, its practical and just plain fun. The next time you have an afternoon with time to kill, take your kit out and find a lake or stream and practise with it. Find its strong points and discover where it needs improvement. Items that need scaling back or adding to are often quickly discovered when you actually try to catch fish. The time to learn is now not in a survival situation when everything is against you. Own the knowledge before your welfare depends on it.

Lastly, use smaller lures then you might think necessary. There are several reasons to downsize, thinner hooks my be able to be pulled free if stuck in a submerged stump (their wire hooks bend and come out) smaller lures mean you can carry more and vary your selection. Also consider that fish of any size can take a small lure, but only big fish can swallow a big lure. You may be missing out on usable "eating" size fish. Small size lures seem to be more readily snatched up by fish, they just don't suspect the treachery as they might with some larger splashy scary thing. Fish sometimes just react to a smaller splash like an insect might make. Remember this is not trophy fishing, we want to eat not tell fish stories.
The armchair fisherman catches many fish......in his mind.

Only with practice can you become proficient and with that skill comes confidence and comfort.

Safe Travels

RJ

SHELTER

Shelter can be had in many forms without it costing much
This Blog was made to explain to the beginner how outdoor skills can be acquired by anybody willing to spend a bit of time exploring ideas as well as the wilderness.
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Tents are considered the standard for wilderness shelter, these tents are lite, inexpensive enough for the common backwoods traveler and comfy.

Tarps are lite, cheap and versatile shelter, used on the ground or in conjunction with a hammock they are hard to beat for convenience.

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The SPACE blanket is shelter you carry in your pocket. No wilderness traveler should enter the forest without at least one of these small wonders available.

LEAF TO type lean to shelters........fast to construct and better then the open air.

Shelter can be carried or made without much effort and with practice, can be put up quickly. In some cases shelter can be no more then what you are waring. keep that in mind next time you head out into the wilderness.

Safe Travels

RJ

THE POCKET COOKER is a Lite Wood Burning Stove that folds

I've Got Wood!
and I'm gonna burn it in my new camp stove, I have seen vids and read several things about the "POCKET COOKER" = P C
I just had to try one, so I dropped a twenty pound hint on the family toes.....Dad needs a new toy. When Christmas arrived so did my stove.
The Pocket Cooker is just a hobo stove but with a twist. It has a few things going for it that cans do not.
Firstly and most notably, it folds! yup comes in a nylon pouch all folded up about the size of two slices of bread. It looks like a puzzle or an origami project gone terribly wrong.
Secondly, its a "Volcano" design. It concentrates its flame / heat directly under your cup/pot.
Thirdly it's vented more then a Deer Crossing sign on a Pennsylvania back road (trigger happy boys in Pennsylvania)
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Some might be tempted to look on the Pocket Cooker as some $12 gimmick, not so. The thing really has a use and a place in my pack.
As always, the wood burner is a dirty stove even when its behaving its self. The PC is no exception however if burning non resinous wood, the mess is reduced to ash only. The pine cones made a slight mess.

Sooty but economical and easy to feed.

The big surprise was how easy it was to use, I had more trouble unfolding the thing then anything else. It fired up fast and self stoked so all I had to do was post some fuel into the gap under my cup. I did not like the tipsy top design of the stove, its only four folded feet that you must balance your cup/pot on. I overcame the small design fault.

A stupid little devise or a pretty cool idea?

Pine cones and tea bags

Now all I need is a folding crumpet maker

Thumbs up for the Pocket Cooker.

Safe travels.

RJ

SO MUCH FOR THE RULE OF THREE'S

Man, Don't you just love it when someone proves the science WRONG!

I do.

The earthquake that rocked Haiti over a week ago changed many lives. Although many were lost (estimates near one hundred thousand) some that may have been and probably should have been added to that number survived!

Seven days after the quake I recall news of a child being pulled from the rubble, dehydrated but other wise well. I was amazed. What happened to the Three Days Without Water rule?? Didn't this kid know he was supposed to be dead? Evidently not and BRAVO for him!

The will to live can give us the strength to brake all the rules. Then not to be undone, several other people started popping out of the ground like turnips, an Israel rescue team pulled a man out from under a building after more then a week...alive! dehydrated to be sure but with no expiration date!

I marvel at the tenacity of man (and of course his more superior "woman") to pull through adversity when it seems even the Gods were betting against it.

It was just announced this morning that yet another man was freed from under the remains of his home after twelve (12!) days. AMEN!

Now I hear the Haitian government has announced that rescue effort have been suspended in the most severely effected areas, and a "recovery" mission has begun.

Well, All I can say is after seeing these "dead people" talking-drinking and in some cases walking around after being unearthed is.........DON'T SELL EM SHORT!

The strength shown by these people is both admirable and worthy of our best efforts. If you are able to contribute anything as relief for the Haitian people, please contact the http://www.unicefusa.org/ or http://www.paybyweb.com/ and ask how you might help.

To talk about survival is interesting, entertaining and fun. To help others survive in times of crisis is necessary, noble and a privilege! Some problems CAN be overcome by throwing money at it.

We are our brothers keeper.

And to the many rescue teams, searchers-diggers-riggers-handlers-operators-medical and support staff of all nations but particularly the volunteers from the good old USA that RUSHED to help the people of Haiti, I must say,

I just could not be more proud of you! That's who we are!

Thanks

May our Gods, whoever/whatever you call him/her be merciful

Safe Travels

RJ

Photos by US NAVY

Specialist first class Joshua Lee Kelsey and Specialist second class Justin Stumberg

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