Journal of the Backwoodsman 4

June

I recently acquired some carving tools from my grandpa; a bowl gouge, a hand chisel, and a carving knife. After I got them, I started whittling on a spoon. A spoon is one of the easiest beginner carving items. I shaped it with the knife, then carved out the dip with the gouge. Then I made a spatula, using the carving knife and a draw knife. That is just how easy carving is, and now I have 2 useful tools, and the experience to make more.

I also went to a few stores with my grandpa. First was a flea market here in town, and I am friends with the owner. It is just a small shop with just about everything, from fishing lures to knives. I go there quite often and get almost everything I can't get at Ace. This time I got a WWII mess kit, 4 bags of bass lures, and a plastic-handled diamond sharpening rod for 8 dollars. Then I went to the store next to it and got a 5 dollar topwater and 2 spinners for $2. Then we went to Wal-Mart and I got a emergency space blanket for 2 dollars. I do think I scored big!

I hope you learned how much you can get for just a little at those flea markets and junk stores. Have fun ,

Caleb

Journal of the Backwoodsman 3;

June 19

Tonight I did a short little campout in my back yard for testing my gear in a 24-hour scenario. (I did not actually sleep out on this, although I have, for the reason that it is 90 degrees even at night) I only had my paint can day pack, tarp, water bottle, a hunk of wax, and my hatchet, along with the stuff on my person including 3 knives and a fire kit.

I really think the beginner can learn something from this. The first thing I started working on is my shelter. I have a raised bed and a permanent ridge pole I setup a while back, along with my 7' by 7' tarp. I rigged this as shown, with out staking directly to the ground for increased air flow. My paint can is hanging on a hand-forged hook nailed to the tree. Once I got all that done, I headed for the nearby woods.

First I got 3 good strong poles for my tripod. Then I grabbed some sassafras roots, and some fatwood from a dead cedar. These I brought back to camp. I made the tripod first, lashing it with some wire from my paint can day pack. Then a paracord loop was attached to a stick with a few bail notches so I can raise and lower the pot as needed. Next made a fire in my keyhole fire pit, so I could rake coals into the narrow part for easier cooking. I made it with a dead grass and shredded cedar bark tinder bundle and a ferro rod with char.

Over that fire I made some sassafras tea, and while that was going I started messing with the wax. I wanted to see if waxed paracord held a knot any better than the regular paracord. So melted a little wax in one of my spare tins, and lightly waxed about 1'. When it was dry, it held the best knot I have seen in a long time. You could also do this with nylon to help with tying it. Alright, back to camping. Now the tea was ready and I added sugar ( another thing from the paint can) and sat down to sip. Then I started throwing my knife and after that I used a stone to make a bone spear head. By this time it was dark, so I just sat on my bed and took it all in. 

In the morning I got the fire going again, and at once began making breakfast. First I got some tea on, then I got a good coal bed raked into the narrow part of my keyhole fire. Over this I set a baking pan and I used the hot surface here to cook on. I made bacon and bannock, which tasted really good. My bannock recipe is on the journal of the backwoodsman 

1;http://lessonsfromatrapper.blogspot.com/2016/06/journal-of-backwoodsman-1.html  . After I ate, I started picking up. In about 5 minutes I had everything up except the tarp tent, which I plan on leaving. I hope you liked my adventure, and that you learned something. one more thing I did; I sealed a plastic bag over a  branch, and let it sit over night. In the morning there was a few drops of condensation, but not enough to drink. have fun camping, 

Caleb

Journal Of the Backwoodsman 2-----fishing and fire

Today about noon I went fishing with my younger brother. I used live minnows for bait, hooked above the spine about 6" under water. I got 2, 2 IB bass, although I hooked and caught another until he got off. My brother didn't have any luck. Then I made a small fire, (in the forge for safety reasons) using flint and steel. I tried chert first, but the sparks weren't hot enough. My tinder bundle was really dry, fine cedar bark and dead grass. That is the way to go. On the fire I made some sassafras tea. I make my tea by putting about 8" worth of pinky-sized root into a pot of water, and boiling it until it's very dark, about 10 minutes. Then I add a generous amount of sugar for taste. While the fire was going, I started burning out a wooden spoon, but It didn't turn out. That is all I have for you today.

Have fun!

Caleb

blacksmithing series

Hey subscribers, 

A while back I started a series on blacksmithing. I would like to continue that series, but I need your help. Please tell me, as a comment, what you would like to learn how to make, and if I can even try to make it, I will do a post on it.

Journal of the Backwoodsman 1

This is a series in which I will record, as in a journal, my bushcraft practices. I hope it will be as fun for you to read as it is for me to write. Please enjoy!

my campsite

June 7th: (They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I hope to use as many pictures as possible so that you understand better) Today I worked on a semi-permanent shelter, a lean-to. I only got the bed and main pole done. Tomorrow I will work on the structure more. The ridge pole and the two long bed poles are cedar, the bed is called a sack bed; it works by wedging the bag/sticks taut.

  Also, I cut firewood, gathered some fat-wood, which is the sap-rich wood right where a branch  meets the tree on a evergreen tree ( you want it as close to vertical as possible), and put some bannock mix put together. Bannock is 1 cup of flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1 TBSP dry milk, a pinch of salt, and berries, which are optional. Just add water till it's a good doughy texture, then pat it into cakes and fry it in bacon grease. If you have it, you  can top them with maple syrup. This mix always comes with me. To conclude this post, I will give you a bullet point list of the items I use in my projects. Here it is:

1. TOOLS:

·       CUTTING

1.    knife

2.    saw

practising the upside down fire

3.    hatchet

5.    sharpening rod

·       COMBUSTION

2.    lighter

3.    flint and steel

4.    sun glass

5.    candle

·       COVER

1.    tarp

2.    reflective blanket

·       COTTON

1.    bandanna

2.    spare cotton socks for charring

·       CONTAINERS

1.    8oz metal cup

2.    18oz metal cup

3.    stew pot

4.    frying pan

5.    backpack/paint can

·       CORDAGE

1.    paracord

2.    jute twine

3.    nylon string

4.    bankline

·       EXTRAS

2.    nails

3.    gloves

4.    gun

·       FOOD

1.    fishing kit

2.    frog gig

3.    snares

4.    rat trap

5.    jerky

6.    trail mix

7.    bannock mix

8.    PLENTY OF WATER!!!!