Daypack for elk

Whats in your backpack? On the various archery forums, this question comes up several times a year. Everyone is different. Every hunted area is different as well, slowly going from vast expanses here in the west to small woodlots in the east. Some like a buttpack, others a backpack. Some like branch clippers, others a saw, and some, none at all. There are those who strap their knife on the belt, grab the bow and go, maybe stuffing a granola bar in a pocket. Then there are those who bring everything possible to the tree stand, hauling up a monster sized backpack that weighs as much as they do. It all depends on the area you are going to hunt and your level of woodsmanship and comfort.

Here's what I take, give or remove an item here and there as it is forgotten or not needed.

Starting with the backpack and going clockwise:

The backpack is a Kelty Cougar. Great daypack. Comfy straps, just enough organizing pockets, hydration bladder compatible, it's the right size for me, and it has quiet fabric.

I carry some camo blind material, a couple legths of rope and two cloths pins. Obviously to set up a quick blind when there isn't brush to utilize or to augment what is available. Weights about 8 oz.

I also sometimes have an inflatable cushion. It is rolled up just below the blind material. Weighs less than a pound.

Binoculars and a bino harness. Currently it's either some smallish 8 power Bruntons or (shown) a set of 10x42 Leopolds.

Hat. Depends on the day, but shown is an oilcloth pack hat.

Enzo trapper knife (on belt).

Matches in a waterproof case. It also has a backup compass. This is in a pocket, dummy corded to my belt.

Map and compass. In a pocket and again dummy corded.

Toilet paper. Self explanatory, but also serves as a fire starter and trail marker (which, unlike surveyor's tape, decomposes quickly). In a ziplock.

The five small articles are duct tape (blister prevention, gear repair, etc.), burnt cork (face camo that comes off when its time to) and a bic lighter. Some bullion packs to make some hot drinks if need be. Good stew base as well. Water pure pills. Potable aqua.

A small pot for boiling water, drinking, etc. It doesn't have a lid, I wish it did, and the handles flap, so they are rubber banded down.

A small water bottle. I also carry a hydration bladder. That's a lot of water, but in the high back country, you can get dehydrated fast. If I'm not peeing a lot, I'm not drinking enough. I carry the small bottle so I can throw in some electrolyte drink mix.

First aid kit (already went over this in another post)

Bandanna. Besides a knife, possibly the most useful item to carry.

Brush clippers. For making shooting lanes and blinds.

Small, lightweight Gerber axe. Quite a few uses. Shelter, firewood, etc, etc. Heavier than a folding saw, but quicker and uses less energy when you are in a pinch.

Headlamp. (pretty much in the center of the gear). LEDs "never" burn out, use battery power by sipping rather than gulping.... really, LEDs don't have a downsize other than not throwing a huge swath of light. They are visible a long way off though. I also have a one LED bulb watch battery flashlight on the strap as well. Doesn't weight anything and is a nice backup.

The little camo bag has my skinning and caping knives, a sharpener and a pair of medical gloves. For when the work begins after an animal is down.

The green stuff sack has some lightweight mesh game bags. Also for when the work begins.

Not shown:
I almost always have my little GPS unit with me. It's a Garmin Geko and it is great. I carry a couple extra batteries, AAA, with it, which also fit the headlamp.

Some food. Trail mix, granola bars, fruit.... jolly ranchers to suck on in the blind so my throat doesn't parch.

Not much, really. With a full supply of water, it probably weighs less than 15#, but with this gear I am comfortable and confident I can weather a storm, survive an injury, take apart an elk or deer, and find my way back to camp, truck or home.

Backcountry Navigation, AKA Land Nav Part 1

One of the cornerstones of woodsmanship is learning the art of knowing where you are and planning where you want to be. It is the bedrock of staying found instead of getting lost. The backcountry can be immense, but it can also be as small as the woodlot down the street.

The basic (modern) tools of navigation are map, compass and GPS.

However, the mantra of bushcraft is "the more you know, the less you carry." With that in mind, I am going to discuss some of the alternative means of direction finding available. In the future I will write about map, compass and GPS techniques.

Moss doesn't only grow on the north side of trees... this is an old wives tale. It grows 360 degrees. It usually is heavier on the north side though. This would be a last ditch way of getting your bearings. You have to understand that it grows thicker on the north side because it is the shaded side to understand why this isn't a good method of direction finding. Since north facing slopes are typically the slopes that are timbered, and the north facing slopes are more shaded, it is natural that the moss (which by the way is often lichen and not just moss) grows 360. I will say that the more north you go, the better the odds that the moss will be exclusively on the north side. But I digress,

You can find your north from south with a tree, the sun and either snow or some time.

