It's time to tie up the loose ends of our series on cordage. Pun fully intended. We've already covered our favorite types of synthetic cordage and how to make cordage from natural fibers, and now we'll finish the series by reviewing some of our favorite knots that we find useful on our bushcraft adventures. There are hundreds of knots with different purposes, strengths, and weaknesses, but we think these are generally handy to know, and you can use them for a wide range of purposes.
Knowing what knot to use and how to tie it is important for securing a ridgeline to hang a tarp, lash gear to kayak, carrying some materials you've gathered for a project, and countless other tasks. No matter what knots you decide to learn, be sure to practice them. You can carry around a piece of cordage and some cards with the steps on them, use mobile apps with animated how-tos, or simply keep some cordage handy for idle fidgeting.
The bowline creates a fixed and secure loop at the end of a rope. It's useful for tasks such as a starting knot when lashing, creating makeshift harnesses, and anytime you want to create a loop that's strong and easy to untie . The bowline is known for its strength and reliability, even when under load.
Do you know what they call a Canadian Jam Knot that's tied in Canada? A Jam Knot. Thanks to Patrick Rollins of ESEE Knives for that one. The Canadian Jam Knot, aka an Arbor Knot, is useful for cinching a blanket, gathering together stalks or sticks, and attaching lines to fishing reels.
The sheet bend is most often used to join two ropes of different sizes or materials. It's particularly useful in bushcraft scenarios where you need to extend the length of a rope or repair a broken line. The sheet bend maintains a strong connection even under tension and is easy to untie.
The taut-line hitch is an adjustable knot commonly used for securing tent guy lines, or any other line that requires tension adjustment. Its ability to slide along the rope allows for easy tightening or loosening, making it perfect for maintaining tension in varying conditions.
The trucker's hitch is a powerful knot for securing loads or creating a mechanical advantage when tightening lines. It's often used for tying down gear on vehicles, securing loads to pack frames, or creating a high-tension line for shelters. The knot provides a significant mechanical advantage, making it easier to cinch down tight.
That's just a short round-up of some commonly useful knots in terms of bushcraft. If you have a favorite or unique knot, please share it by tagging us on Instagram or posting it on our Facebook page.
]]>Your family needs quality time... and no, staring at the TV or computer screen doesn't count. No better way to hang out with your loved ones than to introduce them to outdoor self-reliance skills in a controlled setting. Your adventures await one step over your doorsill - no wilderness required!
It would be great if we all had a picturesque wilderness for a backyard. That's not likely. Driving hours to reach one is not practical for busy people.
Making fire is a critical skill many of us take for granted. In ideal conditions, fire may be easy. Just flick your Bic and, poof, you have flames. It's wise to practice several ways to achieve a sustainable fire.
You can practice your fire making skills with the available resources out back. No wood? No problem. Walk your neighborhood, wagon in tow, collecting dead wood conveniently stacked at the edge of neighbor's yards.
Practice making fire using different methods: friction (bow drill or hand drill), heat (fresnel lens, lighter, matches, etc.), and sparks (ferro rod, flint and steel). You'll need your homemade char material for the flint and steel.
Make a fire from one stick only. If you're neighborhood allows open fires in a fire pit, consider building or buying one. If not, practice inside a charcoal or gas grill. If grills aren't allowed, call the moving van! Build fires directly on the grill grate or use a board or other flat object as a support.
After building a fire, why not use it to practice cooking over an open flame. Since you're in the backyard and conveyance is not an issue, break out that cast iron Dutch oven granny passed down to you. Once your fire burns down a bit, suspend the pot over a bed of coals with a bushcraft tripod. Experiment with cooking methods other than stabbing a tube steak on the end of a stick.
Do you remember how to tie that nifty knot you saw on YouTube? Probably not. Find two trees in the yard and practice tying out your tarp and hammock. Repetition is the mother of all learning.
Basic knots should become second-hand. You won't need to know 41 knots to enjoy a camping trip. Knowing a few simple knots will save you time and cordage.
The knots I use most while bushcrafting are the timber hitch, trucker's hitch, blood knot, bowline, clove hitch, and prussic loop. Learn knots with a specific purpose and tie them repeatedly until you're able to do so even in the dark.