The snow to the north side of a tree will remain longer than the exposed southern side.

Since the sun moves from East to West, try this experiment next time you are out hiking. It has to be a sunny day. Find a stick a couple feet long. Stick it in the ground, pointed straight up. Notice the shadow of the stick and either place a smaller stick into the ground at the end of the shadow, dig a shallow trench along the shadow or place another stick in the shadow.

And wait.

15 Minutes later you should notice the shadow has moved. Again mark the shadow using a different stick, pebble, etc. Next, simply connect the dots between the ends of the shadows. You now have an east- west line. The first marker you placed is west, the second is east. And as you know, if west is on your left, then north is to your front, east to your rear.

Not as accurate as a magnetic compass, but a useful skill non the less. And it forces you to stop and think, which is oftentimes more important if you are turned around than actually finding out direction.

Of course, direction can be intuitive as well. One particular area I like to hunt elk is the front range of the Whitecloud Mountains. From the valley floor at 7000 feet, the mountains rise up to 10000. The valley is large enough to make its presence known 99% of the time. The other 1% is covered by "if I am climbing, the valley is behind me." Unless of course I have climbed over the ridgeline. The ridgeline runs roughly north south, so I know the valley is to the west. Although I am in the "backcountry" hunting there, I am confident I can find my way out, in the dark, without a compass simply by ensuring (and I know that here I would know if I went over the ridgeline) that I didn't cross over the ridge, and heading downhill. At the bottom there is an access road, and beyond that, a river.

But I don't always hunt there... and, having been turned around before, and the ensuing miles long walk back to camp or the truck being lost is no fun.

Another technique for staying found is using natural landmarks such as a stream. When I am out hunting or scouting for a hunt I try to avoid regular parking areas and trailheads. I will drive a road until I cross a creek, crick, stream, or river and will hike along it. When I am ready to turn around and head home or to camp, finding my way back is easy.

Busy as a beaver

Well, I have been busy lately. Actually I have been on vacation, so busy might not be the right word for it... I had a family reunion on the Oregon coast. I absolutely love the O-coast, one of my favorite places on earth. Despite having nearly 20 others around, I found some quiet time to do some "bushcrafty" stuff. I made an inukshuk on the beach.



And then another (this time it was my wife's family) reunion down in Mexico. Puerto Villarta to be precise, Neuevo Villarta to be even more precise. It was great fun relaxing on the beach, downing an occasional cold cervesa and generally bumming around. I did some deep sea fishing and some snorkeling as well as beach bumming.

Anyhow, not very "backcountry" nor bowhunter-ish, but that's what I have been doing.

Oh, and I am also nearly finished with this year's elk bow, so I'll be posting that pretty soon, as well as srticles on whats in my bag this year, butpack vs daypack, knives and grinds explained, some new carbon arrows I'm shooting, scouting hunting areas from a long distance , glassing for game properly, and stalking.

Thanks for dropping by!

Knives

Wow, has it really been a month? Where does the time go? How does it escape so completely?

Anyway, I have made a couple more knives. Three to be precise. A couple kits and a homebrew.
Up at the top left is the homebrewed British bushcrafter. I stock reduced it from O1 barstock. It has bubinga scales, homemade mosaic pins, a handmade sheath (not my best work, but it'll hold the knife), as well as an unfinished firesteel. Scandinavian grind at about Rc 58. I am sure it will get some use this summer!


Down below that it a handy little neck knife. I haven't decided on the sheath yet, but I think the size will be handy. I sharpened it with a nice convex and it will shave now. This was a naked blade I bought a while back. Black and white ebony scales.

I also put together an Enzo trapper kit. Curly birch scales with red liners. I am very impressed with this knife! It carries in a homemade sheath with a mule deer topped firesteel. Fun kit to put together, this may just be my go to knife for hunting. I can make kindling, spark a fire, take apart some game, and cut up some lunch or dinner!

Wilderness Medicine

It happens. We trip, slip and manage to mangle ourselves, miles from the nearest road, much less the nearest medical clinic. That's why it is so important to follow the old Boy Scout motto "be prepared."

For me, that means having along the necessities of medicine needed to care for what can occur. because the bushcrafters mantra is the more you know, the less you carry, my kit is small. Small is good, uncomplicated, uncluttered, easy and quick. Small is likely to be carried. We all know that a fully stocked hospital quality first aid kit is of no use if it is not present when needed, back in the rig or camp. With this small kit I can take care of most any wounds... but what is it missing, what eventualities can happen that I should plan for?