The cutting tool is fundamental for bushcraft. Safe use of knives, saws, and axes should be learned before heading to the big boy woods. The backyard is the perfect classroom.
Wielding sharp tools has risks. You never really know your cutting tool personally until it bites you. Accidents happen to even the most skilled bushcrafter. Practicing in a controlled setting like your backyard builds confidence and skills for times when your life may one day depend upon sharp stuff. Plus, first aid is close by.
Sharp Skill 1: Make a feather stick for your backyard fire. Bracing your knife against your knee with the cutting edge facing away from your body, pull a piece of wood towards your body to curl shavings on the stick. You can also place the stick on another wooden surface and slice curls using the full length of the blade.
Sharp Skill 2: To baton your knife is a personal choice. This skill is useful when a camp ax is not available. This method can produce pencil lead size, pencil size, thumb size, and larger fuel from logs. I prefer batoning for the one stick challenge and when creating bow drill sets. More precision in woodcraft can be achieved by practicing your preferred method.
Sharp Skill 3: Notches add stability when joining and lashing woodcraft items. They're also essential for the hearth board on your bow drill fire set. Carving pot hooks is another way to learn knife skills while making functional tools for the backyard fire pit.
Doing the Stuff of self-reliance should start in your backyard. 17th and 18th century woodsmen forged their skills close to home. Owning these essential skills was necessary to survive the wilderness treks with minimal gear. That's the essence of bushcraft - dependence on skills more so than the latest shiny object and technological gadget.
What happens when technology fails? Hopefully your skills will get you through. Your journey to self-reliance starts in your own backyard!
]]>The flint and steel, used for centuries on frontiers across the globe, is probably my favorite fire ignition method. It takes preparation, forethought, and a way of life. It was a crucial method of obtaining fire on the early American frontier and, as such, has a place in every modern American woodsman's tool kit.
So how do the flint and steel work? The flint or chert material is used to strike the hardened steel and throw sparks onto charred material, creating an ember. The sparks created are actually super-heated metal shavings driven off the steel and heated by the striking of the flint.
They land on the charred material, usually char cloth, and start to grow into a larger ember. This ember is then transferred into a tinder bundle, or "bird's nest," and blown into flame. This, in much the same way as any friction fire coal, is encouraged into a fire.
The concepts of fire craft are no different with this method than any other. Preplanning, patience, and knowledge of tinder and fuels still apply. A bit more preplanning is required, however, in order to have proper "char" available for ease of fire lighting. I have personally used flint and steel to start an ember with nothing more than punk wood, but this is not ideal. In order to efficiently catch a spark, the char material is held on top of the flint to catch sparks that are thrown upward when the steel strikes in a downward motion. If done properly, it should only take one to three strikes of the steel to light the charred material.
This method of fire lighting will force you to take the proper care when building a fire, the same care that should be used with any other method, be it matches, ferro-rod, or a lighter. There are some particulars to learn, such as how to hold the char material or how to strike the flint with the steel. Find someone that can teach you the techniques that will bring you success and consistency. I highly recommend picking up a flint and steel kit and giving it a try. It will take you back in time as you utilize a time-tested method of lighting your fire.
]]>I am very thankful that I will work with the Georgia Bushcraft crew again for some in-person training. In the last class we covered Nature Immersion, which included tree identification, animal tracking, and many more skillsets related directly to bushcrafting. This go-around, I will be leading a course on Land Navigation. In this blog I'll offer you some nice educational tidbits about Land Nav misconceptions and myths. I will also offer multiple reasons you should come do some land nav training with us in March.
I don’t apologize for looking forward to helping people be more proficient in land navigation skills. I also don’t apologize for myth-busting numerous misconceptions that can easily get you lost or give you a false sense of security. I absolutely love helping people be more self-reliant. Come to class, and you WILL walk away with more map, compass, and GPS skills. I promise you that. No matter what your prior level of training is.
]]>Coffee is near the top of the packing list for just about any adventure. So regardless if we're heading deep into the backcountry or just spending the day on the back 40, a pick me up via your favorite brew is a must-have.
How we brew our coffee depends on the day, the gear loadout, and sometimes just our mood. Here are some of our favorite ways to get our coffee fix in the woods.
]]>Let's start with the less than glamorous but sometimes necessary instant coffee. We won't spend a lot of time on the steps. Make the water hot, dump in the instant coffee, stir and enjoy.