I have been doing some reading lately. Actually, reading might be to strong a term. Scanning might be better. I have read all these books though, and combined with a bit of thought and planning, as well as some basic medical training (I am an EMT-Basic), I feel I am well prepared to overcome just about any situation I might face in the backcountry.

I should also mention that this is my emergency first aid kit. I only use this stuff for emergencies. I have a couple band aids and some pain relievers (Tylenol PM) in my toiletries kit.

I highly recommend that you do your own research. Dig around on the internet, visit Barnes and Noble, go borrow a book or few from your local library on wilderness first aid. It is a very important part of being prepared for the adventures we undertake.

Here's what is in my kit:
Bandages (also called band-aids)
Iodine pads
Alcohol pads
Neosporin/ antibiotic ointment
Athletic tape
Gauze pads
Cotton tipped swabs (AKA q-tips)
Cough drops
Salt/ rehydration tabs
Gloves
Moleskin
Pain relief tablets
*Not in picture:
smallest model Swiss Army knife (mainly for the scissors and tweezers)
bandanna

All this weighs less than 1# and fits in a really small amount of space. It is always with me in the backcountry.

Allergies

I suffer terribly from allergies. If you have them, you know how bad it can be. My nose is always stuffy, my eyes can tear up at the drop of a hat.... tons of fun. Last year I went to the allergist for the first time. They did the whole allergy test-prick you on the back thing. And I am allergic to just about everything out there. Grasses came up negative on their test, but I know I am allergic to cheat grass/ foxtail. When I go hiking I can feel it.

But the best part about having allergies is the wonderful view you get when they are at their worst and you are out hiking...

Gear

I'll admit it. I love gear. For me, gear is that all-encompassing term that, when it all comes down to it, toys. Some think of big boy toys as trucks, motorcycles and such. For me, big boy toys are the things that allow me to flourish in the outdoors. Knives. Yeah! Backpacks. Got a few. Stoves. Check! Tents. How many do I need? Sleeping bags and pads, lanterns, fly rods, float tubes, pots and pans, water bottles... the list goes on. Totally contradictory to my desire of a simpler life, uncluttered by "stuff." And yet, piece by piece, my collection grows and never seems to shrink. Without digging in my boxes in the garage I know I have at least three tents, three sleeping bags, two multi day packs, two messenger-type bags, two stoves, three lanterns. Redundancy is good, and I feel good having enough stuff to allow others to join me, but at what point is it too much?

This summer I want to thin the heard, streamline the quiver, cull the unused. It will be a challenge. I don' like to get rid of my fun stuff. I like my knives, and what if I need this or that? But the point is, I can only USE one knife at a time. I can only USE one tent at a time... one fly rod, one float tube, one multi-tool.

Maybe I can sell some of the stuff. Use the money for a new longbow. Now, a fella can't have to many bows.....

Sharpening knives

I am sharpening retarded. I have tried just about everything. The little carbide scrapers. They do OK, but they take a lot of metal away and it's not REAL sharp. I have a little Gerber ceramic and diamond sharpener gadget that works on the same principal, even uses the same angle. Still not REAL sharp. Several years ago I purchased a Japanese waterstone set, but it was time consuming messy and I still wasn't getting good results. But recently I was looking for some Ray Mears videos on You Tube and found this video. GREAT STUFF!!! Bingo, my knives were sharp. In no time flat I had sharpened the whole house full of knives. No small task since I have more than a couple in my stash and the kitchen knives. Just goes to show that a little tutoring goes a long way, a little shared knowledge makes the difference. Hope you enjoy it.

This years hunts

Well.... they may or may not happen! They may be short. Bu then again, they may go off without a hitch.... all because of life.

Life #1: My lovely wife is pregnant with our first child! Hooray! We are pretty excited. She isn't too far along, the due date seems a long way off with the recent 70-80 degree days, fresh cut lawns and leaf buds just beginning to come out. But a week away during the end of the second trimester for my elk time in the mountains seems a bit greedy and self centered. But then again, if that's what I need to stay sane,... we shall see.

Life #2: I am currently jobless. Thats right, still looking for some gainful employment. I am also looking at school which is the more tempting option. But not knowing when it would kick off throws a wrench into the whole hunt thing.

But still I plan. I pour over maps and sort gear. I fantasize about close encounters of the ungulate kind. I practice shooting almost daily.

What to do, what to do.

Priorities. Responsibility. Life is good.

Knife craft techniques

I recently stumbled across this great video of Andrew Price demonstrating some knife techniques. I have the Kellam Puukko knife he is using and it is great. I have never used the soft-of-the-knee technique but I might have to give it a go.