However, there is a wide variety of instant coffee available on the market. From the classic grocery store brands to instant options from the big chain coffee shops, you just have to find what works for you.
You might be surprised that the most convenient version of coffee is over 100 hundred years old. It was first created and patented in New Zealand in 1890.
While it's easy to discount instant coffee, there's surely an option that suits your taste. If you still doubt it, you should check out how much of the world looks to instant coffee as their preferred method.
Another great option for brewing camp coffee is the venerable percolator. If you're not familiar, once water is boiling in the percolator, it is forced up a hollow pump tube. When it reaches the top, the spreader cover ensures it's sprayed evenly over the coffee grounds.
This process makes a strong full-flavored cup of coffee. However, if you aren't careful, you can overheat, aka burn, the coffee, and it will have an extra bitter flavor.
Percolators come in all shapes and sizes. Depending on the stove you plan to use as a heat source, you can provide coffee for a couple of people or a large group.
The Aeropress is a relatively recent newcomer to the coffee maker scene. Officially debuting in 2005, the Aeropress has quickly gained favor with coffee aficionados.
The kit consists of a polypropylene tub, a silicone capped plunger that fits inside, and a filter cap that screws onto the end.
After adding grounds and hot water, the Aeropress only takes about 30 seconds to brew. It can be pressed right into your favorite camp mug.
Aeropress brewed coffee is known for having a low level of acidity and a full flavor comparable to espresso. Plus, you can use it with your favorite brand of coffee. Just make sure it's finely ground to take advantage of this brewing style.
If you are looking for a no-frills method for making that delicious beverage that so many of us require to start our day, then bush coffee is the answer you seek. Bush coffee requires no filters or special apparatus other than items that we should already be carrying in our kit. Your stainless steel water bottle, nesting cup, coffee, and water will suffice for your personal coffee needs. However, if you are making coffee for two or more people, you will need a good bush pot.
Whether you are using an open fire or a stove, the method pretty much remains the same. The 1st step is adding the water to the vessel you are going to use to make the coffee. I usually fill my container about 1/3 of the way with water, and then I add one tablespoon of ground coffee for every eight ounces of coffee, and I let the grounds rest on top of the water, so there's no need to stir. The great thing about this method is that you can adjust the strength of the coffee as you see fit. Mors always said, "you can make strong coffee weak, but you can't make weak coffee strong."
If you are using open fire, you will need some sort of adjustable suspension system, like a tripod, for example.
You want to bring the water to a boil slowly and let the grounds incorporate themselves into the water gradually. Once you start to see bubbles forming on the side of the pot, you have to pay close attention to the process at this point. Coffee beans contain carbon dioxide, and this mixed with the oxygen in the water will cause a foaming reaction. When you start to see the foaming, you want to lower the heat by turning down the stove or lifting the pot from the flame. At this point, the grounds should be incorporated into the water, and the liquid will be boiling. Let the coffee boil for about one minute and no longer than 90 seconds or the coffee becomes bitter and less enjoyable.
After boiling for about 1 minute, remove the pot from the flame and let the coffee rest for about 15 seconds, and then add a few splashes of cold water from a height of about 1 foot from the top of the pot. This shocks (also known as frocking) the grounds and allows them to settle to the bottom of the pot. You can also tap the side of the pot with a stick to further help the settling process. At this point, you can either pour the coffee straight from the vessel into your water bottle or use a dipping cup to dispense the beverage to others. You can now add additional water to weaken and add accouterments to your taste.
I find that this method makes the tastiest cup of coffee and provides the highest concentrated levels of caffeine due to the constant and direct contact of the grounds with water as it comes to a boil. When you need a strong cup of coffee
]]>Let's first dispel some rumors:
Claim #1 - Your knife MUST be sharpened with a specific gadget. FALSE - Refer back to our first post regarding how to sharpen without a sharpener. In short, you just need something abrasive enough to move metal.
Claim #2 - Your angle must be precisely what that particular "expert" says. FALSE - Your angle must be consistent - not exact.
Claim #3 - You must make "X" number of passes to arrive at sharp. FALSE - success will be dependent on lots of factors like the type of steel, type of abrasive, pressure, and how dull it was, to begin with, but there is no specific number of passes that equals success.
Why are these claims all false? Because sharp is the condition of two angles meeting in a congruent form. Until the APEX is reached, you will still have a dull knife - no matter if the angles are perfect at 20 degrees if you are using some $400 sharpening system that has a really cool name, and no matter if you've made 30 passes on the fine grit. If you didn't reach a new apex, you didn't arrive.
So what do we mean when we say, "angles are less important than apex"? If I gave you a knife that was precisely sharpened at 20 degrees but did not reach an apex versus a knife that was sharpened somewhat irregularly (maybe 18 degrees at the tip and changing to 22 degrees at the point where it reaches the tang, you will say every time that the knife with the irregular angle is sharper - every time.
Why? Because it IS.
Here is the point; when sharpening by hand, your stroke may not hold the exact degree from one end of the knife to the other. This may not look beautiful on your Sebenza in the display case, but we are talking about practical applications. What is important here is YOUR STROKE. It matters less that your stroke is perfect and much more than your stroke is consistent. Making the exact same stroke will dramatically improve your results. Don't get too hung up on being at an exact degree.
Sure, degrees do matter. Hatchets may be ground at 25 degrees or more. Japanese chef knives are usually about 16 degrees. Twenty degrees is right in the middle of the spectrum, so we advise people to practice that one and stick with it until comfortable and good results are achieved. But a consistent stroke is the KEY!
Bottom line – APEX, APEX, APEX. Here is a picture of what that looks like under magnification.
The bent-over part is the burr. This burr happens when you reach the apex. You can see it and feel it. The burr can be broken off by further refinement on smoother abrasives. When achieved, the edge will look something like this:
Practice and patience will get you there. Once you have mastered roughly 20 degrees, you can begin to experiment with more acute and obtuse angles. Practice on a basic carbon steel knife like an Old Hickory kitchen knife instead of your Spyderco in M4 steel. And most importantly, enjoy the process!
Stay Tuned for the next Knife Skill: Supersteel versus Traditional Carbon?
Knife Skills is a collection of important techniques that all people should know. These valuable life-skills will significantly improve your experience with knives and produce better results with all knife tasks. Published in partnership with Georgia Bushcraft.
If you have a suggestion that you would like us to write about, please email us at info@otcutlery.com.
]]>Most survival kits include some sort of fishing line and hooks. However, if you have ever tried to fish with just these items, you know it's a quick way to end up with a tangled mess. To effectively fish, you need some sort of line management, and if it allows you to cast further and reach better fishing locations, even better. This is where handlines come into play.
While this type of fishing might seem foreign to some avid anglers, in many parts of the world, handlines are used to target fish species of all sizes. As a matter of fact, certain types of handlines are commonly used to catch relatively large saltwater species.
Speaking of types of handlines, they fall into several categories. Fishing yoyos or Cuban Yoyos are usually larger than other options. They're popular in coastal areas, and you can find them made from wood or modern materials like plastic and aluminum. While they aren't as packable as other options, you can find them at some bait shops for $10-20.
The baton style of handline can have great variance in fit and finish. It's essentially a round piece of wood, or sometimes other materials, that provides a handle and a spot to store your line. This type can easily be improvised in the field with a stick and a bit of time with your knife. Or you can go fancy like this example from our beloved Bushcraft Kelso. he included a reel to help rewind the handline.
The next type is a bit harder to pin down a name for, but for the sake of this post, let's call them knuckle handlines. This style dates back several centuries in England. They come in all shapes and sizes, and you easily make one from a split of wood. They can be scaled to your kit, ranging from small handlines inside of tins to larger versions for packs and pouches.
One of the nicest handlines on the market is also one of the easiest to use. The Exotac xREEL provides a convenient way to store your line, cast it, and also keep hooks and other tackle handy.
To fish with the xREEL, you slip a couple of fingers through the TPE strap, point the reel where you plan to cast and hold the end of the line in your other hand. After a few quick spins of the bait off to the side, you release the line, and the momentum pulls the line off of the xREEL. It takes a bit of practice, but in no time, you should be able to cast twenty feet with relative accuracy. Once you have a fish on the line, you simply spool it back around the xREEL.
The process for casting is essentially the same for most handlines, but some are easier than others. Regardless of what style you decide to go with, it's nice to know that you have a reliable way to catch some fish when the opportunity arises.
]]>